Kerry Veach

Hard to believe, but the holiday season is nearly upon us! Northwest Florida home owners can give their wallets – and Mother Nature – a gift during this pre-holiday season by taking advantage of these simple, surprising ways to save energy and money.

Did you know that you can switch to a lower wattage bulb in a lamp, or lower its dimmer switch, and not lose a noticeable amount of light? It’s all about placement. When a lamp is placed in a corner, the light reflects off the adjoining walls, which makes the room lighter and brighter.

If you’re reading this article on a laptop, you’re using 1/3 less energy than if you’re reading it on a desktop.

If you’re among those considering a flat-screen upgrade from your conventional (CRT) TV, choose an LCD screen TV for the biggest energy savings.

Just like you pile on extra layers in the winter, your hot water heater can use some extra insulation too. A fiberglass insulation blanket is a simple addition that can cut heat loss and save 4% to 9% on the average water-heating bill.

When you turn off an electric burner, it doesn’t cool off immediately. Use that to your advantage by turning it off early, and using the residual heat to finish up your dish.

You might be diligent about shutting off unnecessary lights, but are your kids? Probably not so much. Adding motion sensors to playrooms and bedrooms cost only $15 to $50 per light, and ensures you don’t pay for energy you’re not using.

The faster your washing machine can spin excess water out of your laundry, the less you’ll need to use your dryer. Many newer washers spin clothes so effectively, they cut drying time and energy consumption in half – which results in an equal drop in your dryer’s energy bill.

Stop using your automatic icemaker. It increases your fridge’s energy consumption by 14% to 20%. Ice cube trays, on the other hand, don’t increase your energy costs one iota.

If you think doing your dishes by hand is greener than powering up the dishwasher, you’re wrong. Dishwashers use about 1/3 as much hot water and relieve that much strain from your energy-taxing water heater. Added bonus: you don’t have to wash any dishes.

If you’re thinking of buying or selling a home in Panama City Beach or Destin, the Veach Team is prepared to help you find the Florida home of your dreams. Contact us today, and let us show you why “Life is a Beach” here in beautiful Destin! And don’t forget to “LIKE” us on Facebook – we’d love to talk with you.

Here in northwest Florida, a lot of home owners tend to take their easy access to swimming pools for granted. The weather is great for enjoying a dip virtually any day of the year. But when you think of a backyard pool, what’s the image that comes to mind? For most of us, it’s a sterile, bright blue, rectangular zone redolent of chlorine.

Throughout Europe, swimmers enjoy natural swimming pools, designed with filtration systems that don’t require chemicals for safe (and clean) swimming. Houselogic.com shows that home pools can be just as beautiful (if not even more) as the traditional chlorinated American pool.

And they’re more readily accepted by folks who grew up swimming in lakes and rivers.

There aren’t a lot of natural pool installers here in America – yet. But that may be changing; Mick Hilleary of Total Habitat in Bonner Springs, KS, says that his business is absolutely booming. He regularly flies all over the country to consult on and manage natural pool installations.

If you’re thinking about installing a swimming pool on your property, a natural pool offers chemical-free swimming for about the same cost to build as a chlorine pool. Ongoing maintenance costs are negligible, compared with the $300 to $600 per year required of a chlorinated pool, and there aren’t any filters to change.

If you’d like to know more, check out Total Habitat’s downloadable ebook, Natural Swimming Pools/Ponds — The Total Guide. Or visit the websites of some of Europe’s outstanding natural pool builders.

Are you ready to buy or sell a Fort Walton Beach home or your Destin dream house? The Veach Team is prepared to help you find the Florida home of your dreams. Contact us today, and let us show you why “Life is a Beach” here in beautiful Destin! And don’t forget to “LIKE” us on Facebook – we’d love to talk with you.

All over the country – and right here among northwest Florida home owners – loosely organized alliances of green-leaning friends and neighbors are comparing notes and sharing resources. According to houselogic.com, they’re forming carpools, splitting bulk purchases, and liberating vacant lots to plant community gardens. At your next block party, grab a clipboard, collect e-mails, and friend your neighbors on Facebook, all with the goal of turning your neighborhood into a greener community. Here are some great ideas to help you get started.

You can both satisfy your eco-conscience and use your green thumb by tending a patch of neglected earth. You can work a plot in an established community garden, although openings can be scarce. You can also join a match service, that pairs gardens in need of tending with gardeners in need of soil. A great example of this is Urban Garden Share, which matches property owners with would-be sharecroppers.

Why not join a group that promotes the gleaning of fruit from neglected or overlooked urban fruit trees? Fallen Fruit offers online maps showing locations of publicly accessible fruit trees in cities around the world. The group also promotes “Public Fruit Jams,” canning parties to share the taste, savings, and hard work of preserving peaches, plums, blackberries, apricots, and other fruits. Neighborhood Fruit lets you to type in your ZIP Code to pull up public fruit trees in your area.

Did you know that on average, US car owners spend almost $900 per month financing, maintaining, and insuring a single car? Considering that most of us use a car for only a few hours a day – if that – car sharing with neighbors makes financial and ecological sense. You can share cars with neighbors informally, or you can draw up contracts that state who drives the car when. Car insurance can be an obstacle, but a frank discussion with your agent should yield a solution.

Or, you can join one of the many car-sharing networks (such as Zipcar) that have more than 10,000 cars throughout North America. Cars are parked in lots throughout a city. And for an annual membership fee, typically around $50, and a per/hour cost of about $10, you can drive on demand. The organization covers insurance (usually the state minimum) and gas.

Swapping your stuff reduces the energy consumption that goes into the developing and purchasing of more stuff. Swapping also diverts waste from landfills, helping to create a more sustainable economy. Arrange and attend neighborhood swap meets. It will cost you time (about 10 to 12 hours to organize the swap).

Do you and your neighbors have any great ideas for going green? Leave your comments below and tell us what you’re doing to help preserve the environment!

Are you ready to buy or sell a Fort Walton Beach home or your Destin dream house? The Veach Team is prepared to help you find the Florida home of your dreams. Contact us today, and let us show you why “Life is a Beach” here in beautiful Destin! And don’t forget to “LIKE” us on Facebook – we’d love to talk with you.

A decade after 9/11, Americans are reflecting on the values that have always helped our nation persevere: courage, ingenuity, individualism, strong families and communities. Northwest Florida home owners know that in their many shapes and styles, our homes nurture and protect these values as well as our hopes, aspirations, and dreams of a better tomorrow. At this poignant time in our nation’s history, we’re especially grateful for one of our most cherished institutions: home.

Home ownership has a significant impact on so many variables that make each of us uniquely American: net worth, educational achievement, civic participation, health, and overall quality of life. And, home ownership helps create jobs – lots of them – right here at home.

We agree with houselogic.com that home ownership matters…to people, to communities, and to America. Why? Think about this: For every two homes sold, one job is created in the US. And how about this – each purchase generates as much as $60,000 in economic activity over time.

If you’re thinking of buying or selling a home in Panama City Beach or Destin, the Veach Team is prepared to help you find the Florida home of your dreams. Contact us today, and let us show you why “Life is a Beach” here in beautiful Destin! And don’t forget to “LIKE” us on Facebook – we’d love to talk with you.

Top: photo by Robert Carley/paint by Kevin Sabia

Bottom: Jodi Katherine Kiely

It’s undoubtedly been a while since northwest Florida home owners saw a commercial advertising a washer, dryer or some other appliance that didn’t bear the Energy Star label for energy efficiency. In fact, the program, jointly run by the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy, has been criticized because too many appliances were winning the designation, diluting its impact.

According to houselogic.com, in their effort to tighten the criteria, EPA and the Department of Energy are announcing a new label, “most efficient,” to recognize the best-of-the-lot products. The Energy Star Most Efficient program, which will operate on a pilot basis through 2011, has established top-performance standards for a limited number of appliance categories, including washers, heating and cooling systems, televisions, and refrigerator-freezers.

The EPA guidelines say that the most efficient products “must demonstrate efficiency performance that is truly exceptional, inspirational, or leading-edge — consistent with the interests of environmentally motivated consumers and early adopters.” Don’t forget that geography can be a factor for some products, such as cooling and heating equipment. What’s high-efficiency in one region may not be in another, the guidelines say.

Household names such as Kenmore, LG, Samsung, and Panasonic are among those with products slated to earn the “most efficient” label in the program’s rollout. Products earning the “most efficient” label can be seen at energystar.gov/mostefficient.

The initiative is aimed at not only identifying the most efficient appliances currently available, but also at spurring innovation among manufacturers. Originally the program aimed to recognize the top 25% in energy efficiency, but Consumer Reports in 2010 said roughly three-quarters of TVs, dishwashers, and humidifiers qualified for Energy Star designation in 2009. The consumer magazine said the focus should be on toughening standards.

“When more than 35% of all products sold in any category qualify for Energy Star, that should signal that the technology and economies of scale have reached a point where achieving an Energy Star is too easy and that the bar needs to be raised,” the magazine said.

In a related development, the Department of Energy recently announced final energy-efficiency standards for refrigerators and freezers designed to improve their efficiency by 25% by 2014.

The program also took criticism initially because manufacturers were able to certify the efficiency of their own products. But today both the base Energy Star products and the ones rated “most efficient” are tested in EPA-recognized testing laboratories.

Anticipating a second year for the initiative, the EPA is expected this fall to consider new categories of products for addition.

If you’re thinking of buying or selling a home in Panama City Beach or Destin, the Veach Team is prepared to help you find the Florida home of your dreams. Contact us today, and let us show you why “Life is a Beach” here in beautiful Destin! And don’t forget to “LIKE” us on Facebook – we’d love to talk with you.