#GreenLiving: Get Unplugged!

If you live in an apartment, condo, or house it is likely that you use various amounts of appliances just to make it through the day. But did you know? Most of the appliances that you use consume so much energy just by being plugged in all day even when you are not using them! Which can cost you lots of money.

On average, households tend to spend around $2,000 a year on energy costs. Experts explain that most of our plugged in appliances generally eat up low levels of electricity, almost a watt or two. However, some electronics such as computes and TVs that consume a lot more power, even when they're just in standby mode. And it's the cumulative effect to having several devices plugged in around the clock that can really add up- not only hurting your pockets but the efforts to be eco-friendly.

Here is a list of items that you might have in your home that should be unplugged after use to save both energy and money:

• Desktop Computers
• Laptop Computers
• Televisions
• DVD players, VCRs
• Cable TV boxes
• Cordless phones
• Stereos and radios
• Coffee makers
• Toasters
• Lamps
• iPods or electronic gadgets 

Being more conscious about your household appliances, and your overall energy use, is a tremendous way to help conserve the environment, and help boost your fiances, too.




Grady's GreenLiving Tips was created in 2014 by Grady Management, Inc.  Grady Management was founded in 1965 and continues to provide a full service residential, commercial, and consulting real estate firm in the greater Washington and Baltimore metropolitan area.  Learn more from our website or Facebook page.

#GreenLiving: Energy Efficient Light Sources

#GreenLiving is a major tool for families who are choosing to create a sustainable lifestyle to conserve, preserve and save natural resources. Here are two ways in which you can help your budget and the environment in and outside of your homes.

Replace high-use indoor lights with compact fluorescent or LEDS.  Ranging in different sizes for almost any fixture, compact fluorescents have it all! Between the energy savings and their much longer life spans, they pay for themselves in less than two years of installation. By utilizing LED bulbs for non-dimmable circuits, you can optimize the usage in each room. They are also one of the best energy con servers and will last for as long as you live in your home.

Use high-efficiency outdoor lighting.  Whether it's your porch lights or outdoor walkway lights, a typical 100-watt floodlight can consume over $40 in electricity cost over the course of year, which can produce over 400 pounds of carbon dioxide. Making a switch to compact-fluorescent or LED versions can cut energy use by over 80 percent an last more than 10 years. Lastly, installing motion senor lights can reduce the amount of light that is used throughout the day,



Grady's GreenLiving Tips was created in 2014 by Grady Management, Inc.  Grady Management was founded in 1965 and continues to provide a full service residential, commercial, and consulting real estate firm in the greater Washington and Baltimore metropolitan area.  Learn more from our website or Facebook page.

Five Ways to Prevent Energy Vampires

How and Why to Stop Wasting Energy

With Halloween one week away, it is easier than ever to find vampire costumes or decorations in stores and outside neighborhoods and homes.  But a certain type of vampire can lurk inside the home without anyone knowing: energy vampires!  While not the scary character featured in books or movies, "energy vampires" is a term used to describe appliances or devices that use small amounts of energy even when the appliance is turned off and not used for hours or days at a time.  But what exactly are energy vampires and why and how can they be prevented?  Learn more here:

What exactly are energy vampires?

An "energy vampire" is any device or appliance that plugs into a wall outlet for an extended period of time when turned off.  Many people believe that appliances only use energy when turned on and in use.  However, small amounts of energy are used when devices are turned off but remain plugged into outlets.  Common energy vampires include coffeemakers, laptop and phone chargers, and even floor lamps. These devices may be turned off but the appliances are still using energy.

Why are energy vampires negative for "green": and eco-friendly homes?

Those who live a green life often try to find creative and effective ways to limit energy use and reduce waste.  Energy vampires may use small amounts of energy when not in use, but that amount of energy can add up over the days, weeks, and months that appliances are plugged into the same wall outlet.  Small amounts of wasted energy eventually may cause a large, negative, problem for the environment.  

Adjusting The Thermostat Based on the Season: Three Tips

Saving Energy By Monitoring The Thermostat

In many homes, staying comfortable in any season or weather depends greatly on adjusting heat or air flow with the thermostat.  But is there a proper way to utilize the thermostat?  Below are three green ways to use the thermostat and reduce excess energy:

1) Adjust before leaving: Not adjusting the thermostat before leaving the house for a long period of time, for work, trips, or appointments, is one of the easiest ways to waste energy.  Adjust the thermostat to a few degrees higher or lower (depending on the season) when leaving the house or even turn the thermostat off completely.

2) Find a comfortable setting: Instead of cranking up the heat or air conditioning, try to find a setting that is personally comfortable.  For instance, a person may just turn on their air conditioning set at 70 degrees.  However, that same person may still feel comfortable and cool in a home that is 74 degrees.  Finding a comfortable temperature will reduce energy and strain on the thermostat.

Heat Pumps: Report and Review

Geothermal Heat Pumps

A Guide To Understanding Heat Pumps and Utilizing Heat Pumps More Effectively

Last year, a GreenLiving blog post detailed important facts about heat pumps that apartment renters and homeowners alike should know to be better able to understand the heat pump and how the device impacts a home.

Essentially, heat pumps are energy efficient devices that pump air from one location to another.  Read below to find out more about how heat pumps work:

What Are Heat Pumps?

A heat pump is a device that provides heat energy to a specific and desired location.  This procedure is referred to as "heat sink".  In the process, heat pumps absorb heat, or the thermal energy, from a cold location and release that energy to warm space.

Air conditioners and freezers are common examples of heat pumps.  A common heat pump is an "air source heat pump" which shifts air from inside to the outside.  Thus, heat pumps are effective in moving hot air in the home (during winter months) and outside the home (during summer months).

Grady's Environmental Commitment

Montgomery County Energy Benchmarking

Click here to read more about how Grady Management was recognized for energy benchmarking.

Grady Management was founded in 1965 and continues to provide a full service residential, commercial, and consulting real estate firm in the greater Washington and Baltimore metropolitan area.  Learn more about Grady Management on our website or Facebook page.

Green Tips: Winter Edition

A Green Reminder For The Colder Months

The air is turning colder, the days are getting shorter, and people are putting away their Halloween decorations.  That can only mean one thing- winter is right around the corner!  If you are interested in living a green life, you might think that it is tough to conserve energy in the winter.  While it can be a challenge, it is possible!  Below are a few tips to serve as a reminder for staying "green" this winter:

1. Check your thermostat:

No one wants to go through winter cold!  However, there are certain ways to reduce the amount of energy used on heat.  Don't forget to program your thermostat to a reasonable temperature.  While 80 degrees might sound enjoyable on especially frigid days- your home will still be toasty set to 70.  Also, a lot of thermostats now have programmable, energy saving, settings on them; investing in one will ensure that you are living the greenest (and warmest) way possible!

Green Tips for the Summer

Simple, Green, Household Tips To Remember

This summer, save some energy in your apartment by remembering some of these green tips:

1. Remember Your Microwave: Your microwave uses less than half of the energy as your stove when heating food.  Save energy and money by using your microwave to quickly heat up food and leftovers.  Interestingly, your apartment community may offer gas cooking, and that could be included in your rent.
2. Stock The Refrigerator: The refrigerator uses less energy when fully stocked versus partially full.

A Truly Green Saint Patrick's Day

Celebrate the "Green" Way

If you ever wanted to start living an eco-friendly life- what better day to begin than Saint Patrick's Day?  On a day dedicated to all things green- why not also focus on the environment? 

If you are hosting a Saint Patrick's Day party at your apartment, here are some tips to really live "green":

1) Buy in Bulk

If you are entertaining guests tonight- try to buy in bulk.  This is more cost effective in the long run and also conserves resources, like plastic and cardboard, when you buy one large package or carton versus a series of small ones.

Going Green for Valentine's Day

Loving the Planet This V-Day

If you are planning a Valentine's Day celebration for your loved one- you might want to consider a few green ideas!  Share your love with the planet and environment as well.

Trying to Plan the Best Outing?

Some green date ideas are:

Registering for a cooking class

Cooking is not only fun, but a skill that can help reduce food waste! 

Hiking through a park

If you don't mind the cold, visit a state park and take a nice hike through the various trails.  Some parks even offer winter sports and seasonal activities.  Find the nearest state park by using America's Sate Parks' website.

A New Kind of Light

Lighting Up Your Green Life

Buying a light bulb is simple and often thoughtless ordeal- it's just another item on your shopping list.  But if you want to live a green life, it is important to ensure that you buy a green bulb.

The correct bulb can help the planet and also save you and your family money.

Before you buy a light bulb, consider this:

60 Watt traditional incandescent lights-

1) Saves no energy cost.
2) Costs an average of $4.80 annually.
3) lasts an average of one thousand hours.

Compare this traditional bulb with these options:

Going Green: A New Year's Resolution

What's your New Year's Resolution?

2015 is only a few days away!  This year, why don't you make a resolution about going green?  Green living is not only a great personal choice, but also yields positive results for the planet as a whole.

For the new year, why don't you try these simple, green, steps:

1. Sort garbage from recyclables.  

Recycling is the easiest way to go green.  Before you dump everything in your trash bin or throw things down the garbage chute, make sure that you are checking to see if any products can be recycled.  It is such an easy tip, but so many people forget!

Putting Our Waste Into Perspective

Waste By The Numbers

We all know that recycling is good for the environment and an easy way to live a green life.

This is the time of year for holiday and New Years Eve parties. When cleaning up, it might seem easier to just discard of all the trash.  Sorting through recyclables doesn't matter all the time, right? It's fine to take just a few days off?

When committing to a green lifestyle, it is important to take every opportunity you can to promote sustainability. Taking one day off of recycling might seem like not a big deal, but in the long-run, the effects can be devastating to our natural resources.

Consider these figures:

Living Green on a Budget

Do you want to live a green life but are worried about your finances?

This is a common concern.  If you think that the only way to live "green" is to spend a lot of money- you are mistaken.  There are plenty of ways to live a green lifestyle and stay on your budget.  Here are just several:

1) Clean the green way!

Many people don't realize that their home can look immaculately clean by using natural products that already sit in a pantry shelf rather than buying cleaners in a store.  Not only are cleaners expensive, but they often are damaging to the air and water.  Here are some great natural products:

• White Wine Vinegar: vinegar is excellent for cleaning stains, especially on fabrics!
• Baking soda: baking soda is great at removing dirt and stains.  Did you know it is also good to mix baking soda with toothpaste to get a sparkling, white smile?
• Lemon and orange peels: instead of throwing fruit peels away, they are excellent to scrub dirt and grime from pots and pans.

You Can Still Conserve Energy in the Winter!

The air is turning colder, the days are getting shorter, and people are putting away their Halloween decorations.  That can only mean one thing- winter is right around the corner! 

If you are interested in living a green life, you might think that it is tough to conserve energy in the winter.  While it can be a challenge, it is possible!  Here are some green tips we have compiled to save you energy during the winter:

1. Check your thermostat

Arguably, a huge amount of the energy used in your home this winter will stem from using heat.  And that makes sense: no one wants to go through winter cold!  However, there are certain ways to reduce the amount of energy used on heat.  For example, setting your thermostat to a temperature you know is comfortable for you, and keeping it on that temperature.  It actually wastes more energy to constantly turn on and turn off your heat instead of keeping it at a constant temperature.  Also, a lot of thermostats now have programmable, energy saving, settings on them; investing in one will ensure that you are living the greenest (and warmest) way possible!

Don't Be Scared by Energy Vampires!

Energy Vampires can strike any home!

With Halloween right around the corner, it's a good time of year to be aware of vampires!  Not Dracula or the characters of Twilight, but energy vampires.

Energy vampires are appliances that drain energy even when turned off or not in use.  Examples are one-use appliances, such as coffee machines and toasters.  Even lamps can drain energy when turned off but still plugged into a wall outlet.  Not only do energy vampires destroy an otherwise green household, but these appliances are a huge waste of money for any apartment renter.

Here are some ways to stop energy vampires during Halloween:

1) Watch the lights you use!

• Instead of incandescent light bulbs, switch to LED lights.  LED lights last longer and use less energy as well.

Love Indoor Plants? Want to Conserve Water? It Can Be Done!

One question we often encounter is how it is possible to properly maintain and care for plants while also trying to conserve as much water as possible.  It definitely can be done, and here are some tricks to caring for indoor plants:
Many homeowners love taking care of potted, indoor plants.

Be sure to care for low-maintenance indoor plants!  Some examples include:

1. Succulents- the easiest houseplants to keep alive. They like dry soil, so they almost beg to be ignored. Generally, they need to be watered every three to four days, but it depends on the humidity in your home. Aloe Vera is a particularly good choice in succulent, because the gel from the leaves can be used in a variety of ways (most notably soothing sunburn). Succulents like sunny spots, and a row of them looks charming in a windowsill.

2. Spider plants are also very easy to care for and notoriously hard to kill. These also do great as hanging plants, which is a bonus if you have pets or small children that can’t resist digging around in soil (or eating leaves). Spider plants can even survive without natural light, so it’s a good choice if you don’t have a particularly sunny home.

It's More Than Recycling!

Last week, our blog post was about the importance of recycling!  While it is important to recycle, living a green life isn't just about recycling and sorting out re-usable supplies; there are a lot of other ways to live green!

From cleaning your home to getting to work, read these tips for simple ideas to go green!

Cleaning

1. Use non-toxic, environmentally safe, biodegradable cleaning products, including laundry products, which you can find at any natural grocery and even many mainstream stores. Just read the labels carefully. 
2. Don't pollute your indoor air or mask odors that could alert you to a problem. Choose fragrance-free products.

Reducing, Reusing and Recycling

Recycling is important, and the ultimate lesson is: use less whenever possible. Don't think you can't make a difference by recycling- recycling just one aluminum can saves the amount of energy required to run a TV for three hours!

Here are a few suggestions that will help reduce our use of precious natural resources:

1. Many computers, monitors, cell phones and other electronics include toxic materials that should not sit in landfills. You'd be surprised how many retailers and other companies will take your old gadgets for recycling. The Environmental Protection Agency can help you find local electronics recyclers here.
2. Say no to junk mail - 100 million trees' worth are sent out each year. Visit the DMAChoice website to opt out of the Direct Marketing Association's member mailings.
3. Packing peanuts and other loose fill will sit in a landfill for centuries, but there are many places you can bring them for recycling. Call the Peanut Hotline at 1-800-828-2214 to find out where these products can be recycled.

Simple Energy-Saving Tips!

Read some simple, energy saving tips below!  Anyone can do these in their own home to reduce energy used!

1.   Unplug the "secret energy addicts" in your home: TVs, VCRs, DVD players, cable TV boxes, computers and printers, video game consoles, microwave ovens and AC adapters for cell phones, digital cameras and other electronics. Most electronic equipment, including anything that uses a remote control, is designed to consume energy when it is turned off. That "off" setting is actually a "standby" or "idling" mode. Standby power in the average household consumes 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity annually. That's enough energy to power an entire home for two months, or more. The solution? Unplug anything that isn't being used.
2.   Swap out incandescent bulbs for compact fluorescent bulbs. CFs use about 66% less energy and last up to 10 times longer.
3.   Turn down your thermostat by two degrees in the winter (and up two degrees in the summer). You'll save 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide this year!
4.   Switch to cold-water washing and save 80% on laundry energy.