Homeowners: 3 Green Ways to Save Energy & Money

Here’s three money-saving resources for homeowners, offered by Glen Croston of Basil and Spice, via Green Key Real Estate – one of the reputable firms he, too, liked:

1. Here’s an ingenious way to heat your shower water. After hot water hits your body and goes down the drain it can be diverted by Econdrain’s device to heat the cold water headed for the shower head.

2. Waste less power at home by getting an audit of places where energy is lost. Think their insulation, windows, appliances, air ducts, lighting, etc. Sustainable Spaces conducts an audit then shows you the costs to retrofit your home and the savings that will result. By creating a set of best practices, this firm is able to develop considerable accuracy so you can make smart, green changes that save you money.

3. Install sensors connected to light switches, making the lights turn off automatically when these custom-set heat and motion sensors determine no one is in the room. Wattstopper makes them for homes and workplaces.

Double Pane Windows: “Not Worth Much…

… “without a properly insulated house with an efficient heating and cooling system,” reports Alexis Madrigal. That’s what she learned from Sustainable Spaces, a firm that conducts home energy efficiency assessments and provides green improvements.” Matt Golden, Sustainable Spaces’ ceo, says his company can reduce a home’s energy bills by 10-50 percent, simply by fixing what he calls “the heart and lungs of a home” – the HVAC system.

Of course, once your home is tightly- sealed and snug, consider getting those double pane windows. For the best kind, check the warranty and the NFRC rating. Also be sure to remove the airborne pollutants that are captured inside, especially the tiny RSPs that can go deep into the lungs, sometimes causing asthma, allergies and other respiratory problems.