Going Green Saves You Money

y heartbeat starts to increase and my palms sweat each time I see those envelopes…the gas and electric bills.

Opening them makes me feel like the lone swimmer in "Jaws." The scary music has started and you know the shark is nearby.

After opening those bills and writing the checks, the music comes to an abrupt stop. My bank account has been swallowed whole by the shark.

It's time to take back some of your money. As we approach fall, we should be preparing our homes for winter.

Leak Proof Your Doors and Windows

Begin by sealing up areas where heat or air conditioning can escape. Invest $20 in a pack of weather strip and a tube of caulk. Seal doors and windows and caulk gaps where wires and pipes enter your home. After just a couple of hours of work, you might see an immediate difference in your energy bills.

Service Your Furnace

Don't wait until winter when the price goes up to service your furnace. You can also improve how heat is circulated within your home. Take an hour to seal leaks in air ducts and change your furnace filters at the end of summer. For homes with a crawl space, be sure to insulate any ducts under the house.

Winterize Your Attic

Your attic should be COLD. The colder the attic in the winter, the more heat stays inside the rooms you use. Add some eco-friendly insulation, which should help keep heat from escaping through the roof. Take a weekend and make these simple changes.

You may never like getting those gas and electric bills, but at least you'll be like Jonah and the shark will have to let your wallet go.

 Email  Print