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5 ways to go green and stay comfortable at home
(BPT) - Paid Content by Vanderbilt
Mortgage and Finance, Inc.
Taking steps to live a greener lifestyle at
home not only can help protect the environment,
but it can improve the comfort
in your home and help save money, too.
According to a study conducted by the
Home Improvement Research Institute
(HIRI), 41% of Americans want to buy
green products for their home. Strategic
home feature upgrades and smart habits
can help save on utility bills, reduce your
water and carbon footprints, and potentially
benefi t your budget long term.
We have all found ourselves with a little
more time at home recently and may
have time for some small DIY projects.
Fortunately, green home improvements
don’t have to be diffi cult. Here are fi ve
ideas to make your home more sustainable
and help save money:
1. Install a rain water barrel
Watering a lawn and garden is essential
to the health of the landscape, but
running water for hours at a time can be
costly and unsustainable. One alternative
is investing in a rain barrel. A rain barrel
can be purchased at a reasonable price
and stores rain water to use later when
watering your landscape. Some cities and
counties even off er discounted rain barrels
to residents to encourage water conservation,
so call your local municipality
to learn about potential options.
2. Use a programmable
thermostat
A programmable thermostat works by
automatically raising or lowering the temperature
in your house based on your selected
settings to keep it comfortable when
you’re home and save energy when you’re
not. Smart thermostats are enhanced versions
of programmable thermostats that can
learn your habits and be controlled remotely
from an app. With either option, you could
potentially save as much as 10% a year on
heating and cooling by simply turning your
thermostat back 7 to 10 degrees F for 8 hours
a day from its normal setting, according to
the U.S. Department of Energy.
3. Use natural light
and update bulbs
Th e natural light that comes into a
home does not cost any money, so it is
a perfect source to naturally light up a
room. Not only does this save on energy
costs, the sunshine may boost your
mood. On darker days and in the evening,
turn on ENERGY STAR® certifi ed light
bulbs that can save up to 90% in energy
consumption when compared to standard
bulbs. Using less energy is better for
the environment and for the wallet, so use
electric lights only when needed and turn
them off every time you leave a room.
ENERGY STAR and the ENERGY
STAR mark are registered trademarks
owned by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency.
4. Upgrade to energy-effi
cient windows, appliances
or HVAC System
Making energy-effi cient home upgrades
oft en requires an investment, but these
upgrades can potentially increase your
home’s value. For example, installing new
energy-effi cient windows or appliances
or heating and cooling systems that use
less energy could increase the value of
your home. To help fund certain qualifying
home improvements in select areas,
Vanderbilt Mortgage and Finance off ers its
Home Upgrade loan program, or “HUG”
fi nancing. “Home owners deserve the
opportunity to upgrade or repair their current
home without draining their savings,”
says Eric Hamilton, president of Vanderbilt
Mortgage and Finance, Inc. “Th e HUG
loan program gives qualifi ed applicants* a
chance to responsibly upgrade their home,
whether you’re planning energy-effi ciency
upgrades or tackling an emergency repair.”
5. Use green cleaning supplies
Natural and eco-friendly cleaning supplies
do not use harmful chemicals, which
is better for your local water supply and
is a great option when cleaning surfaces
your family uses oft en. Th ere are many
cleaning supply alternatives that are available
at local retail stores that contain
less potentially harmful chemicals, or you
might consider making your own cleaners
at home. Pantry staples like baking soda,
distilled white vinegar and lemon juice
are common ingredients for creating DIY
cleaners that are better for the environment
and oft en cost just pennies to make.
Whether it’s taking a small step like
changing to energy-effi cient light bulbs
or a bigger step like fi nancing energy
effi cient home improvements with
Vanderbilt’s HUG loan program, you
should feel proud that you’re making a
positive impact on the environment and
its future. Th e energy savings and potential
lower utility costs are a welcomed
benefi t of your sustainability eff orts at
home.
*All Loans Subject to Credit Approval.
Not all applicants will qualify. Subject
to state regulation. Th is advertisement
is for Consumer Loans. Loans made or
arranged pursuant to a California Finance
Lenders Law license.
Vanderbilt Mortgage and Finance, Inc.
500 Alcoa Trail, Maryville, TN 37804,
865-380-3000
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