David Deem 714-997-3486 Dave@DeemTeam.com When people are searching for a home to buy, they think about more than the purchase price. They consider the overall cost of ownership, including utility bills. Rising energy costs have affected homeowners across the country and people naturally want to find ways to keep those bills under control. Many people are also conscious of the impact that their lifestyle has on the environment and want to reduce their energy usage. Potential buyers may choose a house that has undergone upgrades to make it more energy efficient over another house that is less efficient. If you’re thinking about selling your home in the next few years, making some improvements now can save you money while you live in the house and may help you attract a buyer in the future. Figure Out Where to Make Changes Contact your local utility company to schedule a home energy audit. A representative will inspect your windows, insulation, appliances and other features to iden...

  David Deem 714-997-3486 Dave@DeemTeam.com If you’re spending more time at home, as well as accommodating more family members than usual under your roof, you may be seeing an increase in your utility bills. But don’t despair! There are several simple strategies you can implement to save on energy costs, even with a house full of people—just make sure everyone’s on board and follows suit! 1. Lower/raise your thermostat.  Heating and cooling is typically a home’s biggest expense. If you’ve got the heat on, lower the thermostat by a couple of degrees, and do the opposite if you’re running the air conditioning—raise the temperature a degree or two. According to the Department of Energy, you’ll save about 3 percent for every degree you lower/raise...that adds up quickly! A programmable smart thermostat will make this a seamless process as you can set it to automatically readjust during certain times of the day. 2. Decrease oven usage.  Don’t turn the oven on to cook a small m...

David Deem 714-997-3486 Dave@DeemTeam.com Did you know that laundry machines are among the costliest appliances in your home to operate because of their high energy usage? Given that many families clean multiple loads of clothes every week, taking steps to be more efficient in the laundry room might help lower your overall power bill. The U.S. Department of Energy offers the following tips: 1. Use cold water.  Using warm water instead of hot can cut a load's energy use in half, and using cold water will save even more. Cold-water detergents can be helpful to ensure items get clean, and high-efficiency detergents (indicated by the "HE" symbol) should be used when required by the manufacturer. 2. Wash full loads.  Your washer will use about the same amount of energy no matter the size of the load, so fill it up. 3. Air dry when possible.  Hang laundry outside or on a drying rack to avoid using the dryer altogether. 4. Switch loads while the dryer’s stil...

David Deem 714-997-3486 Dave@DeemTeam.com Cutting down on energy use is great for the environment. It can also save you big bucks. Alternative energy proponent IGS Energy suggests four green and easy ways to do both: Minimize 'phantom loads.'  The term 'phantom load' refers to the energy that an appliance or electronic device consumes when it is not actually turned on. According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), some 75 percent of the electricity in an average home is used to power electronics while the products are off. A report from the University of California Berkeley says that phantom loads account for about six percent of all residential electricity consumption. You can eliminate phantom loads by unplugging appliances and electronics when you are not using them or by plugging them into a power strip and turning the strip off when they are not in use. Upgrade your appliances.  When shopping for new appliances, look for the Environmental Protec...

David Deem 714-997-3486 Dave@DeemTeam.com Technology seems to mutate with the speed of light, but is your home keeping up with the changes? Smarten it up with a few smart-home electronics that will boost safety, increase comfort and may even save you a few bucks: Video Doorbell The VTech Video Doorbell, about $115, lets you screen and even video chat with visitors before you answer the door. And the system takes a snapshot each time the doorbell is pressed, so you'll always know who came a-knocking while you were away. Smart Door Lock The August Smart Lock uses keyless technology to keep your home safe no matter where you are. From your smartphone, you can let guests in, check to make sure you locked up before you left, keep a record of who has entered and exited, and unlock your door from the driveway. Cost? About $220. Home Automation You can ease into wireless control of your lighting and appliances with Insteon’s Start Here Kit, about $125, before moving o...

David Deem 714-997-3486 Dave@DeemTeam.com Your home is likely your largest (and most important) investment. Not only is a home purchase a huge financial undertaking, but your house keeps you safe from the elements and welcomes you home after a long day. To keep your home as comfortable as possible (and to protect your largest asset’s value) it is crucial that you understand the basics of home maintenance. Here is your crash course on home maintenance 101. Monthly to Seasonal Maintenance Items: Change HVAC filters (frequency need depends on pets and dust in your home) Test smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors and fire extinguishers Each season’s respective outdoor maintenance (including lawn and garden care) Vacuum lint from dryer vent Clean gutters Each season will come with its own list of to-dos, and while it may be easy to push them aside until later, a small time investment now will mitigate the need for costly and time-consuming repairs in the future...

David Deem 714-997-3486 Dave@DeemTeam.com When it's hot outside, heat can seep into your home and make it unbearable. However, there are sustainable, eco-friendly solutions to maximize comfort and cooling when the thermometer creeps upward without racking up an outrageous electric bill or large carbon footprint. While some options for keeping your home cool involve an upfront investment, over time they'll save money, and the environment, for years to come. If you're looking for ways to cool your home during even the hottest days, consider these ideas from the experts at Mitsubishi Electric Cooling & Heating. Adjust Ceiling Fans. Installing ceiling fans in your home can help keep temperatures moderate and cut down on your cooling bill. For best results, those ceiling fans should be adjusted seasonally. During warm weather months, fans should rotate counterclockwise at a higher speed to push air downward instead of up toward the ceiling, which can lead to a...

David Deem 714-997-3486 Dave@DeemTeam.com With summer temps soaring, your home and your bank account may take a hit. To help, Consumers Energy offers the following tips to help reduce summer energy use, and ease the financial strain of sky-high cooling bills. - Set your thermostat to 78 degrees when you're home and higher when you're away. You'll typically save 1 to 3 percent on cooling costs for every degree you dial up. - Clean your air conditioning filter regularly. Dusty filters can make your appliance work harder, wasting energy. - Install a smart thermostat and program it to start your air conditioner shortly before you get home. Consumers Energy offers rebates of up to $100 on Wi-Fi enabled thermostats. - Seal leaks in your home. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, you could save up to 30 percent on annual energy costs by doing so. Inspect and seal around doors, windows, recessed lights and attic hatches. - Keep cool with fans. A ceiling f...

David Deem 714-997-3486 Dave@DeemTeam.com Here’s an eye-opening fact: For every degree your raise the set temperature on your central air, you’ll save about 3 percent on your utility bill. But despite that important bit of information from the Department of Energy (DOE), it can be difficult to convince the other members of your household to raise the temperature on a sweltering day. Energy Star, a joint federal program run by the DOE and the Environmental Protection Agency, recommends the following schedule for your central air: • 78° F when you’re home • 85° F when you’re at work or away • 82° F when you’re sleeping If these settings prove to be too high for your comfort, lower them by one degree at a time, allowing the house to reach that temperature before adjusting it down further. Conversely, if you’re comfortable at the above temperatures, go ahead and raise them further. Remember, 3 percent savings for every degree higher you go! Should you not have central a...

David Deem 714-997-3486 Dave@DeemTeam.com You can budget for your grocery bill, and you know that by getting rid of a couple of those premium channels, you’ll be able to reduce your cable bill. But somehow, your monthly electricity bill remains a mystery. Here are some reasons why your bill may be high, and what you can do to reduce it and regain control: The obvious energy hogs. The biggest drains on electricity are obvious culprits: air conditioning units, the electric water heater, the clothes dryer and the stove. That’s because it takes a lot of energy to change temperature, whether you’re cooling off a hot room, making wet clothes dry or baking a cake. According to Energy.gov, water heating accounts for approximately 18 percent of residential energy consumption, and residents spend about $29 billion a year in the U.S. just on air conditioning alone. So when it comes to these big-ticket appliances, think carefully about your usage. Here are some simple ways to cut bac...

David Deem 714-997-3486 Dave@DeemTeam.com While a home designed with energy efficiency in mind certainly has long-term benefits for the environment, it also means additional dollars in your pocket. The U.S. Department of Energy developed the Home Energy Score, a national rating system that assesses your home’s energy efficiency based on its structure, heating, cooling and hot water systems. From there, you can learn what improvements you can make in order to raise your score and save money. If you’re in the market for a home, you can get a head start by sizing up the energy efficiency of homes you’re looking at. Here are some suggestions from Nerd Wallet: Look for clues in listings. Read listing descriptions carefully, looking for mentions of third-party green certification, recent energy audits or energy-efficient upgrades that have been done to the home. Bear in mind that not all sellers will think to include these details in their listings, so be sure to ask your agent...

David Deem 714-997-3486 Dave@DeemTeam.com Whether you're looking to prepare your home to be sold or just looking to lessen your carbon footprint, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) offers the following suggestions for making your home more energy efficient: ENERGY STAR appliances.  When buying or replacing appliances, choose energy-efficient models. Federal ENERGY STAR-rated appliances are designed to use 10%-50% less energy and water than standard appliances and save an average of 30% over standard models. The up front cost is usually higher, but the payback over time should be well worth it. Look for dishwashers, induction cooktops, refrigerators, and front-loading clothes washers. Induction Cooktops . Rather than heating the cooking surfaces, the magnetic induction process turns the pot into the heating element. Food is heated more quickly and to precise temperatures. Cooking with magnetic induction is 90 percent efficient, as compared to resistance ...

714-997-3486 David Deem Dave@DeemTeam.com By Suzanne De Vita Homebuyers are paying a premium for solar, on average 4.1 percent above asking price, according to findings recently released by Zillow. While The Golden and Sunshine States command costly mark-ups, New York City has the highest percentage premium, at 5.1 percent. New York, N.Y. – 5.1 percent ($23,989) Orlando, Fla. – 4.6 percent ($10,994) San Francisco, Calif. – 4.4 percent ($41,658) Los Angeles, Calif. – 3.6 percent ($23,295) Riverside, Calif. – 2.7 percent ($9,926) Recently, Zillow partnered with Sun Number, which estimates a home's potential to be powered by solar, and projected savings. More than 84 million listings have a Sun Number on Zillow. The Sun Number factors in the pitch of the roof, surrounding trees, weather, and more, to assign a listing a 0-100 score. The higher the number, the better the home's potential for solar. The median national Sun Number is 78, and the highest are in s...

David Deem 714-997-3486 Dave@DeemTeam.com Looking to stash away some cash before summer? Look to your energy-use habits. The following tips from Georgia Power can help: Focus on the Fridge. Proper cleaning of the fridge can reduce its energy consumption. Start by dusting/removing the dirt from refrigerator coils, removing food to allow air to circulate which increases efficiency. Make sure refrigerators are not placed in direct sunlight or near the oven to maintain a cold temperature. Watch the Windows. Cleaning windows or dusting blinds? Be sure to leave them open to take advantage of natural light during the day. Consider opening windows, and turning off your A/C, when cooler weather allows. Fire up the Grill. Reduce the temperature inside your home by using an outdoor grill or smoker instead of indoor ovens and stoves.  Think Thermostat . Set manual thermostats to 78 degrees in the summer for peak efficiency and make the most of programmable thermostats, whic...

David Deem 714-997-3486 Harsh winter weather can take a toll on your home. To keep everything running efficiently, and to decrease the likelihood of expensive maintenance musts down the line, consider these post-winter suggestions to help your home heal from winter. Inspect windows and doors . Swift changes in weather can cause your window and door frames to swell and shrink, creating gaps for air to escape. While you're at it, inspect for any damage to screens or hinges. Check your roof. Massive amounts of snow, wind and freezing and thawing can loosen shingles and create cracks. Have a professional inspect your roof before heading fully into a rainy spring. Clear your gutters . Winter can wash debris into your gutters and clog them up, which can create backup, damaging your gutters and eventually causing a leak. Clean your gutters or hire a pro to come and do the job. Reseal the deck and driveway. If it's been a few years since you've sealed your deck, po...

David Deem 714-997-3486 Saving money at home is high on the priority list for many homeowners, and energy use is often the culprit of bloated bills. To help reduce energy bills, Dominion Energy offers several other ways to curb usage: "No customer should have to be cold this winter because they can't afford to pay their electric bill," says Corynne Arnett, vice president of Customer Service with Dominion Energy.  " Small adjustments can make a big difference in your energy bills. Help reduce energy waste and save money by: Lowering your thermostat to 68 degrees. Learn more about your thermostat settings and energy savings by visiting the U.S. Department of Energy website. Sealing air leaks . Seal all holes from pipes and wires that enter/exit the living space, including entrances, pull-downs and attic stair openings, light fixtures, pipes and wires. Sealing duct work . Make sure that all duct work is sealed at joints and intersections with duct seal...

David Deem 714-997-3486 As we head into another winter, with inevitably higher energy consumption for most of the country, the energy experts at Eversource are reminding consumers that it's also a great time of year to assess ways to better manage energy use to save money and protect our planet. Eversource isn't just talking about turning off the lights or taking shorter showers. They've identified three of the biggest silent energy-suckers: Flip a bigger switch. Most common appliances, from your microwave and TV to your computer and game console, continue to draw power from electrical outlets even when you’ve turned them off. According to Eversource, you can save as much as $150 a year by simply unplugging each appliance when it’s not in use. Or, use a power strip so that you can power down multiple appliances all at once by flipping a switch. Think 'smart' thermostat. With big temperature swings from season to season, it’s time to consider setting you...

(Family Features)--A home that operates efficiently isn't just better for the environment. Ensuring your home systems are as efficient as possible can also help reduce the financial burden of maintaining your home throughout the year. These tips from Gary White with JCPenney Home Services can serve as areas of focus for lowering your energy bills and lessening your appliances' negative impact on the environment. Water Heaters The cost of heating water for bathing, laundry and kitchen use is a common home energy drain, so it's an area that deserves attention when you're looking to upgrade for efficiency. To reduce energy use from your hot water heater, try taking shorter showers and switching to cold water for some washing machine wash and rinse cycles. Other options include turning down the thermostat on your heater, adding insulation or purchasing a newer, more efficient model. Heating and Cooling According to the U.S. Department of Energy, as much as 40 percen...