Just like the summer here in Falls Church, energy efficiency remains a sizzling topic. If you’re one of the many homeowners working on home improvement projects, you understand just how valuable it is to add “green” products to your home.
One way you can tell which products are energy efficient is by spotting the blue ENERGY STAR® label on the product’s packaging. Products earn ENERGY STAR certification upon meeting certain efficiency requirements determined by the EPA.
Did you know, for a typical home, replacing single-pane windows with ENERGY STAR-certified windows can save you $101-$538 a year on energy bills according to ENERGY STAR's website on benefits? It’s true – and according to energystar.gov, they can decrease your carbon footprint by an average of 12 percent nationwide, compared to non-certified products.
For a less expensive way to save, you only have to change your light bulbs. ENERGY STAR certified light bulbs will use 70 to 90 percent less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs and are an easy way to put those dollars that would be spent on utility bills back into your pocket. And while we’re discussing lighting…a great alternative to using artificial lighting is maximizing the natural light in your home. Windows let in natural daylight, so you don’t have to have as many lights on all day. Open up those curtains instead of flipping the light switch.
The more “green” features you include in your home, the more you can see a return on investment shown through energy savings and decreased utility bills. And remember that for large-scale replacements like windows and appliances, the cost of the initial product is lessened over time through your energy savings.
Visit your Pella Showroom in Falls Church or call 301-354-3689 for more on Pella’s full line of highly efficient window and door products.