Offered by Arlene Castro, iGo Realty
Green Ideas For The Colorado Homeowner
Saving energy is on everyone’s mind these days. But with the Dog Days of Summer upon us, keeping our homes comfortably cool can really hike up those energy bills. Fortunately, there’s a lot we can all do to stay cool and keep those bills as low as possible. Here are some ideas:
Ceiling Fans – These fans use only about as much power as a 100 watt light bulb. When used properly, ceiling fans can save you money in utility bills in both summer and winter.
Close the Draperies – Our strong Colorado sun is beautiful, but can quickly heat up a room. Do what you can to keep the sun out of a room by closing shades and draperies. Depending on the window location, you may want to consider installing an outside awning.
Limit Oven Duty – Nothing is more energy efficient for cooking than your microwave, and won’t warm the room like an oven. It also uses two-thirds less energy than your stove. The summer is perfect for enjoying Colorado’s great outdoors…so why not cook more meals on the grill?
Solar Control Window Films – Applied to existing glass on windows and doors, these window films do much to reduce the level of heat coming in through the glass.
Insulate – If the existing insulation is R-19 or less, consider taking it to a level of R-30.
Air-Conditioning tips: Clean or replace filters at least once a month. Install a smart thermostat to help with setting times for cooling.
No A/C try this: Keep windows and doors closed during the hottest hours of the day. Consider installing a whole house ventilating fan in the attic or in an upstairs window. With the window open it will pull cool air through the home.
July 4th Fun Facts:
- The average age of signers of the Declaration of Independence was 45.
- The lead author of the Declaration of Independence was, Thomas Jefferson (33)
- The youngest signer was Thomas Lynch, Jr (27) The oldest signer was Benjamin Franklin (70)
- The only two signers that later became President of the United States were Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. Both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died on the same day July 4th, 1826 on the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
- Every 4th of July the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia is tapped (not rung) thirteen times in honor of the original thirteen colonies.
- There were an estimated 2.5 million people living in the newly independent nation in 1776. The estimated U.S. population in 2013 was 315 million.
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