Fall weather is upon us and we find ourselves switching between the heater and the AC in the same day, driving up the costs of our utility bills.  Think green this fall and winter, save the earth and save your money.  Winter heating costs have risen in the last few years making it more enticing to go green and be energy efficient this year. 

You may all ready be thinking about going green to save some money, but how do I do get there?  Well let me tell you.  The first idea is to shop around electric providers.  Compare the rate per kwh and see if you could save money by switching companies.  The second idea if you have some money to spend is to upgrade your heating source.  Yes, there is a large upfront cost, but for most upgrades you will see the return on your investment in a few short years. Upgrades could be things around the home like installing energy efficient windows or upgrading to an energy efficient water heater.  You may even receive a tax credit for installing these upgrades.

Don’t have the money to upgrade, don’t sweat it.  There are easy tricks that are cheap to save some money on your bill.  On a cool night, walk through your house and find if there are and drafts coming from the windows, doors, or attic.  Then take a trip to your favorite local hardware store and pick up some supplies for a quick do it yourself fix.  You’ll like yourself in January. 

You know how cold it gets during the winter, so while the days are still reaching the high 80’s, look into fixing up some things around the home.  It will help keep some cash in your wallet.

Bill Allen, Realtor @ RE/MAX of Boulder, ballen@boulderco.com