Summer green tips for your home

Did you know you can increase your home’s energy performance while going green? And it’s not rocket science either. Simple actions like turning off the lights when you leave a room or unplugging chargers when your electronic devices are fully charged can give a huge boost to your home’s energy efficiency. Here are a few extra tips to help you lower your utility bill and be a good steward of the environment.

Make a list of all the electric devices you use in your home and check if they need fixing, upgrading or replacing. There are things you can do yourself, such as changing the air filters in your home air conditioning unit. Not only will this move improve the efficiency of your A/C but it will also help you save good money on repairs and maintenance costs. Or, if you live in a mild climate, you could get rid of the A/C altogether and get ceiling fans instead. Using about the same electricity as a 100-wattt light bulb, a ceiling fan can make a room feel cooler by four degrees or more only by re-circulating air.

Don’t forget to check your household fixtures and irrigation systems for leaks from time to time. The amount of water leaked from U.S. homes could exceed more than 1 trillion gallons per year, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. That’s equivalent to the annual water use of Los Angeles, Chicago, and Miami combined.

Common types of leaks found in the home include leaking toilet flappers, dripping faucets and showerheads, which could be responsible for the addition of more than ten percent to your water bill. Most often, fixture replacement parts can be easily installed by do-it-yourselfers and the investment pays for itself in no time. A good method to check if you have a toilet leak for example is to place a drop of food coloring in the toilet tank; if the color shows up in the bowl within 15 minutes without flushing, you have a leak.

If you plan to give your home a makeover this summer, think of purchasing WaterSense labeled fixtures which perform well, help save money and encourage smart use of our resources.

Upgrading broken appliances with ENERGY STAR certified products can make all the difference, as well as using programmable thermostats to make adjustments to your home temperature, especially when you’re not at home.

Another smart investment which will keep your assets safe is renter’s insurance. ResidentShield renters insurance can help protect you against the financial risk associated with property damage as well as personal liability, dog bites and accidental injuries of guests while at your apartment.