Resources
Are You Ready For The Home Inspector?
By Edward McCarthy
There was a time not too long ago when buyers rarely requested one. Just five years ago the Chicago metropolitan area had only 200-300 home inspectors, while today the figure is 3,000 and growing. Read more...
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Resources
Keep Burglars Out With A Home Security System
By John Lenaghan
A home security system doesn't just keep your home and property safe, it also provides peace of mind. Statistics show that your home is three times more likely to be broken into if you have no Read more...
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Resources
Starting Up A Home Based Internet Business
By Ivan Brown
Depending on how you choose to view it, starting a home based internet business can be the most difficult step or easiest step to the process. If you follow a plan and are motivated to succeed, Read more...
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Making Your Home Energy Efficient Adds Up to Big Savings
By Michael Clem
Government statistics report that conserving energy costs in the can save a household several hundred, even several thousand, dollars per year on their utility bills. Replacing your older appliances and elements of your home’s structure, such as older windows and doors, with more energy-efficient alternatives, such as products that meet ENERGY STAR guidelines, is an important step to maximizing the amount of money you can save. ENERGY STAR is a government program that identifies products – including appliances, electronics, and improvement products – that meet energy efficiency guidelines that exceed the minimum federal standards, as determined by the U.S. Department of Energy. You can identify a product that meets the organization’s guidelines by looking for the signature blue ENERGY STAR logo.
The ENERGY STAR program began as a voluntary labeling tool to “identify and promote energy-efficient products to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.” It started with the labeling of computers and monitors and more than a decade later, has expanded to identify all types of products used in homes and offices that conserve energy. The result: Consumers and businesses have saved billions of dollars since the program began – $12 billion in 2005 alone.
Energy-efficient appliances – such as refrigerators and freezers, clothing washers, dishwashers, dehumidifiers and window air conditioning units – can cut consumer utility bills in half when compared with standard models. And improvement products with an ENERGY STAR rating – such as vinyl replacement windows, doors, skylights and siding – help to better maintain your home’s temperature control, cutting heating and cooling costs anywhere from $20 to $400 per year.
If you’ve been searching for a product in any one of the more than 40 categories rated by ENERGY STAR, you may have come across
the organization’s blue logo. That seal of approval indicates that the item can perform as well as, or better than, comparable products, but save you more money than if you purchased a less energy-efficient option. A refrigerator meeting ENERGY STAR’s energy conservation guidelines today:
Uses 40% less energy than models sold in 2001
Saves its owner 15% in energy costs when compared with other models (And freezers save 10 %.)
Compact models, with volumes less than 7.75 square feet, save 20%
A washing machine that meets ENERGY STAR guidelines:
Saves its owner up to $110 per year
Requires 50% less energy than standard washing machines
Uses up to 50% less water
Has more efficient spinning cycles to reduce drying time
Energy-efficient appliances provide an obvious cost savings for a household’s energy expenses. And other products that meet ENERGY STAR standards, such as vinyl replacement windows, doors, skylights and siding, make a significant contribution to keeping those costs down as well. Replacing your existing windows and siding with newer, better designed vinyl replacement windows and insulated siding can quadruple the insulation value of your and save an average of 30% on your utility bills.
In addition to saving money, vinyl replacement windows with this rating create a more comfortable living environment by:
Eliminating drafts and blocking heat
Offering protection from sun damage
Reducing interior condensation on windows
In the winter, energy-efficient vinyl replacement windows keep the interior glass warmer for better temperature control. And the warmer the window, the less interior condensation that, over time, can damage your window sill and paint job, and encourage mold growth. In the summer, these windows also:
Block 45 to 70% of the sun’s heat
Provide “sunscreen” to your by blocking ultraviolet light that can reduce fading up to 75% without compromising visible light.
Whether you are looking to add to the beauty of your and lower your energy bills by installing vinyl replacement windows, or you want to make a smart decision when choosing your next dishwasher or window air conditioning unit, products that meet ENERGY STAR guidelines offer an economical alternative that leaves more money in your pocket.
Michael Clem is Operations Manager of Creative Energy of Richmond, Virginia. Creative Energy uses ENERGY STAR-compliant vinyl replacement windows and doors to make their clients’ homes more energy efficient.
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