Eco-Friendly Practices for your Vancouver Home – From your Vancouver Mortgage Broker

Eco-Friendly Practices for your Vancouver Home – From your Vancouver Mortgage Broker

No matter what you believe about why climate change is occurring, it is a simple fact that it is occurring. It’s getting a bit warmer each year and the ice caps and glaciers are going the way of dinosaur. We better be careful we don’t join them.

Toxins abound in our air, our food and our water. Energy costs are soaring and resources are shrinking. The only real way to address the problem is to become part of the solution.

A great way to do your green bit is to start some smart practices right in your home. The really great thing about going green is that it doesn’t even cost a cent to get started on some of these simple to use practices which I’m going to talk about. And, take it from your friendly Vancouver Mortgage broker; these simple practices are even going to put some loonies back into your wallet.

Here are a few real simple tips to get you started.

Turn It Down or Turn It Off

If you’re not using it then turn it down or turn it off. If you’re not using that light, then turn it off. If you’re leaving the house, then turn it down, or turn it off. I know that sounds absurdly simplistic but you’d be surprised at how much energy people needlessly waste.

We tend to leave the heat or air conditioner turned up high when we go to bed, go to work or take off for that weekend getaway. Even a minor change in raising or lowering the temperature controls makes a huge difference.

We leave lights on all over the place. It’s a simple habit to get into, but if you’re not using the light, the laptop, or whatever appliance or gizmo, turn it off.

Using timers and thermostats for your lights, air conditioner, water heater, or furnace not only saves on wasting energy, but also saves you a whole bunch of money that is simply otherwise going down the drain.

Save that Energy

Ever give thought to how much energy you’re wasting because of your windows or doors? Windows on older homes simply aren’t energy efficient. Even newer ones will experience some deterioration around the seams from the wear and tear of weather. Each year you should check that the caulking is in good shape, and it doesn’t hurt to add a bit of sealant around the edges on the inside either.

Door frames also shift, and wood warps or even experiences a bit of shrinking. You’d be surprised how much money seeps through even most minute of cracks or openings. It’s a good idea to use weather stripping around your doors. Weather stripping is easy to install and doesn’t cost all that much.

How about your hot water heater? Even in an insulated basement you would be surprised at how much you could save simply by adding an insulated hot water heater blanket. And, how about your laundry?

Still using hot water or running the machine simply to do a pair of slacks. Whew! You are wasting a bundle. And, have you ever really considered what type of laundry soap you’re using? How about trying eco-friendly laundry soap and the type that is just for cold water use only.

If you want to spend a bit of money, now might be a good time to start shopping around for some new appliances that are especially energy efficient. This could anything from a new furnace, stove, fridge, freezer, energy efficient toilets or anything else.

The point is that there are whole bunch of cost effective ways to help the environment and save money in the process. Take it from aVancouvermortgage broker who something about how expensive homes are to maintain. Help the environment, and you help yourself and future generations to come.