It Pays to be Efficient
Most of the time, being more environmentally friendly simply means making better use of what you already have. If you have an older home, or even a newer one, a few simple upgrades can really reduce your impact:
- Replace your faucet aerators, the small devices on the end of kitchen and bathroom faucets. Install a 0.5 gallon per minute (GPM) aerator for bathrooms and a 1.5 GPM aerator for kitchens. We made this change at our branches and are set to save over 100,000 gallons of water annually. That’s enough water to fill over five average backyard pools!
- Add insulation to your house to lower energy bills during the hottest and coldest times of the year. Common types include fiberglass, cellulose, rigid foam board, and spray foam. Consider also buying door seals (weather stripping) to keep heat inside in the winter and outside in the summer.
- You can improve the efficiency of your heating and cooling system by as much as 20% when you seal your ducts, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
- Is your water heater set to produce the hottest water all the time? Most people don’t think to adjust this, so it’s comfortable for everyone in the house. Setting your dial to under 120 degrees can save you big bucks, and remembering to turn it down when you’re away for extended periods can save you even more.
If you’re ready to make some improvements around your house, you can actually use the equity in your home to pay for it (and a lot more) with a HELOC from us.
Have you made any home improvements to decrease your environmental impact? Tell what you’ve done at Garrett Chappell (GChappell@pmcu.org).