Green is the “in” thing to do, but conserving on your home heating costs is also smart budgeting. $1,400 a year is the amount an average family pays for energy bills. It is, however, possible to save 20% of this amount if you take certain steps to cut back on your heating costs.

It is extremely important that you seal your home. Cracks in the basement or attic may be causing heat to escape and higher heating bills. Your heater is probably working overtime if you have these cracks. Begin sealing these cracks and, if you need assistance as to what you should be doing, visit energystar.gov for advice.

Keeping your air filter clean is very important. Many products say that you should change them every three months. The truth is that it will be beneficial to you to change them every month. This will help you to get rid of the dirt that is the main source of system failures.

Heating systems that are more than 15 years old generally need to be replaced. It is imperative that the new system be the right size for your home as a system that is too big will simply mean extra operating costs.

If you need to have work done on your heating system, hire a professional to be sure that everything is done right and will work to your advantage.

“Green” is the word of the day. Everything we read today relates to saving energy, trees, and our environment. Stores are dedicating themselves to this concept and many consumers are embracing the idea and beginning to make major adjustments to their living habits.

Sometimes it is the simple things that need to be adjusted in your lives. Some of the current solutions are centuries old. Adding awning to your home to save energy is still a great idea. Drying clothes outdoors also conserves energy while producing a wonderful scent for your clothing and linens. Solar water heaters are returning from decades ago. Eventually, there will be no such thing as “green” building. Building itself will define ‘green” building as the only acceptable way to go.

A major cost saver available to everyone today is an attic ventilator which controls evening air circulating into a home and lowering cooling costs. It is computer operated so the homeowner does not have to adjust windows, etc. to make the system work properly.

Green products include insulation sprays made of recycled newspapers which are very effective in today’s homes.

Think “green” and join the majority of homeowners who are updating their properties to meet today’s standards.

It is important to properly maintain your fireplace and keep it clean and safe to use.  The following is a checklist of things you should do to be certain that your fireplace meets the necessary safety requirements.

It is important that you have your fireplace cleaned annually by a reliable chimney sweeper.  A fireplace that is not maintained properly can cause fires or contribute to air pollution.

Choosing the right wood for your fireplace is very important.  Hardwoods such as hickory, oak, or ash burns cleaner than softwood such as fir or pine.  Manufactured fire logs burn much cleaner than ordinary firewood.

Use only seasoned wood with a moisture content of less than 20%. 

Be certain that the fire gets enough air to burn properly.  Always check that the damper is closed after the fire has been extinguished.

Creosote buildup can cause chimney fires. 

A fire should fit the size of the fireplace.  One that is too large or too hot wastes fuel and can possibly crack your chimney.

Fireplaces must be kept in good working condition.  Cracks in the chimney or loose mortar or bricks should be attended to at once.

When using firelogs, read and follow the label.  Use only one firelog at a time and do not poke or break manufactured logs.

Leave the glass doors open on your fireplace while burning a firelog to allow proper draught and cleaner burning.

Smoke alarms should be an important part of your home and you must be diligent when installing and testing them so that your family will be alerted to any possible dangers of fire.

Remember to purchase only Underwriters Laboratories (UL) listed equipment. This information will be listed on the package.

Every level of your home should be protected with smoke alarms, including the basement. Also confirm that there is an alarm near every bedroom.

Always mount the alarms high on the walls or on the ceiling remembering that smoke rises.

Do not install near bathroom doors or cooking area as smoke will cause frequent false alarms.

Do not place smoke alarms near windows or doors where drafts might interfere with their performance.

Push the test button each month to be sure that all alarms in your home are in good working order.

Install new batteries at least annually. It is a good idea to associate this chore with a particular time of year (such as when the clocks are changed) so you will not forget.

If you have smoke alarms that are more than ten years old, replace them for the safety of your family.

Following the above guidelines should insure that your family will be well protected and warned if a fire should occur in your home.

We all try to make our homes safe for children. Whether we are concerned for our children themselves, our grandchildren, or our great grandchildren, safety is the number one issue for our homes.

Search your home and gather together these items for a do-it-yourself home safety kit:

A ruler can be used to make certain that steps are all equal heights. This is also the tool you need to measure the spaces between crib slats and deck rails. Crib slats should be a maximum of 2 ½ inches apart, while deck rails should never be more than 4 inches apart.

Add to your kit a digital thermometer. This can be used under running hot water to test the temperature of your water. If is shows higher than 120 degrees, lower the thermostat for the water heater.

A toilet paper tube should be part of your kit. If an item can fit through it, it represents a choking hazard for a child under three.

A block of wood should also be added to your kit. Use a scrap of 2 x 4 lumber under your garage door to verify that the electric opener will reverse itself should a child be in danger.

Lead test kits are an easy way to verify if toys or paint could be tainted.

A radon test kit will show if your home contains radon which is a radioactive gas that can cause lung cancer.

The fastest growing crime in today’s world is identity theft and we are all vulnerable to the possibility of becoming a victim. Sometimes, this is out of our control as our debit and/or credit cards can be compromised through merchants we have entrusted with our personal information. Of course, we all try to protect our cards and pin numbers from everyone possible. But some of our information is available to others and we need to always act wisely to secure it as much as possible.

One of the ways many people are trying to avoid identity theft is by using shredders for personal information disposal. Items that should be shredded are junk mail and old papers including a birth date, signature, or account numbers. It goes without saying that you would shred anything that contains passwords, personal identification numbers or your social security number, with the exception of your Social Security card. It is always a good idea to shred credit card receipts and deposit slips. Other items that you should consider shredding would be preapproved credit card applications, and expired identification health insurance bills and any cards such as driver licenses and passports. Also destroy old canceled checks not needed to support tax documents.

Vigilance toward securing your paperwork will pay off in the long run. People who have had their identity stolen tell horrendous stories of how many months or years it takes them to get everything corrected. It is a terrible situation to be in and, yet, we all tend to believe that it will not happen to us. That, of course, is not necessarily true. So a good shredder can be a very worthwhile investment.

There are many things we can do when building a new home to make it energy efficient and environmentally friendly, thus making it a “green” home. Although you may not be able to incorporate all of the following ideas into your new home, certainly some of them will fit in with your plans.

Whenever we think of homes, our first consideration is location. In the “green” home thought process, it is necessary to locate your home near where you go the most. It should be close to your job, near a grocery store, and children’s schools. This will save on travel costs as you will be able to walk or ride a bicycle.

The exterior of your home should be made of whatever material is readily available in your area. Of course, it also must be cost effective. Try to design your home around the availability and energy efficiency of particular products.

Consider raising your fireplace to the level where the heat meets the height of the seat cushions. This will make everyone more comfortable and expend less energy.

Digital programmable thermostats automatically correct the level of humidity when necessary.

Consider having an overhang on your home extending approximately 3 to 5 feet to provide summer shading.

Shade trees help keep the house cool while drought-tolerant plants require less water.

A well-positioned porch captures breezes and screening is very beneficial.

Consider a detached carport versus an attached garage to eliminate gas fumes and other toxins from getting into the home.

Consider flooring made of linoleum or oak as they are durable and easy to clean. Linoleum is easy to clean and oak is plentiful and affordable. These are much better choices that importing exotic woods.

Appliances should always be Energy Star certified as they are high quality and more energy efficient than any others.

Summer is over and winter is on its’ way. Fortunately we have a wonderful fall to look forward to, but that brings us to the time when we have to start preparing our homes for the snow and cold weather ahead. These are just a few suggestions of ways to prepare for the upcoming changes in season.

If your furnace requires a pilot light, make sure it is “on” at this time. Check and change air filters and vacuum the coils on your furnace.

Be sure to have your chimney cleaned, most especially if you burn wood. Even though you might have a gas or oil-burning fireplace or stove, they should be checked to verify that maintenance is up-to-date and everything is in shape for winter.

Be sure your fireplace is thoroughly cleaned out and prepare dry wood for use this year.

If you use a humidifier in your home, check filters and clean and prepare for winter.

If you do not have gutter guards, you might want to consider them for the future. Meanwhile, be sure all gutters are free of debris and check other areas such as eaves to confirm that they are all ready to function well.

If you have window air conditioners that remain installed during the winter, be sure that you thoroughly wrap the outdoor portion.

Perform yard clean-up and inspect yard and house lighting to be sure everything is working properly.

Consider replacing outdoor faucets with new ones that are freeze-proof. Be sure to drain hoses.

There has been much publicity given to compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFL’s) being available to homeowners as a cost savings measure.  Many are now replacing their current bulbs with these CFL’s which last much longer and use considerably less energy.  Others have simply replaced all of their lightbulbs so they may save more energy beginning immediately.

When it is time to replace your CFL’s, please remember to recycle them.  Although they are perfectly safe to use when intact, a broken bulb can leak mercury resulting in possible harm to the environment and/or your health.  Therefore, disposing of these lightbulbs in a safe manner can be very important.

There are several options available for recycling the bulbs.  Many Home Depot stores are accepting unbroken bulbs.  Ikea has also offered to collect these bulbs at their stores and some Ace Hardware locations are also providing this service.  It is not a requirement that the bulbs were purchased at these retailers. Additional information regarding recycling is available on the web, or you can call one of the retailers who are assisting with this recycling program.  Recycling is generally free but specific locations may choose to charge a small fee.