What’s Real When It Comes To Green

Green! Sustainable! Energy Efficient! These are the words and phrases we see time and again in our home improvement stores. The environmentally conscious world we live in makes earth friendly green products desirable. The marketers know this and are sure to slap green and sustainable labels on everything as often as possible. Certainly, understanding the effect one has on the environment is a good thing. Conserving resources is a responsibility we all have. Plus, energy efficiency can save you money in monthly bills. Caveat Emptor. Let the green buyer beware. How can we sift through the propaganda and glittering generalities and find out what's real and important?
One useful website we've found is www.aceee.org. Here you'll find useful and unbiased information about energy matters. Best of all, it's easy to understand. Often advertising is unclear and we're left wondering what to believe. That is where this website can come into play.
Recently we encountered a real life example. The clients were discussing the pros and cons of installing a higher SEER rated air conditioner. They were prepared with a printout from the www.aceee.org/consumerguide/cooling page. With the proper information at hand, we made the decision to spend the extra money up front for the more efficient unit.
Sometimes we end up spending thousands of dollars to only save a small amount in energy costs. The payback is tremendously long. The effect on the environment as well as your pocket must be considered. Other times the benefits of the expense come in the form of improved comfort and peace of mind.
On a side note, we'll offer a summertime energy tip. Check to see if your windows are locked. We don't generally think of air leakage in the summer like we do in the winter. When it's cold, we can feel the cold drafts wafting through the house. But in summer, warm drafts are not as easily felt. But they cost you money just the same. As more hot air seeps into your house, more cool air seeps out. That means that your air conditioner will work that much harder to keep you feeling cool. So be sure to check your windows in summer as well as in winter.