#1 LEDs last longer, saving you cash.

While it might not look like it at first, LEDs are one way you can save big bucks on your utility bill every month. They are, currently, more expensive than incandescent light bulbs, but prices are consistently falling. Think of LEDs as a long-term investment. While the upfront cost may be higher, in the long run, you’ll save money via lower energy use and the longer life span of LEDs. The life span of LEDs can’t be understated. On average, LEDs last 15 times longer than incandescent light bulbs meaning you might not have to replace an LED for decades.

#2 LEDs use less energy. 

LEDs emit the same brightness as incandescent light bulbs. However, they use far less energy; 70-90% less energy in fact. This energy savings means you’ll be saving a pretty penny on your electric bills every month too, especially if you replace all of the lights in your home with LEDs.

#3 They’re good for the environment.

Not only do LEDs last longer and help reduce your electric bill, they also help the planet. Thanks to their efficiency, you’ll be using less electricity. You’ll also be reducing your carbon footprint, since replacing bulbs less often means less waste and fewer light bulbs manufactured over time. LEDs are also safe to dispose of normally since they do not contain mercury like compact fluorescent lights (CFLs).

Making the Switch 

Switching your home’s lights from incandescent or CFL to LEDs is a great investment. While you don’t need to go out to the store and buy lights for your entire home today, gradually replacing lights as they go out to LEDs will help save money and the environment one light at a time. And we know you’ll smile when you see the lower energy bill each month.

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At Harmony Communities, we feel strongly that each resident has a sense of home. That they come home from work and feel pride in their environment and in their place in the greater community. That families are comfortable raising children in our neighborhoods, and that couples and singles know that they belong to something bigger than their four walls. In other words, we seek to create harmony within each community, making our communities not just passable, but peaceful, safe, functional, and beautiful.

The post Three Reasons Why You Should Replace Your Light Bulbs with LEDs appeared first on Other CMS.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the average American family spends $2,200 a year on utility bills. This includes the consumption of both water and electricity. But while the numbers are staggering, the good news is that there are simple ways to cut back on both energy and water usage in your home – even during the scorching summer months.

Conserving Energy

• Crank up the thermostat. If you can stand to keep your home warmer, you will see substantial savings in your monthly electrical bill. To keep air flowing through your home, turn on your ceiling fans (or invest in a tower fan), and open windows for cross ventilation. You can even purchase a programmable thermostat that will auto-adjust to raise the temperature during certain times of the day – for instance, when you’re at work – so you aren’t paying to cool an empty house.
• Maintain your HVAC system. Regularly maintaining your system will ensure it is working as efficiently as possible. If you own your home, contract with a company that can service your unit twice a year. Also, replace your filters regularly – ideally, every six months.
• Seal your home. A well-insulated home is an energy-efficient home. Walk through your home to look for cracks, gaps, and drafts, and repair them. Add weather strips to drafty doors and windows to ensure your AC and heat don’t escape.
• Turn down your hot water heater.The EPA estimates that a hot water heater set at 140 degrees or more can waste $36-$61 annually. Set your heater at 120 degrees – a temperature that will require less energy but still heat your water enough to kill dangerous pathogens.
• Swap out your bulbs. Replace your incandescent bulbs with fluorescent or LED lights. This will save you about $30 throughout the life of the bulb.
• Hang up your clothes. Instead of tossing everything in the dryer, consider hanging your clothes in your laundry room or on a clothesline instead.
• Invest in energy-efficient appliances. When purchasing appliances, look for the “Energy Star” label, which is an assurance that the product will conserve energy. Swap out your old, outdated appliances for these high-efficiency ones for more savings on your monthly energy bill.
• Turn up your refrigerator and freezer. Keeping your refrigerator at 37 degrees and your freezer around three degrees will keep your food cold – but not unnecessarily or excessively so.
• Don’t light an empty room. The simplest way to conserve energy is to cut it off when it’s not needed. Unplug or turn off any appliances you aren’t using.
• Monitor your usage. Each month, check the statements you receive from your energy company to identify areas that need improvement and vow to make changes. For instance, if your statements show that the bulk of your bill applies to cooling, turn up your thermostat three degrees next month to see how that impacts your bill.

Conserving Water

• Shorten those showers. We all love a long, hot shower, but shaving off even two minutes from our shower time reduces our water usage by about ten gallons. 
• Look for leaks. Check to make sure your appliances aren’t leaking. Drippy faucets and pipes with hairline cracks can waste gallons of water over time. 
• Harvest your rainwater. Install a barrel in your yard to catch rainwater and runoff, and use it to water your indoor and outdoor plants. However, be sure to use the water instead of letting it sit – otherwise, it will become a mosquito breeding ground!
• Install efficient fixtures. Your shower head or faucets may be releasing more water than they need to, resulting in waste. Look for showerheads and faucet attachments that release less water, and install low-flow toilets to reduce your overall water usage by up to 50%.
• Don’t let the water run. Turn off your tap when washing your hands or brushing your teeth.
• Cut it off. If there are parts of your home that you simply don’t use – like guest bathrooms – cut off the water supply to that part of your home. 
• Pad your plants. Adding mulch to your flowerbeds can help your plants stay moist, requiring less regular watering. 
• Skip the sprinkler. Sprinklers can waste water by spraying the sidewalk, gutters, and side of your house just as much (or more!) than the grass and plants themselves. Instead of running a sprinkler, consider watering your lawn by hand.
• Put the hose away. The same goes for using a hose to clean off your sidewalks, porch, or driveway. Use a broom or blower instead of a hose to clean up your home’s exterior rather than blasting it with water.
• Commit to full loads. Make sure your dishwasher and washing machine are full before running them to avoid wasting gallons of water. 

Incorporate these small lifestyle changes one by one and you will likely see substantial savings this summer – allowing more room in the budget for that family vacation!

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At Harmony Communities, we feel strongly that each resident has a sense of home. That they come home from work and feel pride in their environment and in their place in the greater community. That families are comfortable raising children in our neighborhoods, and that couples and singles know that they belong to something bigger than their four walls. In other words, we seek to create harmony within each community, making our communities not just passable, but peaceful, safe, functional, and beautiful.

The post Ten Ways to Save on Your Utility Bills This Summer appeared first on Other CMS.

California currently has the largest solar market in the nation. To date, more than $42 billion has been invested in solar power in the State, and according to one source, approximately 16 percent of the State’s energy comes from solar. More than 14,000 megawatts of solar energy is expected to be installed in California homes throughout the next five years.

Earlier this year, the California Energy Commission voted unanimously to require all newly constructed homes to be equipped with solar panels starting in 2020. As of right now, this will make California the first state in the nation to require all new builds to be solar-powered. Developers are currently tasked with figuring out how to comply with this mandate while keeping homes affordable.

The Benefits of Going Solar

Reducing Costs over Time

Throughout the last five years, the cost of fitting homes with solar panels has dropped. Residents of solar-powered homes pay, on average, only eight cents per kilowatt of power. This is significantly cheaper than traditional energy sources where the cost is more than 19 cents per kilowatt, a number that is expected to more than double. 

The cumulative reduction in cost is incentivizing homeowners to move to solar power. Some experts project that a California homeowner can expect to save, on average, about $35,000 throughout the life of a solar energy system in a home.

Promoting Economic Health

In California in particular, a move to solar energy will benefit the economy. There are currently more than 2,000 solar energy companies in California, generating more than 80,000 jobs. With a wholesale move to solar by 2020, the State can expect a tremendous increase in job opportunities statewide.

The Challenges of Going Solar

Increased Upfront Costs

Although a move to solar energy will save homeowners money over time, it will add about $8,400 to upfront costs per single-family home. These upfront costs could price hundreds of Californians out of the housing market. 

A study from the National Association of Home Builders reports that for every $1,000 increase in upfront home construction costs, more than 50,000 homeowners will be priced out of the housing market. Carrying that same logic forward, an $8,400 increase will keep about 1.28 million families from purchasing a new home. 

Trends to Watch 

California and other states face a steep challenge in finding ways to build less expensive, solar-powered homes without losing their profitable target clientele. A possible solution in California, in particular, is that the 2020 mandate allows for “community-shared solar options,” which would take the form of off-site solar farms that send energy to multiple housing communities via transmission lines. This would require a substantial amount of infrastructure and strategic planning, as well as a surplus of land for solar farms, but could enable lower-income citizens to afford solar energy. 

Harmony Communities will closely follow this important issue in the coming months and throughout 2019.

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At Harmony Communities, we feel strongly that each resident has a sense of home. That they come home from work and feel pride in their environment and in their place in the greater community. That families are comfortable raising children in our neighborhoods, and that couples and singles know that they belong to something bigger than their four walls. In other words, we seek to create harmony within each community, making our communities not just passable, but peaceful, safe, functional, and beautiful.

The post Solar Energy in California: What to Expect in 2019 appeared first on Other CMS.