Florida Homebuilder Centerline Homes | Real Estate Blog

More Tips for Living Green Around Home and on the Road

• Cook with your Microwave Microwaves are between 3.5 and 4.8 times more energy efficient than traditional electric ovens. Cooking and reheating with a microwave is faster and more efficient than the stovetop or oven.
• Use commercial car washes Getting your car washed at a commercial car wash is better for the environment than doing it yourself. Commercial car washes not only use significantly less water per wash  but they often recycle and reuse the rinse water.
• Clean your air filters Check air conditioning filters monthly to either clean or replace them. This will help the unit run more efficiently. Better yet: buy a permanent filter that can be washed and re-used. This will save you money over the long run and keep all those disposable filters out of landfills. If your unit is outdoors, check to make sure the coils are not obstructed by debris, plants or shrubs.
• Green Your PC and Electronics 90% of desktop computers are not optimized for energy efficiency. Take advantage of "sleep" and "hibernate" settings, and turn off your devices when you won't use them for an hour or more. Use a surge protector to turn them all the way off so they won't draw a "phantom load" even when shut off.
• Use rechargeable batteries It may not sound like much at first, but investing in rechargeable batteries can save you some money over time. In general, the less you rely on single-use, disposable items, the less money you'll burn through.
  

Here are a few tips that will help you conserve water at home and save you some cash at the same time.

• Replace water-wasting fixtures with new energy efficient products starting with your showerheads.
• Fix your leaking toilet or better yet, replace an old toilet with a new low flow model.
• Dripping leaky faucets are another source of waste, stop the drip or replace with a newer model.
• When purchasing a new washing machine, choose one that spins on a vertical axis.
• Water your lawn in the morning or evening to reduce water lost to evaporation. Water for no more than 10-20 minutes at a time allowing the water to soak in properly and avoid runoff. Follow your local water conservation guidelines.
• If you have automatic sprinklers install a rain sensor to avoid needless watering.
• Redesign your landscape with drought-resistant plants and use mulch or other ground covering to reduce evaporation.

These water saving tips are just another benefit of new home construction since most of these features are standard in newer homes.

15 Tips for Living Green Around Your Home

Tip 1: "Green" your laundry.
Detergents, fabric softeners and bleaches can be toxic to your family and to the environment. Some surfactants and fragrances in laundry detergents contain hormone-disrupting chemicals that can't always be removed by wastewater treatment plants and end up harming local wildlife. Chlorine bleach is not only poisonous for humans, but can create dangerous byproducts, such as dioxin, when flushed down the drain. Get your clothes clean without all of the pollution by switching to eco-friendlier cleaners.

Cost Factor: The eco-friendlier detergents and bleaches cost about the same as standard products.
 
Tip 2: Keep Your Thermostat set a little warmer and a little cooler.
About 47 percent of the average household's annual energy bills stem from heating and cooling. Every degree you raise your thermostat in the summer will reduce air conditioning bills by about 2 percent. Lowering the temperature by one degree in winter will save you 3 percent on heating bills. Regular maintenance and an annual tune up will keep your heating, ventilation and air conditioning, or HVAC, system operating efficiently, saving energy and money. A programmable thermostat can shave 10 percent or more off your bill. 

Cost Factor: Adjusting your thermostat is free, easy and can save you big. A programmable thermostat starts at about $50 and produces an annual savings of about $100.

Tip 3: Switch to cold water.
Almost 90 percent of the energy used to wash clothes is used to heat the water, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Save money and energy. Wash your clothes in cold water, instead of hot using a detergent formulated for cold-water use. 

Cost Factor: Turning the dial from hot to warm will cut your energy use by 50 percent per load, and save you up to $63 a year, according to the Alliance to Save Energy.

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Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center
Thursday, April 22 10am-6:45pm

The Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center and Keep Seminole Beautiful have partnered up to celebrate the 40th Anniversary Birthday of Earth Day! Come join in the celebration and partake in various enviornmental - related events throughout the day including: Guest Speakers, Films, Presentations, Recycling Items, Performances, Food, & more!

Bring old Cell Phones and Ink Catridges to be Recyled!

Centerline Homes celebrates International Earth Day on April 22, 2010. As one of Florida’s premier homebuilders, Centerline Homes incorporates a number of “Green” features into every new home and community that they build. “We are constantly looking for Green products that make sense to include in our homes,” noted Jeffrey Auchter Vice-President of Marketing, “It’s an interesting time for the shelter industry.” Each year new products are developed and launched that continue to make mainstream housing both more energy-efficient as well as earth-friendly. Centerline Homes is committed to incorporating appropriate products where they can. “Green housing used to be an extreme end of the housing spectrum,” continued Auchter. “As products and services continue to be refined, look for Centerline Homes to strive to make every home that they build, in every price range, even more energy efficient and environmentally sound.”

Learn more about Green Building Options