Landscaping is a natural and beautiful way to keep your home cool in summer and reduce your energy bills. In addition to adding aesthetic value and environmental quality to your home, a well-placed tree, shrub, or vine can deliver effective shade, act as a windbreak, and reduce overall energy bills.
Carefully positioned trees can save [...]
Heating and cooling your home uses more energy and drains more energy dollars than any other system in your home. Typically, 61% of your utility bill goes for heating and cooling. What’s more, heating and cooling systems in the United States together emit over a half billion tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each [...]
Should I Insulate My Home?
The answer is probably “yes” if you:
• Have an older home and haven’t added insulation. Only 20% of
homes built before 1980 are well insulated.
• Are uncomfortably cold in the winter or hot in the summer— adding insulation creates a more uniform temperature and increases comfort.
• Build a [...]
Tips to Save Energy Today
• Set your thermostat comfortably low in the winter and comfortably high in the summer. Install a programmable thermostat that is compatible with your heating system.
• Use compact fluorescent light bulbs.
• Air dry dishes instead of using your dishwasher’s drying cycle.
• Turn off your computer and monitor [...]