Reducing energy usage in the home environment has two main benefits. The first is to reduce energy demands on your local infrastructure, the second is to reduce your own energy bills (the third, less tangible benefit is a sense of well being from doing your part to help the environment). For some people, the real winner here is the extra money in their pocket, and that is something that appeals to a broad spectrum of people, environmentalist or not. But can those home energy savings really be enough to persuade your average Joe to upgrade their home? How much can your really save?
A new infographic from Ryan Homes shows that an average home that has been Energy Star Certified – meeting EPA requirements for such things as heating and cooling, lighting, water usage and insulation – will reduce energy usage by 30%, which equals around $600 of savings every year. How about them apples? Or rather gummy bears, which you’ll be able to purchase a large bag of from the annual savings on a computer monitor.
And you can enjoy those snacks, and count your excess money, while reclining and puffing on a $14 cigar that was paid for by your Energy Star dishwasher. Investing in energy efficiency is not only beneficial for society and the environment, it also pays for itself in the long term. And that’s an idea that everybody can get behind.
