The 10 easiest ways to green your home
The 10 easiest ways to green your home
http://realestate.msn.com/Improve/Article.aspx?cp-documentid=440485
Read the article...it is a really good one.
We saved $10 each month on our electric bill just switching to an "Energy Star" refrigerator.
Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFLs) use 66% less energy than a standard incandescent bulb and last up to 10 times longer. Replacing a 100-watt incandescent bulb with a 32-watt CFL can save $30 in energy costs over the life of the bulb.
There are coupons and sales for these things in our Sunday newspaper, which we are buying. We already are using two of them and expect to add them to the bedroom ceiling fixtures (three bulbs in three bedrooms) this week and maybe additionally in a few selected lamps. We are hoping to save an additional $10 each month in our electric bill. We wind up replacing from 4 to 8 incandescent bulbs each month it seems.
Today we reached 78 degrees outside in New Jersey and I shut off the furnace at least for during the day today. We have consistantly kept the thermostat below what we have traditionally kept it. When no one was home we shut it down to 55 degrees. And we covered the windows with the insulating plastic to keep out drafts. When you are charged almost $3.00 for fuel oil it really pays to manage the thermostat. We wore sweaters more often during the past two winters, but probably saved at least $250 each year in fuel oil charges than when oil was much cheaper.
I noticed on our last electric bill that our electric charges are cheaper at night and on weekends and I am planning on taking advantage of that. Right now I can only think of trying to move laundry time to nights and weekends, but there should be more things to take advantage of the lower rates. We should try to leave the house more frequently during the day also.
We are going to look into adding insulation to the house this summer to keep maintain cooling and heating better. And maybe replace the furnace because it is more tan 20 years old and they say the new ones are 25% more efficient.
We usually fly on distant vacations and rarely travel more than 50 miles roundtrip on any one day. I'd trade in my gasoline burning car for a plug electric car in a jiffy if I could find one that went as many as 100 miles on a charge. Then, I might have to rent a gasoline car maybe once or twice each year for longer trips.
We all have to do what we can to save energy and it is worthwhile especially when one can save money also. Some of the things may even enhance the market value of our home also.
http://realestate.msn.com/Improve/Article.aspx?cp-documentid=440485
Read the article...it is a really good one.
We saved $10 each month on our electric bill just switching to an "Energy Star" refrigerator.
Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFLs) use 66% less energy than a standard incandescent bulb and last up to 10 times longer. Replacing a 100-watt incandescent bulb with a 32-watt CFL can save $30 in energy costs over the life of the bulb.
There are coupons and sales for these things in our Sunday newspaper, which we are buying. We already are using two of them and expect to add them to the bedroom ceiling fixtures (three bulbs in three bedrooms) this week and maybe additionally in a few selected lamps. We are hoping to save an additional $10 each month in our electric bill. We wind up replacing from 4 to 8 incandescent bulbs each month it seems.
Today we reached 78 degrees outside in New Jersey and I shut off the furnace at least for during the day today. We have consistantly kept the thermostat below what we have traditionally kept it. When no one was home we shut it down to 55 degrees. And we covered the windows with the insulating plastic to keep out drafts. When you are charged almost $3.00 for fuel oil it really pays to manage the thermostat. We wore sweaters more often during the past two winters, but probably saved at least $250 each year in fuel oil charges than when oil was much cheaper.
I noticed on our last electric bill that our electric charges are cheaper at night and on weekends and I am planning on taking advantage of that. Right now I can only think of trying to move laundry time to nights and weekends, but there should be more things to take advantage of the lower rates. We should try to leave the house more frequently during the day also.
We are going to look into adding insulation to the house this summer to keep maintain cooling and heating better. And maybe replace the furnace because it is more tan 20 years old and they say the new ones are 25% more efficient.
We usually fly on distant vacations and rarely travel more than 50 miles roundtrip on any one day. I'd trade in my gasoline burning car for a plug electric car in a jiffy if I could find one that went as many as 100 miles on a charge. Then, I might have to rent a gasoline car maybe once or twice each year for longer trips.
We all have to do what we can to save energy and it is worthwhile especially when one can save money also. Some of the things may even enhance the market value of our home also.
posted by God Bless America - Bob at 1:36 PM
9 comments
