“Who Needs A Green Thumb!”

When you can be GREEN. The average homeowner in Fairfield County spends $2022 in energy costs per year. In contrast, an energy efficient home costs only $1175 per year. Here are some tips to help you save energy while saving money.

Locate Air Leaks
According to the US Department of Energy, potential savings from draft reduction can increase your energy savings from 5-30%. First you need to find the leaks. Check for air flow in places such as: electrical outlets, switch plates, window frames, baseboards, weather stripping around doors, fireplace dampers, or attic hatches. If you can not find leaks, it may be necessary to conduct a pressurization test in your home. This can easily be done by closing all exterior doors, windows and fireplace flues. Then turn off all combustion appliances such as gas burning furnaces and water heaters. Finally, turn on all exhaust fans (kitchen/baths) or use a large window fan to suck the air of the rooms. This will direct the air flow to cracks and leaks making them easier to find. Repairing the leak is dependent on it’s location but often re-sealing and caulking is all it takes. Where older windows are involved, consider low-cost removable plastic sheets which dramatically reduce drafts during the winter months.

Appliances
Appliances account for about 20% of household energy use. It is important to consider all costs associated with the purchase of large appliances. There is the purchase price and then there is energy cost of the appliance during its lifetime. Look for appliances with the ENERGY STAR label. This government rating program indicates which items offer the highest efficiency and therefore will save you the most money over time. If you are not in a position to replace appliances be sure to check and clean filters on air conditioners and clothes dryers – that includes the vent to the outside. Also, check lighting fixtures. Consider using 65-watt bulbs in place of 100-watt or energy efficient light bulbs. Although initially they cost slightly more than traditional bulbs, they last longer and therefore replaced less often.

Water
About 15% of an average home energy bill goes to heating water. Some of the more common ways to conserve hot water are: take showers instead of baths and do only full loads when washing clothes or dishes. Some lesser know ways to reduce hot-water consumption are: switch from a top load washing machine to a front load one. The top load requires the entire drum be filled with water which uses 15-20 gallons of water per load. A front load machine requires only 5-10 gallons of water which saves on heating and water consumption. Switching to cold water washing in an energy efficient washer could save you as much as $63 per year. Finally turn off hot water heaters and extinguish pilot lights when you go away vacation. A typical hot water heater keeps the water in the tank at a preset temperature, it is unnecessary to keep the water heated while you are away.

To learn about more ways to conserve energy and conduct an at-home energy check-up to to http://hes.lbl.gov.


Sizing Up The Neighborhood
If you’re interested in another town’s activity, just email us at TeamDHA@dhomea.com and we’ll be glad to provide all the recent statistics in your neighborhood. There’s no better way to compare your home than to see the actual results of your neighbors’ sales.

Here’s DHA’s Area Market Survey of April’s local real estate activity.
Easton: 95 Active Listings, 3 Sold–MT 167 days, 4 Pending and 5 Expired–MT 163
Monroe: 143 Active Listings, 7 Sold-MT 114 days, 14 Pending and 9 Expired–MT 193
Fairfield: 534 Active Listings, 18 Sold–MT 138 days, 59 Pending and 25 Expired–MT 138
Shelton: 231 Active Listings, 10 Sold–MT 101 days, 36 Pending and 16 Expired MT 105
Trumbull: 232 Active Listings, 7 Sold-MT 62 days, 33 Pending and 23 Expired–MT 121


What's Hot, What's Not
As the warmer months approach most of us will be spending more time out of the house and even away from our home completely. Whether you're day tripping or taking that week's vacation out of state, here’s how to help protect your home while it's on the market this summer.

What’s Hot
1. Have a trusted neighbor park his car in your driveway and take in your mail and newspapers if you choose not to stop delivery. A home with a car in the driveway is never a preferred target of burglars while on the other hand a home with a full mailbox and papers piling up in the driveway definitely is.

2. Have the lawn mowed at least once a week and hire a neighborhood kid to water your begonias. Letting the lawn go and letting your outdoor potted plants whither during the warmer months are sure indications of you not being around. Besides it’s so much nicer to come home to a trim lawn and healthy flowers.

3. Leave the air conditioner on low, a silent compressor on a hot day is a good indication you are not home. Although you might think it would be worth saving some money by not running it at all while the home is empty, statistics show that this “sign of life” is a great burglar deterrent.

What's Not
1. Don’t leave the house completely quiet or dark, use timers on lights, the television or a radio. Investing in timers is not just a great tool for while you’re away on vacations but is also really helpful to have year round. Coming into a lit house is a lot easier than fumbling your way in the dark to the nearest light switch.

2. Don’t keep all the blinds closed and shades down. You might be tempted to close off the windows but this definitely makes the home appear vacant. It’s best to leave the blinds open and the shades up so lights can be seen going on and off in the home.

3. Don’t hide a spare key, the crooks know where to look. Although you might think you have thought up the most unique hiding place for your spare key, it’s always best to leave it with a neighbor instead.