ThisWeek Community Newspapers

Thursday, April 12, 2007

Bill Evans

With Earth Day on April 22 quickly approaching, now is a good time to give back to our planet.

The good news is there are many little things you can do around your home to make it more environmentally friendly.

Ask a qualified, professional real estate agent about ways to make your home more green, but for starters, here are some simple solutions that can make a big impact.

Many environmentally friendly home goods are also friendly to your monthly bills. When it is time to buy light bulbs, opt for the premium fluorescents; they will shine a pure white or buttery golden light. Although a bit more expensive at $3 to $12, these bulbs can cut your electric bill by 5 percent.

Another way to save is to purchase a flat-screen computer monitor. The old, bulky monitors not only take up space, but they also increase your electric bill. You will save by switching to an LCD flat-panel model because a flat screen uses as little as one-third of the electricity as the conventional tube-based models.

You should also consider this when shopping for large-screen TVs. The savings are in the LCDs and rear-projection models because they use less than half the energy of plasma TVs.

With summer quickly approaching, you may be hosting or attending a few barbecues, but what you may not know is that outdoor grilling doesn't just result in a tasty burger -- it is also good for the air. Outdoor grills use less energy than your kitchen electric stove and also keep heat out of the house, resulting in reduced air conditioning costs. Choose a grill that uses propane or natural gas, because they emit 5.6 pounds of carbon dioxide per hour, whereas a charcoal grill emits 11 pounds.

If you are tired of waking up with the burned coffee from your home coffee machine, try an energy-efficient coffee machine. It will brew your coffee at the exact recommended temperature; therefore, it does not waste any extra heat and you will never have burned coffee again.

We have been told about the importance of recycling, but do you really understand how it works? Becoming an expert recycler is a great way to start making your life and your home eco-friendly.

Local recycling practices may vary, but there are a few universal rules to follow. First, shopping bags never go in your recycling bins. Look on the bottom of your plastic items for a number and only put the items with a "1" or "2" in your bin. Also, don't put light bulbs, broken glass or bits of food into your bin because they slow the recycling process.

In the end, going green will make for a healthier lifestyle for you, your home and our planet. Call a real estate agent today for more tips on making your home eco-friendly.

Bill Evans is the president of Real Living HER, the largest residential real estate firm in Ohio. E-mail: Bill.Evans@RealLiving.com.