Category: Eco-Friendly Choices

Winter storms can wreak havoc on roads, homes and personal lives. However, facing hours of cleaning up fallen tree limbs, shoveling snow or being cooped up inside with antsy kids might be the least of your worries. Experts predict more frequent and severe storms could lead to lengthy power outages that could affect thousands of Americans this winter storm season. In fact, increasingly severe weather is the chief reason power outages are becoming more likely, according to a National Governors Association report. What’s more, a study by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found the average outage lasts two hours and 20 minutes, but …

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Home solar panels can drastically cut or even eliminate electricity bills, reduce a home’s carbon footprint, increase resale value, and may even help a home sell faster. The cost of rooftop solar systems has fallen dramatically in recent years, and most homeowners have the option of buying the system, leasing it on reasonable payment terms, or having a third-party pay for and install the system at no up-front cost at all for the homeowner. Plus, home solar systems are eligible for federal tax credits. All of this explains why the number of homeowners installing solar has sky-rocketed across America. Nevertheless, …

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Temperatures are falling, pumpkin spice everything has reappeared — all signs that winter is already here. If you haven’t already had your heating system tuned up, now is the time. Neglect is a top cause of heating system inefficiency and failure, according to ENERGYSTAR.gov. Proper maintenance can help ensure your system works as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible throughout the winter. Failing to care for your heating system now could leave you without heat or with hefty emergency repair bills if the system breaks down during very cold weather. A tune-up is an inexpensive way to ensure heating equipment is operating …

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Households heating with natural gas, which is almost half of U.S. homes, are expected to spend an average of $635 on heating this winter — 22 percent more than last winter, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration — but some easy seasonal maintenance tips can make a big difference. “There are several simple, inexpensive ways consumers can save money on utility bills this winter, and still stay warm and comfortable as temperatures begin to drop,” said Jill Murphy, a home heating and energy efficiency expert with Lennox Industries. “By taking the initiative to weatherproof their home before the start …

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You step into a dark room, turn on the light switch and go about your day without giving it another thought. But here’s the thing — you should. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the average American home has approximately 50 light sockets, and most of those still contain inefficient light bulbs. These bulbs spend 90 percent of the energy they use creating heat around the bulb and only the remaining 10 percent providing any real, actual light. This is just one surprising fact about your lighting you may never have considered. To get you thinking about your lights …

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Kristen Johnson* loved her home, her family, and their active lifestyle. She’d never want to change a thing — except for her foyer and adjoining dining room. When she and her husband first moved into their home, they had intended to refinish the hardwood floors in those areas in a darker stain to better fit their style, but life got in the way. Twelve years, two boys and countless birthday parties, pets and indoor soccer games later, their floors were covered in scuffs, scratches, and stains, and some of their walls needed repair. To complicate matters even further, they had …

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When someone builds a home for you, you have the opportunity to make it as sustainable, eco-friendly and energy-efficient as possible. Not only are sustainable homes more cost-effective over the long term, they have a smaller environmental impact and can be more appealing to homebuyers when you’re ready to sell and move. In fact, more than half of Realtors report consumers are interested in sustainability, according to the National Association of Realtors’ REALTORS and Sustainability report. What’s more, 70 percent say a home’s efficient use of energy is important to potential buyers. If you’re having a home built for you, it’s …

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Eco-friendly Living Homeowners of all ages have an interest in eco-friendly living, according to the experts. Not all homeowners, but those who believe in “green living” and sustainability, embrace products and homes that offer this feature. “We continue to see homeowners building or remodeling seeking green building products and making eco-friendly decisions,” says Bryan Edwards of Hughes-Edwards Builders. “From low-E windows and low VOC paints to low-flow faucets and commodes, these products are having a dual impact on the environment and the comfort and lifestyles of families making thse wise choices.” Hughes-Edwards is a certified National Association of Home Builders  …

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