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green homes |
These
days, you might think twice about walking past
a penny lying on the sidewalk. While a penny, or even several pennies for that
matter, isn't going to pay the bills, it's more the act of picking up a penny
that offers greater significance. A conscious affirmation, if you will, picking
up a penny during hard times is a good reminder of just how much we've devalued
money in the past, not to mention how often we throw money away.
As America's consciousness for sustainability
and clean energy has drastically risen in just a few short years, it has become
very clear just how much money we are actually throwing away just by simply
living in our homes - our energy inefficient homes that is. And we're not
talking pennies either. The best energy efficient homes can save thousands of
dollars per year.
Sure, there are some "start up" costs involved.
However, contrary to popular belief, or should I say outdated belief, the return
of investment for a maximized energy efficient home will produce large savings
in the first few years. And if you're looking for tax incentives, now is the
best time ever to go green. With legislation in the works that gives tax breaks
to home owners who install solar panels and foster energy efficiency in the home, financial savings are definitely guaranteed in the first year.
Even if you can hardly afford a dime during
these current times, there are simple, cost effective steps you can take to get
the snowball of energy efficiency going and save on utility bills. For example, even if you can change out
three light bulbs for the energy saving kind, use less indoor heating/cooling,
hand wash dishes a couple times a week and hang your clothes on a line to dry,
you will assuredly save on utility bills in the first month. Pocket that money
away and use it to purchase an energy efficient appliance later down the road.
You might even have enough to purchase solar panels and install them yourself!
In short, there are a myriad of ways to foster
energy efficiency in the home. This is what makes home efficiency consulting
sites like
GreenAndSave a highly valuable resource. This website in particular
offers a vast, free resource for home and business owners looking for ways to
save money on utility bills and ultimately do a service for the planet.
Specifically focusing on "remodeling" techniques, rather than building homes
from scratch, GreenAndSave is one of the first sites to offer Return of
Investment calculations for home owners.
There are plenty of home energy
efficiency tips and a
search tool that will let you find an energy auditor or green remodeling
specialists in your neck of the woods.
And if you're looking to make some simple and
cost-effective, hands-on changes to your home, like I mentioned before, take
some time to visit
AM Conservation Group. They sell a great selection of
weatherization kits and supplies for energy and water conservation.
Author: Ry
TIPS for a GREEN HOME
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