Living In Plainfield

It peeves me to no end when I see people wasting things! It literally makes my skin crawl to see the waste it is possible to observe in a 24 hour period. When I think about ways to save money on a monthy budget it always starts with where I know it will have the biggest impact… in our home!

I am constantly lecturing the kids about turning off lights, shutting off the water, etc.

By making a few small and mindful changes, you can reduce your monthly utility cost by quite a bit. Here are a few suggestions.

• Turn off the air-conditioner! If it’s hot outside (within reason)… live it up! Summers in Chicago are way too short, and you’ll be shoveling snow before you know it! Honestly, it is a very big myth, “that it’s cheaper to run the air 24/7 than to turn it off in cooler weather”. It simply isn’t true. Most of my neighbors work during the day and we are constantly listening to the buzz of about 10 or so air conditioners humming in unison. That’s crazy! No one is even home to enjoy the nice cool air circulating throughout the house! (on a side note, if the air isn’t on inside… your kids will be more inclined to play outside than seek the shelter of the cool inside air!)
• If it’s been dry, don’t bother watering your grass! (unless your selling your house Grass in this area goes dormant during dry spells and returns to it’s natural state of green when the rain starts to fall. Unless you are caring for newly laid sod or grass freshly started from seed, it makes much better sense to let nature take care of your grass, than to go broke trying to keep it green! Definitely keep plants and trees watered though; these plants are not resistant to drought conditions and will wilt and die in dry weather.
• Run your major appliances at night. By running your appliances at night you may not be saving that much money, but you will be definitely be reducing the demand during peak hours which is better for the environment.
• Install a programmable thermostat. By automatically regulating the heating and cooling cycles in your home you will effortlessly be reducing the amount of strain on natural resources and your pocketbook!
• Set your summer thermostat at 78 - 80 degrees in summer. Part of the air conditioners job is to reduce the humidity in the air. The higher the humidity the warmer the air will feel. By reducing the humidity at 78 degrees you will automatically feel much cooler than the air measures.
• Set your winter thermostat at 68 degrees in the winter. If you heat the air and add humidity by installing a whole house humidifier in the winter the air will automatically feel warmer. (remember humid air feels warmer than dry air).
• Install a water heater blanket. It can reduce the cost of your hot water bill by 25-45%.
• Turn off the lights when you aren’t using them. Why pay for something that you aren’t using or enjoying the benefit of.
• Don’t fall asleep with the T.V. on. If you have a sleep timer on your television, utilize it.
• Don’t let the water run! When you aren’t using the water between rinsing dishes or brushing your teeth, turn off the water. The phrase “money down the drain” originated for a reason!

My mom and dad had a famous phrase in our house that still triggers an unexplained emotion in me.

“What are you looking for in that fridge? They aren’t showing cartoons in there so shut that door!”

Did you know that running the air-conditioner for 3 weeks straight uses more electric than leaving the refrigerator open for an entire year?!

I hope these tips will help everyone become more aware of the wasted energy that comes as a cost to our own budget, as well as to our environment. You’ll be glad you made the effort to make these subtle changes for both the environment, as well as for your personal finances!

Julie Ferenzi | Realtor®
Plainfield IL Homes
630-673-6233