A huge buzzword lately that you may have heard is “sustainability”, which is the practice of reducing your demand on natural resources. With global warming, climate change, resource depletion, and ozone layer reduction all threatening our environment, our homes, and our planet, it’s imperative that everyone does their part to help reduce the carbon footprint left from the life we. Better yet, doing good for the environment can also help cut energy costs.

There are plenty of things you can change in your life to become more eco-friendly and increase sustainability – all while saving money, too:

Switch all the light bulbs in your house. This is going to have several benefits for you! By changing the lighting throughout your home or office from the typical light bulbs to CFL lights, and even by using skylights and more natural lighting, you can reduce your reliance on energy resources – sometimes drastically. By using CFL bulbs, you’ll also be using products that last much longer than traditional bulbs, which will reduce the waste that goes into landfills. The same holds true if you switch from halogen lights to LED for your track lighting and pot lights, which will result in an 86% savings to you!

Have our technicians install a programmable thermostat in your home. Heating and cooling accounts for a whopping 47% of the average energy bill – but one of the best ways to drastically reduce that bill is to program your climate control systems, or HVAC system. You can reduce your energy usage and your bill by about 15% annually, just by doing so! Just by setting your thermostat back about 5 degrees during the times when no one is in the home will make quite an impact.

Consider xeriscaping. If you haven’t heard of xeriscaping, you’re in for a treat. This is a term used to describe landscaping that uses slow-growing plants that are tolerant to droughts – which translates to a reduction in water usage for you and your lawn. Establishing a water- and waste-efficient landscape is one of the best (and most fun) ways to increase your sustainability and cut your living costs by quite a bit. The word “xeriscape” is derived from Greek, and literally means “dry scene”.

Consider having A-1 perform a home energy audit for you to inspect your insulation and other components of your home. This audit will reveal inefficiencies and needs for improvement from your roof down to your basement or crawl space. One of the main components of an energy audit is the effectiveness of the insulation your home has – or the lack thereof. We’ll find areas where drafts are present and make recommendations and/or repairs to improve the overall energy efficiency of your home too, which will save you money through the entire year.

Don’t snub solar. Although installing solar panels is something that everyone first thinks costs a lot of money, the truth is that with some investigation and due diligence, costs can be significantly reduced. Having solar panels installed can cost an average of $10-$15k, but there are many programs and government subsidies to help offset those costs quite a bit. Having solar panels installed can not only make your electric bills almost zero, but it’s also fairly common to have electric companies pay owners of solar panels money each month for the electricity that those homeowners put back into the grid!

A-1 Guaranteed is committed to not only decreasing our carbon footprint, but also helping our neighbors throughout the area do the same. We can help you with many suggestions, recommendations, and services that will help you become more sustainable while cutting your living costs at the same time. Contact us today for more information and to book your energy audit appointment!