Santa Cruz Real Estate News & Information

We all know it’s important to go green in our Santa Cruz home, but did you know that you can take steps to make your existing bathroom green?  You can pick up everything you need to begin at your local home improvement store. 

Here are a few ideas:

• Change out the showerhead.  You can replace your inefficient one with a low flow showerhead with very little effort.  The unexpected benefit of a low flow is lower water heating costs.

• Install a new toilet. Though toilets are better designed these days, the average fixture uses anywhere from 1.5 to 7 gallons of water per flush. You can reduce your water usage by installing a low flow (or low flush) toilet.  Additionally, you can save up to a gallon a flush by displacing the toilet bowl water.  It’s easily done with items you have around your Santa Cruz home.

• Fix leaks quickly.  Even small leak can waste a lot of water in a very short time.  You can use duct tape to temporarily seal a leak until you can get it fixed, or until a plumber arrives. 

If we don’t take steps today to cut down on our energy consumption, we may soon find ourselves without renewable resources at all.  Two government agencies, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy, are working together on the Energy Star program.  They set strict energy efficiency guidelines for appliances that work to save money and conserve energy for our future.

Homes that are Energy Star qualified are at least fifteen percent more energy efficient than the ones that conform to the 2004 International Residency Code (IRC).  These homes have high performance windows and energy efficient heating and cooling systems.  The construction is tightly sealed and filled with the most effective insulation.  

As a National Association of Realtor's Green Designee, I have become a residential real estate professional advocating a goal of education and adoption of green real estate principles.

We can all do our part to begin living green.  Start by making your bathroom green in your Santa Cruz home and end by purchasing an Energy Star qualified house for your next home.  If you'd like to learn more about living green, subscribe to this blog now. 

LINKS:

Low flow (or low flush) toilets

Displacing the toilet bowl water

Plumber