In today’s economic and environmental climate, going green makes sense in more ways than one. Not only is it a common sense way to save some money, it’s the right thing to do for our increasingly overburdened planet. And though the morality of being eco-friendly is a debate perhaps better left to theologians, the monetary benefits are something just about everyone can enthusiastically agree on. Air conditioning can easily become a household’s biggest energy drain in summer. In southern climates such as Jacksonville, Florida that summer expense is a year-round burden. Buying an eco-friendly A/C unit is a one-time splurge that results in years of savings.
Of course, a simple way to ease into green savings is to cut down on the energy usage of any existing air-conditioning units in the home. That means cleaning filters, making sure the there’s sufficient airflow space around any units, and keeping doors and windows closed to avoid losing cool air. Properly insulating homes is another way of keeping cool air in and has the added bonus of keeping heat in during winter as well. Ceiling and room fans are yet another low energy method for keeping cool during warmer months. Any money saved from even those small changes can be put aside to slowly save for a newer, greener unit in the future.
While that new unit may seem like an unnecessary budget buster, especially after implementing the air-conditioning usage tips mentioned above, with up to fifty percent less energy used and with the price of electricity steadily increasing that one time expense will quickly pay for itself. And aside from any short-term energy savings, with the real estate market still sluggish an eco-friendly central A/C unit can also boost a home’s value. Being green ends up saving quite a bit of green, while saving the planet at the same time.
