Have A Green Christmas

December 7, 2011

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Although Bing Crosby has always sung about White Christmas, here at Green Horizon we want to encourage our clients to have a Green Christmas. This holiday season, implement a few small changes to make your home healthy, energy efficient, and comfortable. 

Give Greenly

Spread the message of energy efficiency and conservation with every gift. Consider reusing gift paper from previous years, or buying gift paper made from recycled fibres. For large or awkward-to-wrap presents, sew reusable cloth gift sacks that can be used for years to come from festive fabric. Give rechargeable batteries instead of one-time-use batteries with electronic gifts. 

Deck the Halls

Nothing says “I’m living a Green Christmas” like bringing the outdoors inside. Decorate your home with natural festive decorations like holly, poinsettia, garland of cedar or pine, and mistletoe, all of which can be composted after Christmas, or put in your green bin for pick up with your regular garbage. Consider buying a living Christmas tree this year and replanting it in your yard after the holidays are over. 

Shine Brightly

LED Christmas lights came onto the market about 10 years ago, providing the same illumination as traditional incandescent Christmas lights, but consuming 1/3 of the energy of older lights. Homeowners can expect to 50-80% on their holiday lighting costs by replacing older bulbs. Best of all, most home improvement stores now offer “trade in” programs to encourage you to dispose of your older light strings for a discount on new ones.

Give Time 

"I haven't had time!" is the #1 reason we hear from homeowners haven't improved their home efficiency. There are a variety of small steps that homeowners can take to improve home energy consumption, including adding door and window sealing, installing programmable thermostats, or installing swtich and outlet gaskets to keep out drafts. If you're short on funds this year, consider giving time - give a loved one or family member a few hours to improve their home's efficiency in 2012.