Central Arizona Supply offers energy-efficient, cost-saving solutions for your home with these five eco-friendly home upgrades.
With homeowners becoming more eco-minded when upgrading their homes, questions of cost and energy savings are big factors in deciding what to upgrade around the house.
“You don’t have to radically change your lifestyle to incorporate eco-friendly upgrades into your home,” says Jeremy Smith of Central Arizona Supply, the Valley’s largest supplier of waterware, lighting and hardware. “A few simple changes done in conjunction with one another can have a significant impact not only on your wallet, but also increase your comfort, reduce waste and pollution and help save natural resources.”
Central Arizona Supply suggests five eco-friendly home upgrades that offer the biggest bang for your buck, giving “going green” a whole new meaning.
Top 5 Eco-Friendly Home Upgrades:
Install a tankless water heater (estimated cost: $800-$2,000)
Many homeowners are discovering that tankless water heaters can meet their needs for an endless hot water supply. Compact and efficient, tankless water heaters do not store hot water, as traditional heaters do, but instead heat water on demand. Up to 80 percent of a traditional heater’s energy is used reheating the stored water, so a tankless heater can result in significant energy savings. Tankless heaters also conserve space and will last 20 years or more, compared to 10-15 years for a traditional heater.
Replace your showerhead (estimated cost: $50-$250)
By replacing your showerhead, you can save up to 2,300 gallons of water annually, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This doesn’t mean sacrificing the quality of your shower. Technology has come a long way within the past year and brands like Grohe, Jaclo and Brizo have created mist systems and air-infused showerheads that give the perception of more water and high pressure.
Add an aerator to your faucet (estimated cost: $2-$10)
You can save another 500 gallons of water annually simply by replacing a standard aerator. Low-flow aerators cut water and energy usage while maintaining adequate water pressure.
Opt for an extreme low-flow toilet (estimated cost: $150-$500)
Don’t flush potential savings down the drain. The EPA estimates that a family of four who replaces older toilets with WaterSense-labeled models will, on average, save more than $90 annually on their water bill and $2,000 over the toilet’s lifetime. Toilets account for the majority of a home’s water usage — between 30 and 50 percent of daily water consumption. All toilets manufactured and sold in the U.S. are now required to use 1.6 gallons of water or less per flush. Older models use between three and five gallons. Niagara brand toilets use only 0.8 gallons of water per flush and pay for themselves in two years.
Switch to CFLs in your light fixtures (estimated Cost: $2.50-$10)
By far, the easiest way to go green and save money is to switch out your light bulbs. CFLs, or compact fluorescent bulbs, use 75 percent less energy and last up to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs. You can save more than $65 annually. Now that’s a bright idea!
