SanJoseGreenHome.com

One of the best perks of making your home more green is that it makes a ton of financial sense.  Windy, rainy and cool weather is already here.  For the amount of money you may spend on candy and Halloween decorations this year you could winterize your home, reduce your carbon footprint, be more comfy and save some money as a result. 

Regardless whether you rent or own – these nine great tips apply to everyone and makes financial sense.  Why 9?  Chinese say it’s a lucky number.  We can use as much luck as we can these days, especially when it comes to saving a few bucks or preserving the environment. 

1. Plug that Draft from Your Outlets
There are several places in your home where you may be losing heat and may not even realize it. One that most people overlook is the electrical outlets.  Remedying this is extremely cheap and simple: Use AM Foam Outlet and Switch Gaskets(just $0.10 each) to stop drafts around your outlets and light switches. Just remove the cover plates using a screwdriver, place the precut foam seal over the outlet or switch, then (more…)

West Coast Green 2009 was as informative and inspiring as ever.  Hundreds of vendors and thousands of people have gathered once again in San Francisco to check out world’s latest cutting-edge green building technologies. 

I anxiously waited for this event and when the day finally arrived, I jumped out of bed full of enthusiasm, grabbed my mini HD camera and “went to town”.  In this video I interviewed a few vendors that offered some clever and innovative solutions on how to go “eco friendly” at home.  They were asked to give their “green” pitch in 20 seconds and describe the product or a service.  I had some fun at the end so make sure to watch the entire video…  Enjoy.

Keep your eyes out for two more videos where I interviewed a lovely lady from PG&E asking her why PG&E cares about sustainability.  Considering the usual behavior of big corporations all these incentives to “save energy” and spend less money on gas and electricity just didn’t make sense.  Normally businesses want us to spend more don’t they?  Well I got some answers and some of them will surprise you.

Stay tuned and make sure to subscribe to our updates.  This way you’ll stay on top of the local events and latest developments very effortlessly.  In addition, you’ll get an informative manual on how you can Go Green and $ave Green at the Same Time.  You may love the fact that living a more eco friendly life actually makes financial sense!

Whether you live in San Jose or any other part of the world, energy is an essential part of our lives. Our bodies need it to function and stay focused, and our homes need it for lighting, powering appliances, electronics, heating, cooling and even charging our cell phones. Most of us don’t even think about energy until a power outage occurs and we find ourselves reading our favorite novel under the candle light.  Yet another punch of reality may settle in when we are faced with that ever bigger utility bill. 

Did you know that residential buildings account for nearly a quarter of the worlds carbon emissions (21%)?  Nationally, energy prices in the residential building sector have maintained the highest in relation to other well known sectors such as transportation, industrial, and commercial buildings. The state of California is ranked among the top states in the nation for highest energy costs – only coming in lower than some east coast states and Hawaii.  

So what can we do to lower the pain on those energy bills and go easy on the environment?  Well, one way is to start being mindful of it and applying some “controlled conservation.”  It is easily one of the best methods of reducing high energy costs.  It includes shutting off lights, taking shorter showers and using energy at off peak hours.  This just the tip of the iceberg for energy conservation but most of us don’t do it.  Why?  Well, controlled conservation can (more…)

When most people hear about “Greening” their San Jose home they automatically think solar panels. While it is true that getting off the grid is fun and rewarding there are many more simple steps we can take towards a more greener home.  In fact, installing expensive solar panels may not make sense if we have a drafty, energy leaking house.

Since homes produce twice as more greenhouse gas emissions than all passenger cars, giving your San Jose house a green energy tune-up may be the best place to start.  It is incredible how much money you can save by simply implementing a few tips: 

1.      If your heating bill is higher than your mortgage and your Persian cat is wearing a sweater it’s time to change those windows.  By replacing old single pane windows you will not only be more comfortable in your house but also put a plug into one of your main enegry leaking sources.       

2.         Switch all of your light bulbs to fluorescent type. They are four times as efficient as traditional incandescent bulbs, and they last 10 times as long.  You can find them (more…)