Happy New Year from EasyEcoBlog!

May the new year bring you lots of luck and prosperity, and more greenness! Only through education can we learn how to be eco-friendly, green. We all need to learn new ways of doing things and need to help teach our friends and neighbors how to do things the right way.

Did you know that the psychological stress that the holidays bring causes us to eat too much and automatically steer towards comfort foods full of fat and sugar?

We went through some of our old green information and extracted the best tips that can make an impact. How about adding these to your New Year’s resolutions.. Read the rest of this entry »

New PG&E rebates have been added for 2023. Most expire December 31.

Our local utility Pacific Gas and Electric – PG&E has cash rebates and ways to go green and save money. Here are some PG&E Energy Efficiency Rebates

PG&E Rebates Read the rest of this entry »

New rebates have been added for 2023

Southern California’s power utility Southern California Edison rebates are here.  SCE has a bunch of cash SCE rebates and ways to go green and save money.

• Smart Thermostat Rebate up to $75
• $1000 rebate heat Pump Water Heaters
• Up to $300 per ton on Central HVAC Heat Pumps
• It pays to drive electric
• $50 rebate on Power Stations
• You may be eligible to save $1,500 or more for purchasing or leasing a new electric vehicle.

You can print out rebate forms online and then send in proof of purchase.

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Last Update: January 2023

Get a Free Solar Power Estimate from a local vendor by clicking the link to the right.

2023 continues the very popular residential Solar Federal Tax Credit or Investment Tax Credit first enacted in 2009.  With the new credit, you can claim up to 30% of solar power costs for a new solar electric system off your Federal taxes. Existing homes & new construction qualify. Both principal residences and second homes qualify. Rental properties do not qualify. 

In August 2022, Congress passed an extension of the ITC, raising it to 30% for the installation of which was between 2022-2032. (Systems installed on or before December 31, 2019 were also eligible for a 30% tax credit.) Read the rest of this entry »

Let’s face it, the harsh weather in Winter can really test your home. Winter is the time of the year to help protect the value of your home and save energy by making several adjustments.  Now is not the time to remodel or repaint your home, but a time to fine tune the operation of your home. You’re basically dialing in any changes you may for Fall, and should move major fixes to springtime.

In October/November when the daylight savings time change occurs, it is time to work on your Smoke Detectors – Carbon Monoxide Alarms.

Carbon Monoxide Detector – Smoke Alarms

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Winter time brings on the bugs, seemingly at the same time every year. The ants in our area seem to love to visit our kitchen when the first heavy rains hit. Almost everyone has to deal with pests.  Whether indoor or outdoors, we need to think about eco friendly, green alternatives to toxic pesticides. Here are some Winter Pest Control Tips that we have found from trial and error.

Access control – Finding Where Ants are Coming From

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The average household will spend over $1100 staying warm during the winter.  This cost just keeps going straight up.  You can lower your heating costs by 2-5% for every 1 degree lower you set your thermostat. Easily save $200 a year.

Housing accounts for 20% of total US energy use with heating and cooling consuming a whopping 44% of residential energy use.

We realized that we were not setting our programmable thermostat optimally, when we saw some tips that result in lower energy use. We would set the thermostat to heat to my desired temperature of 65 degrees from 6pm to 7am. Many people will prefer 68 degrees, but we like wearing sweaters at home. (Or are so cheap we have to)

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Fall coming and a chill is in the air.  It is time to get prepared for colder and wetter weather. Not only can we make our  home more comfortable, we can save on our energy bill.

1. Conduct an energy assessment or energy audit
2. Get your heater or furnace serviced or upgraded. Replace air filters on heaters and air conditioners.
3. Setup your programmable thermostat
4. Check Your smoke detectors and change their batteries. Install carbon monoxide detectors if you don’t have any. They are now required in certain states.
5. Seal air leaks, add insulation, fix leaky air ducts. Also insulate any exposed outdoor plumbing
6. Clean your gutters and drain pipe
7. Tune your sprinkler system or install a Smart controller
8. Take advantage of the Federal Tax Credit for Energy Efficiency for wind, geothermal, solar, and more.
9. Cut back any tree branches or foliage that is in danger of falling
10. Check and fix your deck for leaks, cracks, and nails in need of repair
11. If you live in the North and have a lawn, it may be time to fertilize your lawn

Going green makes the cold season more bearable and easier on the wallet.

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Solar Panels do not need much maintenance and are pretty reliable. As with anything exposed to the elements, they do eventually breakdown. We will detail our experience with long term solar panel ownership.

Typical Solar Panel Warranty

A reputable solar panel’s performance warranty will typically guarantee 90% power production at 10 years and 80% at 25 years. A solar panel warranty will typically guarantee 10-12 years without failing.

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Spring is rapidly approaching, it is time to clean up your place. EWG Has a nice list of tips to help you clean your house the green more eco-friendly way.

• Check the exterior of your home and repair any cracked or flaking paint
• Check and clean gutters again
• It is time to work on your garden and rejuvenate your lawn
• Inspect and test your sprinkler system. It will be needed soon
• Clean out your garage and closets. The holiday season is over and it is time to donate useless items and recycle other things
• Bad weather is over. Your car needs some TLC. Change its oil if necessary, get an inspection, clean and wax its exterior
• Check and clean chimney if necessary
• The heater will get a rest, so it’s time to check your air conditioner and its filters
• Check your roof and patch or replace any damaged areas

Some other useful tips

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