Days are getting shorter, the weather outside is getting cooler, and the holiday season is right around the corner. It is during this time of year people are spending more time indoors, cranking up the heat, and using more lighting throughout their home, which ultimately leads to higher energy bills. Porch.com, the world’s home improvement network, advises homeowners to reduce their energy bills by choosing energy efficient light bulbs.
“People don’t have to invest a lot of time and money to make a difference. Little changes such as switching to energy efficient light bulbs add up,” says Matt Ehrlichman, CEO of Porch.com. “In fact, an average American household can save over $200 per year by replacing incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent (CFL) or LED bulbs.”
For those who have not switched over to energy efficient light bulbs (compact fluorescent lights [CFLs], light-emitting diodes [LEDs], and halogen incandescent light bulbs), the American Lighting Association recommends investigating different lighting options. “Only around 10 percent of the energy in old style incandescent light bulbs goes towards lighting, with the remaining 90 percent of energy spent on producing heat,” says Larry Lauck, American Lighting Association.
In fact, the wasted heat produced by just 34 incandescent 60W bulbs producing 850 lumens of light each would be enough to cook your Thanksgiving turkey at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. It would take a whopping 258 LED bulbs, or 850 lumens each, to waste the same amount of heat.
Lauck advises that the first thing homeowners do is identify the lights in their home that are on for a significant amount of time. For many people, this could be porch lights or outdoor lighting. Both are best suited for LEDs as they have the greatest energy savings and last over 20 years.
When considering lighting options in a kitchen or bathroom, Lauck encourages homeowners to talk to a professional. Unlike old style incandescent light bulbs which all have a universal warm yellow hue, energy efficient light bulbs come in an array of colors ranging from cool to warm hues. Professionals can speak to color temperature, dimming features, and energy efficiency to help homeowners choose the right light bulb for their space.
Reprinted with permission from RISMedia. ©2014. All rights reserved.
Debbie Woolard Group
(757) 288-0194
www.DebbieWoolard.com
Excellent Service – Excellent Results
Buyers Agent/Sellers Agent
Our focus is helping people find and exchange dream homes. We are seeking buyers and sellers that desire concierge level service including great communication, extraordinary representation and a continuing relationship for years to come.
You and your referrals will be provided with a great team of professionals to help with each step of the process. We are committed and passionate about negotiating the best possible terms and serving our clients at the highest level. Our goal is to create memorable real estate experiences where our clients become raving fans.
Our clients benefit by having a Certified Negotiation Expert on their side. This provides them with better results, a smoother process and greater satisfaction.
Whether a person is looking to buy or sell a starter home or a multi-million dollar estate, Debbie Woolard produces great results for her clients. She gives clients what they expect and deserve, an experienced realtor skilled in marketing and negotiations.
With Debbie Woolard, you will receive personal service as well as exceptional professionalism. She is well qualified for her work with her strong background of sales and marketing. Having been born here and continuously living in the area, she is familiar with the entire Hampton Roads region.
She has earned the professional designations of Certified Negotiation Expert, Certified Residential Specialist, and e-Pro. In addition she is also a Short Sale and Foreclosure Resource with extensive training in short sales and foreclosures. This uniquely positions her to help those in danger of losing their home to foreclosure. It has also proven to be beneficial to the buyers that are seeking to purchase a short sale or foreclosure.
She is well qualified to help professionals, business owners, military personnel and other clients with their real estate needs. She has been selected to work with both the Military Team and Relocation Team. She is consistently producing outstanding results in real estate.
Her first year in real estate she was awarded Listing Rookie of the Year as well as Sales Rookie of the Year. Her sales and loyal following of satisfied clients have grown each year she has been in business. She is in the top 1% of the agents in the area based on sales volume. Her practice continues to flourish thanks to clients recommending her to friends, family members and business associates.
Her clients state that her actions and attitude are best described with the word “integrity”.
Realtors with the Debbie Woolard Group service Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, Suffolk, Hampton, Newport News & Portsmouth with specialist in seller representation, buyer representation, military relocation, first time home buyers, short sales and real estate investment.