Home Efficiency Is No Joke

Happy April 1st! This is one of our favorite months of the year. Not because we like pulling April Fool's Day jokes (although that's fun too) but because this month heralds the return of spring, the return of warm weather... and the return of Earth Day.

If you haven't already, circle April 22nd on your calendar. That's the day when the entire world comes together to celebrate greener living and a more healthy environment. 

Wondering how to celebrate? Start with small changes. The US EPA has a great program called "Pick 5" that lets you choose 5 simple solutions to improve the environment around you.

Here are some easy recommendations that you can start today to reduce the environmental impact of your home and (incidentally) save you a few dollars on your energy costs:

Tune Up Your HVAC Unit

Your furnace has been working overtime all winter and your air conditioner may have been buried in snow - both of which can lead to inefficient systems that bleed energy. April is a great time to schedule an HVAC tuneup to make sure your house's most critical system is performing at peak performance. An HVAC tune-up generally costs less than $100 and takes under an hour to complete - what better investment to make in your home? You can even schedule your assessment online here.

Recycle Your Rainwater

Gardeners around the US are getting ready to open up their planting seasons, but whether you have a green thumb or a landscaper on speed dial, you might not be looking forward to your water bill if this summer is a hot one. Rainwater harvesting systems are a good way to replace your demand for water from your municipality against the water that drops for free from the sky. Recycling rainwater into landscaping not only improves your curb appeal, it reduces the energy drag on city resources to provide potable water. Rainwater barrels are available through most city programs, or you can have an aesthetically and environmentally system installed.

Look at a Geothermal System

Geothermal heating and cooling is the ultimate in efficiency - you simply let the earth do the work! We recently talked to a great customer who grew up in Europe where he reported that geothermal systems were hugely popular, although they're just catching on here. The reason? A well-installed geothermal system can regulate the temperature of your house and reduce gas or electrical consumption by up to 70%. Since there are many high-return tax credits and incentives from the goverment and local utilities to install a geothermal system, April may be the time to make the leap to better home efficiency.

We're looking forward to Earth Day and can't wait to see you there!

P.S. SSshhh... If you've read this far.... we have a secret to share with you. We have a big contest coming up in April. A REALLY big contest. And we're going to be announcing it early to our email list, so if you haven't registered for our newsletter, go to the Free Energy Advice block in the left hand sidebar to get in early.