Found 34 blog entries tagged as Energy Efficiency.

If your Santa Cruz home still has old, single-pane windows, the answer is a resounding YES! Otherwise, it depends on the quality of your windows.

Today’s windows are improving all the time, with added features making them tighter than ever.  For added comfort, lower energy costs and a soon-to-expire tax credit, it might be time to upgrade. Before you go window shopping, it will help to know something about the following terms:

• NFRC: This is the National Fenestration Rating Council, which brings you the labels found on all new windows. They test and rate the window’s performance in several important categories.

• U-Factor: This indicates the window’s resistance to heat loss. It is the inverse of the R-Factor used in insulation, so the lower the…

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Now that summer is behind us, it’s a good time to get up in the attic and assess your insulation. If it’s been a while since it was installed, there may well be peaks and valleys in it that are less than ideal for keeping your Santa Cruz home comfortable and energy-efficient.

Luckily, more insulation can be blown in over what you already have. Blown-in cellulose insulation is a good option because it’s considered a "green" product, is highly effective and is less costly than fiberglass. Here are several benefits to adding cellulose insulation:

• Allows you to recycle while you insulate. As they say, if you don’t buy recycled, you’re not recycling. Cellulose insulation is made from recycled paper and treated with a flame retardant for safety.

• …

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According to a report by the U.S. Department of Energy, only one in five household sockets currently contain energy-efficient light bulbs.  If you haven’t embraced them, here are some reasons to make the switch sooner rather than later in your Santa Cruz home:

• Your budget will thank you – While a Compact Fluorescent light bulb (CFL) costs more to purchase than an incandescent (about $1 more per bulb), the CFL will last up to 10 times longer than the traditional light bulb.  According to Energy Star, a CFL saves you between $30 and $60 per bulb depending on the cost of electricity at your Santa Cruz home.

• It’s good for the environment – A CFL uses 75% less energy than a traditional light bulb. 

• Your quality of light won’t suffer – A federal…

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We all need more ways to save household money. This is not about wearing a hair shirt; these money-saving tips are about improving your quality of life and making your Santa Cruz home more ‘homey.’

• Get a bread machine and use it. Noticed the price of bread lately? It’s not going down either. And there isn’t a loaf in the store that can compare to fresh-baked bread with truly all natural ingredients you choose yourself. The aroma of fresh bread in your Santa Cruz home is another bonus. A bread machine makes it easy, and won’t heat up your kitchen like turning on the oven does.

• Try meat-less Mondays. If this sounds dreary, you need to expand your horizons! Some of the best food out there is vegetarian. Go online and check it out. You’ll not only…

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