July 15, 2009

A local window cleaning company is launching a new green campaign. Albemarle Window Cleaning is helping homeowners make easy, cost effective, green changes.

You hear a lot these days about "going green." Everyone's talking about it, but let's be honest, if you're not going to save money is it really worth it?

There are a lot of small things you can do to your home to help you go green and save some green.

"One of the easiest things that a homeowner can do themselves, but we also do it for some of our customers, is install weather stripping." said Jim Harshaw, owner of Albemarle Window Cleaning.

Take a look at your windows and doors. Is air leaking in or out? The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that air leakage accounts for up to 10 percent of your energy bill. That's wasted energy.

"If you have an 1/8th inch gap under your door that equates to a 2 inch hole in your wall, so you might as well put something there. If you had a 2 inch hole in your wall you're certainly going to plug that hole up with something, so you should do the same thing whether it's a door or a window," said Harshaw.

However, it's all about the return on investment. You may spend $50 to $100 to weather strip your whole home but you should see equal energy savings within the first year.

Another easy green idea during the summer months is to install a rain barrel.

"It's guilt free watering and you can use this water for anything except for drinking. You can use it to wash your car or wash your windows," said Harshaw.

We have had a good dose of rain so far this year, but water restrictions are a common thing during the summer and just a quarter inch of rain falling on an average size roof can give you about 50 gallons of free water in a rain barrel.

Harshaw adds, "So it makes a lot of sense in some areas financially. It makes a lot of sense for everybody conservation-wise."

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