ERA’s Make a Change. Make a Difference. Energy Saving Campaign and Sweepstakes

 Smart energy use can be a big opportunity to save money and the best place to start is at home. Every window with a drafty sill and every furnace filter left unchanged eats up energy and wafts money out of your wallet. The good news is that a few simple changes around the home can make a big difference in your energy bill.

As local real estate experts, ERA Brokers wants customers to know that it’s not just the short term where homeowners can see the benefits of making energy efficient changes. This is a time when homebuyers, as well as homeowners, are becoming more conscious of the energy efficiency of a home. Not only can some quick fixes and updates save money while you live in your home, but they can also make your home more attractive to potential buyers when you decide to sell.

It’s up to each household to decide exactly how energy efficient it becomes. There are solutions for every budget. When the average U.S. household spends nearly $1,300 annually on utility bills and an energy efficient home can cut utility bills in half, making some changes is surely worth it. Switching to compact fluorescent light bulbs can save $40 to $60 on electric bills over the course of the bulb’s lifetime. Changing appliances to ones with Energy Star ratings can save money immediately, but can also be a selling point down the road.

To help homeowners save money, live comfortably and attract potential homebuyers, ERA Brokers in St. George offers 15 simple and inexpensive things that can be done today to make a home more energy efficient:

    1. Turn off the lights when you leave a room for an extended period.
    2. Keep your thermostat set around 78 degrees in the summer, 68 degrees in the winter.
    3. Caulk, seal and weatherstrip all seams, cracks, outlets on outside walls and openings to the outside. For example, fireplaces can be a big energy leak so check dampers and screens to make sure warm air isn’t escaping when the fireplace isn’t in use. Consider installing an energy-saving firebox to help circulate heat. If the fireplace is just for decoration, cover the chimney.
    4. Wrap insulation around heating ducts and hot water pipes that run through basements, crawl spaces and other unheated areas.
    5. Add extra insulation to your hot water heater (Note: Do not block heater vents!)
    6. Change the filters on your heating and air conditioning systems according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.
    7. Contact your local utility company about an energy audit and tips to increase energy efficiency.
    8. Whenever you replace an appliance, choose energy efficient options such as those with the Energy Star rating (www.energystar.gov).
    9. Use water efficient products to help conserve the world’s water supply and lower your water bill. Look for the EPA’s WaterSense label (www.epa.gov/watersense) on toilets, faucets, and showerheads. To save energy and money with your current toilets, faucets and showerheads, check for leaks. Fortunately, they’re easy to fix with a do-it-yourself book. Toilet tank water-savers can mean significant dollar savings, too.
    10. To help your home systems and appliances do their jobs, change filters on heating and air conditioning systems yearly and keep operating parts oiled.
    11. Purchase household supplies made with recycled materials; use greener "post-consumer waste" products like stationery, packaging materials, paper towels and other supplies.
    12. Follow the recycling program in your community.
    13. Encourage carpooling and telecommuting whenever possible.
    14. Get in the habit of doing business and paying bills online via email and Internet banking sites.
    15. Use the EPA’s GreenScaping practices to reduce waste, conserve water, and save energy around your lawn and garden. Visit www.epa.gov for details.

ERA has launched the Make a Change. Make a Difference. campaign and sweepstakes through a year long sponsorship of “Ask This Old House”, the do-it-yourself icon, to help the community make small changes that can make big differences. After all, making a home more comfortable and efficient doesn’t have to take a great deal of time and can actually save money.

To discover more ways to Make a Change. Make a Difference. in your home and community, and to enter the sweepstakes, log on to www.era.com/ask.

Three Regional Grand prize winners will be randomly chosen to receive a $2,500 gift card from Lowe's, a Staging to live consultation from StagedHomes.com, and more. Watch 1 video provided by ERA Real Estate and Ask This Old House, and afterwards complete the sweepstakes entry form. There are 10 different videos, so you can enter up to 10 times!

There is NO PURCHASE AND NO LISTING OR PURCHASE OF A HOME REQUIRED TO ENTER OR WIN, must be legal resident of the 50 United States and DC (excluding NJ & OH), 21 or older. Sweepstakes ends 7/4/2009. Void in NJ and OH and where otherwise prohibited by law.

For more information about ERA Brokers visit www.erabrokers.com.