Environmental sustainability has become an increasingly important topic for homes across America. “Green living” is the concept of maintaining a small environmental footprint through minimal energy use and sustainability. There are no universal standards for maintaining a green home, although some organizations, such as the U.S. Green Building Council, do offer green home certifications. Keeping a green home can be done by following Parker & Sons seasonal energy use tips.
Hot water heaters are notorious energy hogs. It takes a very large amount of power to heat water to 140 degrees, which is the standard for most water heaters. Homeowners can turn this temperature down to 120 degrees, which will net massive energy savings. Insulation blankets can be purchased at relatively low cost. Parker & Sons advises homeowners to wrap these insulation blankets around the water heater and the first few feet of piping. This will minimize ambient heat loss, and reduce the amount of work the heater has to do to keep water warm.
Zoning an air conditioning unit is a way to save massive amounts of energy and reduce heating and cooling costs. Zoning separates the home into specific rooms, and allows homeowners to heat and cool each room individually. They can also set the heating and cooling systems to run only during specific times of day. A well designed zoning system can save individuals hundreds of dollars every year.
LED lights save energy and last longer. They are more expensive than ordinary lightbulbs, but they end up paying for themselves over time. It may take a year or two, but eventually the savings will start rolling in. If homeowners make the move to 100 percent LED lighting, it may be a few years before they have to visit the lightbulb aisle of the grocery store again. They may forget what it looks like!
“Once you start paying attention to seasonal energy use, and begin actively making changes, you will start seeing some incredible savings. It doesn’t have to take an overwhelming amount of work, either. Small changes often reap large results,” said Josh Kelly of Parker & Sons.