Where Does It Go?

There are many times I wonder about where my money is going. Of course, I know where the biggest chunks go with a mortgage to pay, utilities, groceries, etc., but the other place my money goes is to repair various things around the house that break. I particularly loathe spending money on plumbing repairs, but there is no way around it; if your plumbing doesn’t work, you have to fix it. I am sure I feel the same as most other people. I just want things to work as they should. I don’t really want to spend time and money repairing things – I want them not to break in the first place. With that being said, I would much rather spend money having an item serviced or repaired than to have to replace the whole thing. That’s when the big bucks really fly out of the window. It can be hard though, especially in this economy to spend money servicing something that is not (as far as you can see) broken. Maybe if our home comfort systems had an “I need servicing” light like our cars have a “change oil” light, it would be easier. Especially if it buzzed or dinged until we had it serviced. My car is relentless about reminding me until the oil is changed. It is not good for your furnace to be turned on each year without being serviced. In fact, it could be dangerous. Just as driving around in a car without ever changing its oil is dangerous and very damaging to your car. For more information on what to do for your home comfort system, read “What’s Good for Me Is Good for You.”

The Maintenance Issue

It is common knowledge that we must take care of things in order for them to work the way they were designed. If we don’t change the oil in our cars, bad things will happen. But isn’t it still a bit annoying when the “change oil” light comes on? Now you will have to find time in your already busy day to spend at least 30 minutes having your car serviced, all so that you can continue to drive it without any problems. I will admit this is a tri-monthly experience I don’t enjoy and wish there was some kind of reward to be had for keeping up with all those oil changes. Don’t get me wrong, I know the real “reward” is the money I am saving by keeping it maintained as opposed to “letting it go” and then having to spend a ton in repairs. We all know this to be true when it comes to cars, but we turn a blind eye to the same logic when it comes to our home comfort systems. We continue to use our home comfort system year after year, even after it has spent months being unused and we don’t want to spend the money to have it serviced so it will run safely and efficiently. Unfortunately, not applying the same maintenance logic we use with our cars to our home comfort system is costing us more money in the long run. Read “The Easiest Way to Save Money I’ve Ever Seen… is about to end” to learn more about maintaining your home comfort system and all the many rewards that go along with it.

The Cost of Efficiency

We are fortunate to live in a time where everything is becoming more efficient. While that is a wonderful thing, it does not come without a price tag. Even light bulbs are more efficient. Yes, high efficiency light bulbs will last 10 times longer than your regular light bulbs, but they are not inexpensive. In regards to the high efficiency light bulb, it will cost you more money upfront to purchase it, but it does save you money both in energy costs and in the frequency with which it has to be replaced. So while more expensive, it does work out in your favor. This can be something that is hard to understand. We are much more prone to want a good deal upfront, or to pay the least amount of money for something out of pocket, than to focus on what it saves us on our utility bills. The same is true for our home comfort systems. A new high-efficiency unit will save you a lot of money on energy costs, but the upfront cost can be intimidating. Read “I’d Like to Pay You $470 Cash Trade-In for Your Old Energy-Wasting Furnace” to learn how you can save money upfront (the way we like to save money) by replacing your unit and getting the benefit of saving money on your energy costs as well.

The Dirty Secret…

Everybody likes to feel “in the know,” whether it is about sports, politics or neighborhood gossip, but do you know the No. 1 reason your home comfort system fails? It is not age, or brand, or even storm damage… it is Dirt. That’s right; your unit’s biggest problem is dirt. This little secret is not widely known, because let’s face it. Why encourage you to spend a little each year on regular maintenance to keep your unit running longer when you will spend thousands of dollars replacing it? When your system is not in use, there is nothing to prevent dirt from building up. Then when you turn your unit on for the first time, all of that dirt is stirred up and some is blown through your vents. How to get rid of it… The best thing to do is to have a trained, licensed professional service your home comfort system before you turn it on. Not only will a tune-up remove dirt from your system, but it will also help reduce other airborne allergens that circulate through your vents and into your home. A trained professional will ensure your unit will run safely and efficiently all winter long saving you money on energy costs. Now that you know our industry’s dirty little secret and how to correct it, click to schedule your tune-up. You can extend your system’s life – and cut your energy costs. It’s a win-win.

Are We Too Busy to Care?

Ever see trash on the road, in the lake, floating down streams and feel sad? What are we so busy doing that we cannot make sure our trash gets into a trash can and then on to the appropriate places? I am not suggesting we all suddenly transform into “Save the Planet” activists. But, really, there is probably more we could be doing to help preserve what we have even from the comforts of our very own homes. Wouldn’t it be great if there was something we could do to help save us money while also helping to protect the planet? Well, there is one very important thing we can do and that is to have our home cooling systems serviced each and every year so they are running efficiently and not using unnecessary energy which, in turn, means we are paying more money to use them than we should. Read “Just Living or Really Helping” to help you discover more ways to save money on your energy bills (while still using your air conditioner) + get the added bonus of how you can help out Earth.

Go Green or Go Home

Well, no, not exactly. It may be more like “go green or we may not have a home.” But sometimes it can seem as if doing all the things that could help make the Earth cleaner, healthier and all around better would just be too time-consuming and bothersome to actually do. It is great when we can find something that benefits both us and the planet! Since feeling cool and comfortable in the summer months is important, the best place to start combining helping yourself with helping the planet would be with your home cooling system. Keeping your system maintained year after year helps both you and Mother Earth. It cuts down on your energy cost because your system will not have to work so hard to keep you cool and upgrading to a new “High Efficiency” system can save you even more money in the long run. For more information on how you can save money and energy and do your part to help the planet, read “A World of Hurt…”. It is never too late to start helping yourself while benefiting the planet we live on.

Boy, Does It Feel Good Outside!

You can’t beat this weather! It feels too good outside to not be anything but happy and thankful for such a pleasant Summer. It did get me thinking, though. How can we take advantage of these cool temps? What can we do to save money on our energy bills? A good place to start is to get rid of any “energy vampires” you may have in your home. These are TVs, lamps, appliances and whatever else you leave plugged in all the time, but rarely use. They are using energy and costing you money even though you are not actively using them. So, put your TVs on a power strip and turn them off when you are not at home and while you are sleeping. Also, unplug lamps and kitchen appliances that you don’t use on a regular basis. While this is valuable information that everyone should take advantage of, you should also find out how to save energy and money on your home’s biggest energy burner – your air conditioner. There are “high-efficiency” air conditioners that can save you between 24-40% on your usual utilities. That is definitely worth investigating! For more information on lowering your energy consumption and putting more money in your wallet, take a look at this info, The Definition of Insanity.