If It Is Not Energy Efficient, Then Haul It Away
Recycling and making your home as energy efficient as possible comes down to one thing.
It is common sense.
Making your home as energy efficient as possible will lower your utility bills and add value to your home.
In my part of the country the utility company has a monopoly therefore the customer service is terrible and they act like the mafia.
Consequently, every dollar I can keep from sending them gives me a little warm glow.
Adding value to your home helps yourself and your family.
The good news is that you do not have to do everything at once.
Every time you take a step forward you lower your utility bill which puts money in you pocket.
I own a home and I would like to share my plan of attack.
Insulation is by far the most cost efficient.
The U.
S.
Department of Energy recommends for the mid-Atlantic area insulation should be at least rated at R-38 which is about 12 to 15 inches.
A friend and I split the cost of renting the machine so for $290 and a few hours of work I was able to realize an average savings of $12 per month.
That $12 may not sound like much but it essentially paid for my next project.
Next, I tackled replacing windows.
After some tedious research I found that windows in my area average between $200 and $1000 apiece so be sure to find a reputable company that are reasonably priced.
I started with the front of the house and started replacing windows one or two at a time.
As I did this my monthly utility bill slowly but surely marched lower and lower.
There is that warm glow again! By the time I was finished I had lowered my utility bill by $72 per month.
Also, a friend who is an appraiser estimated that I had raised the value of my home by $10,000.
I call that motivation.
I now have a conundrum.
I am in the process of replacing appliances, furnace, and water heater.
The furnace and water heater are old and inefficient so I will replace them and haul them away.
My conundrum is should I replace perfectly good appliances for newer and more efficient models.
I am a great believer in using things until there is nothing left so I am going to do a cost/benefit analysis on each appliance and then make a decision.
In my opinion it is the best approach.
Even if you are not into recycling it is hard to agree with a lower utility bill.
If you do not think you are paying enough then please feel free to email me your address and you can pay mine for me.
I promise I will not tell anyone.
It is common sense.
Making your home as energy efficient as possible will lower your utility bills and add value to your home.
In my part of the country the utility company has a monopoly therefore the customer service is terrible and they act like the mafia.
Consequently, every dollar I can keep from sending them gives me a little warm glow.
Adding value to your home helps yourself and your family.
The good news is that you do not have to do everything at once.
Every time you take a step forward you lower your utility bill which puts money in you pocket.
I own a home and I would like to share my plan of attack.
Insulation is by far the most cost efficient.
The U.
S.
Department of Energy recommends for the mid-Atlantic area insulation should be at least rated at R-38 which is about 12 to 15 inches.
A friend and I split the cost of renting the machine so for $290 and a few hours of work I was able to realize an average savings of $12 per month.
That $12 may not sound like much but it essentially paid for my next project.
Next, I tackled replacing windows.
After some tedious research I found that windows in my area average between $200 and $1000 apiece so be sure to find a reputable company that are reasonably priced.
I started with the front of the house and started replacing windows one or two at a time.
As I did this my monthly utility bill slowly but surely marched lower and lower.
There is that warm glow again! By the time I was finished I had lowered my utility bill by $72 per month.
Also, a friend who is an appraiser estimated that I had raised the value of my home by $10,000.
I call that motivation.
I now have a conundrum.
I am in the process of replacing appliances, furnace, and water heater.
The furnace and water heater are old and inefficient so I will replace them and haul them away.
My conundrum is should I replace perfectly good appliances for newer and more efficient models.
I am a great believer in using things until there is nothing left so I am going to do a cost/benefit analysis on each appliance and then make a decision.
In my opinion it is the best approach.
Even if you are not into recycling it is hard to agree with a lower utility bill.
If you do not think you are paying enough then please feel free to email me your address and you can pay mine for me.
I promise I will not tell anyone.
Source...