5 Small Home Improvements to Honor Earth Day 2012
Even if Earth Day is the only day of the year that you do something good for the planet; you should make it count by doing something that is going to make a difference all year. By performing energy saving home improvements on your home, you can save money all year and reduce your impact on the environment. In many cases, the home improvement also adds to the curb appeal and value of the home, making green home improvements a very attractive home improvement project for someone trying to sell their home in a stalled market. But many so called green home improvements take years to see any return on their original investment. Use these five “do them now” ecofriendly home improvements and go green for Earth Day 2012 and throughout the rest of the year.
1. Changing the Bulbs- A homes lighting accounts for 14.2 percent of the annual electric bill for an average U.S. home. That’s why installing ecofriendly lighting is an instant way to save big bucks and go green this Earth Day 2012. Installing compact florescent bulbs can instantly lower your homes electric bill and can be done for less than $100 in most homes.
2. Using Solar Power- Solar power isn’t new, in fact, it’s the oldest light source we have! It’s also the cheapest and most ecofriendly available. That’s why harnessing its powers by installing outdoor solar powered flood lamps can help reduce your outdoor lighting bill and increase your homes security at the same time.
3. Adding a Programmable Thermostat- An average American homes largest consumer of energy is the cooling system at over 20 percent of the homes energy consumption. By installing a programmable thermostat, you can better control the homes temperature fluctuations, program the thermostat to shut off when you aren’t there and keep temperatures stable and comfortable-and all while saving energy, making a programmable thermostat a cost effective and instant way to save energy on Earth Day 2012 and every day after.
4. Installing a Ceiling Fan- If you don’t have a ceiling fan in every room already, you’re heating and cooling system is going to have to work twice as hard to cool the same space. Installing our own ceiling fan is easy using my step-by-step guide to ceiling fan installation and can be a quick, cost effective way to increase your homes air and heating systems efficiency, thereby decreasing your homes energy consumption.
5. Water Heater Timer- When you’re not using your water heater during the wee hours of the night, it’s still working away at keeping your homes hot-water supply ready to go. All of the wasted energy can be stopped before it starts by installing a programmable timer for your water heater . This quick and easy green home improvement is perfect for Earth Day or any day to help save our planet.
