Frequently Asked Questions

We developed a business plan over the course of several months in 2007, and then incorporated in November 2007. Over the ensuing months we performed Green Home Makeovers and launched our online training program in May 2008. Our first Eco-Consultants were in the field in June 2008, and we've continued to grow ever since.

No, and as a result there are no franchise fees.

Green Irene was founded and is run by the husband and wife team of Peter J. (PJ) Stafford and Rosamaria Caballero Stafford. Rosamaria is the original Green Irene and she personally selects and uses any product we sell.

Click Make an Appointment on any page on our website. It's quick and easy to contact your local Eco-Consultant and schedule an appointment at a mutually convenient time. Green Irene is rapidly growing, and we now have a network of Eco-Consultants throughout the United States.

Yes, you need to meet with your Eco-Consultant in person. Generally, a Green Home Makeover requires a minimum of 1 hour for an apartment or small home and 90 minutes for a larger home, depending on how much you care to talk about the findings and ask questions about going green.

For a small office of fewer than 50 people, a Green Office Makeover generally takes about 2 hours. Your local Green Irene Eco-Consultant will walk through your office, talk with you and any employees you designate, and then present a written action plan with findings and recommendations.

Both the Green Home Makeover and Green Office Makeover include a membership to Ask Green Irene, which gives you access to our green online database and Green Irene Research Team so you can get answers to questions that come up later at no additional cost.

Download the Green Home Services or Green Office Services brochure for more information.

We charge just $99 for a standard Green Home Makeover, and $199 for the Green Home Makeover Plus service, which gives you 2 extra hours of consulting services and an extended, 12-month membership in the Ask Green Irene online service. For a Green Office Makeover of a small business you can start with a 2-hour consultation for only $250 and buy additional hours if you would like the assistance of your Green Irene Eco-Consultant with implementation tasks.

While most people do buy additional products or services to help them implement their Eco-Consultant's recommendations, there is no obligation to do so.

Yes, your local Eco-Consultant will make product recommendations based on the Action Plan for your home or office. This can save you time and effort by identifying specific products we know to be effective, so you don't have to do a lot of research to find a product that works. Sometimes you can purchase directly from your Eco-Consultant at the time of your appointment. Or you may buy products later directly from your Eco-Consultant's website. Click here to find your Eco-Consultant (listed by city and state), then click on the Shop Now icon to browse their product catalog.

We offer hundreds of products, so your Eco-Consultant cannot possibly carry all of our products to your home or office. Your Eco-Consultant will, however, have a demo kit and a detailed product sheet, and may have some products available for you to see. Any products you order will be shipped directly to your home, and installation, if necessary, should be arranged for a separate visit with the appropriate specialist.

A Green Home Makeover Plus includes everything in a Green Home Makeover plus an additional two hours of your local Eco-Consultant's time over the next 90 days to answer additional questions as you start on your path to greening your home. Usually, most of that extra two hours is provided after your initial consultation and may be by phone, email, or in person. You also receive a full year of Ask Green Irene unlimited support rather than the 3-month membership that comes with a $99 Green Home Makeover.

We price installation separately from products, so you are always welcome to "do it yourself" or use a favored handyman.

Green Irene accepts MasterCard, Visa, American Express, and Discover Card to schedule your appointment. At the time of your Green Home Makeover or Green Office Makeover, you are welcome to pay by credit card or check for any additional products you order.

We all live hectic lives, so we understand that things do come up. We appreciate if you call or email us to reschedule your appointment at least a day in advance. If you don't reschedule, and your Eco-Consultant arrives to find you are not home at the scheduled time, we reserve the right to keep your fee. Cancellations with full refunds are available until the close of business the prior day.

Ask Green Irene is an online service built on an enormous database of the latest and most effective green innovations. At Green Irene headquarters, finding green solutions is our full-time job. Our professional researchers work every day to add thoughtful and insightful information to our private, password-protected online database. If you don't find the answer you need, just submit your question via an online form, and the Green Irene Research Team will send you a prompt response, at no cost to you!

Ask Green Irene is chock-full of links to articles on relevant topics, expertly written Green Irene Guides, cost-saving product recommendations, and calculators to estimate savings from the green upgrades you make to your home or office.

Your membership in Ask Green Irene is a benefit you receive automatically with your Green Home Makeover or Green Office Makeover. When your membership expires, you can renew it through your local Eco-Consultant's website.

Yes. GO GREEN Workshops are a great way to prompt your friends, neighbors, community, and co-workers to make eco-friendly changes that save money and positively impact the environment.

Our GO GREEN Workshops can be custom-fit to a particular season, community, your specific area of interest, and the time available. Your local Eco-Consultant knows your area and will tailor information to the particular needs of your community. To thank you for hosting, your local Eco-Consultant will give you a free mini-Home Makeover before the event, a variety of product gifts and discounts, and a free 3-month membership to Ask Green Irene.

Please contact us to schedule a GO GREEN Workshop in your home or community or download the GO GREEN Workshops brochure for more information.

Visit the website dedicated to prospective Eco-Consultants at http://beagreenirene.com

No. Guys also like the idea of running their own consulting business, providing a valuable service to their neighbors, and helping people improve the environment.

Our Eco-Consultants must have a healthy curiosity to keep learning in an evolving field. You need to be comfortable interacting with a homeowner or small business owner, going through your consulting plan, and explaining your recommendations. You need to be friendly, organized, and have excellent follow-up skills. It certainly helps to be passionate and interested in creating a healthier world, but you definitely won't be successful if you are a "preachy green person." You will find yourself in basements checking the water temperature setting on a hot water heater and screwing in a lot of CFL energy-efficient light bulbs, but no mechanical skills are required.

The Green Home Makeover and Green Office Makeover may be niche services, but tens of millions of people are in this "niche." That's because only a very small number of people have adopted green practices by doing research and making a hobby of going green. Most people have taken few or no steps to go green and save energy and money, yet they would like to do so. Those are the people Green Irene is here to educate and assist.

Yes. We are looking for reputable, honest contractors in every town to help implement our solutions. Green Irene brings a large volume of pre-qualified work to your field. We expect to pass on a volume purchase discount to our clients and insist on the highest levels of craftsmanship and warranty to include you as part of the Green Irene Sustainable Contractors Network.

Below are just some of the partners we need in each market:

• Home energy audit professionals to conduct certified home energy audits in conjunction with our local Green Irene Eco-Consultant
• Electricians to install programmable thermostats
• Plumbers to install low-flow toilets, faucets, aerators, water filters, and motion-sensitive bathroom faucets
• Handymen to do projects such as sealing cracks, installing low-flow showerheads, removing appliances, and installing Energy Star-efficient appliances
• Landscapers who specialize in using as few chemicals as possible and water conserving landscaping
• Insulation contractors who offer eco-friendly insulation choices
• Green HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) installation and service (including air duct cleaning)
• Renewable energy resellers and installers (solar, wind, and geothermal options)
• Green home improvement general contractors
• Eco-friendly hauling

Contact us if you are interested in being part of our Sustainable Contractors Network.

Yes. We are always on the lookout for the best products for our clients. If you have a terrific green or eco-conscious product you want to distribute through our direct sales channel, please contact us so we can see if there is a fit.

The phrase “climate change” is becoming the preferred phrase instead of “global warming” because it helps convey that there are climate changes in addition to rising temperatures. The science of global warming is well understood. Certain gases, especially CO2, absorb solar radiation that would otherwise be dissipated back into space. Like a down comforter on your winter bed, these gases then radiate heat back to the earth. The more of these gases in the atmosphere, the more energy radiated back to earth. The higher the percentage of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the greater the amount of the sun's energy that is trapped on earth. CO2 levels have risen from 280 parts per million (ppm) in pre-industrial times to 382 ppm today. While rising sea levels threaten our shorelines, increased storm surges and extreme wind events become matters of concern. Declining soil moisture will mean lost agricultural productivity and more frequent droughts, pests, and forest fires.

A carbon footprint is the impact on the environment in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases produced, measured in units of carbon dioxide. As part of our Green Home Makeover and Green Office Makeover you will reduce the carbon footprint of your family or business.

Implementing the solutions we recommend will save a measurable amount of energy, money, and water, and reduce CO2 emissions. We also believe in Gandhi's saying, “You must become the change you seek in the world,” which means taking concrete steps now to lighten your impact on the Earth and lead a more sustainable life.