North Shore Home Services Association

This is part 3 of of a 3 part article.  Read part 1 here and part 2 here.

How to save money on lighting

Smaller wattage light bulbs, fluorescent lamps, timers, motion sensors and occupancy sensors can all help reduce your energy costs. In other words, if you forget to turn off the lights, these technologies will do that for you.

The newer LED (light emitting diode) light bulbs are the next generation. In its early development, greater energy savings are evident. However, it will take a while before LED bulbs are available economically to consumers.

In summary, my two daughters are married now and have moved out of the house. We’ve changed a few lights to CFL’s and installed a couple of motion and occupancy sensors to control other lights. Although my wife and I feel the heartache of not having our girls close by, we have saved almost enough on electricity to pay for our retirement.

Romitti exclusively serves the following North Shore communities and is family owned and operated. Call 847-831-4471 for your appointment.

Bannockburn 60015, Buffalo Grove 60089, Deerfield 60015, Fort Sheridan 60037, Glencoe 60022, Glenview 60025, Highland Park 60035, Highwood 60040, Kenilworth 60043, Lake Bluff 60044, Lake Forest 60045, Lincolnshire 60069, Northbrook 60062, Northfield 60093, Riverwoods 60015, Wilmette 60091, Winnetka 60093, Glenview 60026, Highland Park 60037, Lincolnshire Woods 60045, Northbrook 60065

Romitti Electric Corporation, www.Romitti.com, offers a Free 12-Point Home Electrical Service Visual Inspection.

This is part 2 of “Understanding Your Electric Costs” read part 1 here.

Do compact fluorescent lamps save energy?

The newer compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) are more energy efficient than the conventional incandescent type lamps. However, there are some tradeoffs to be considered. CFL lamps usually have a different color spectrum than conventional “A” type incandescent lamps. They are slower to warm up (not “instant on”), some cannot be put on dimmers and, if the temperature falls below freezing (outdoor lighting or lights in a garage or shed), they may not turn on at all.

Disposal of CFL lamps are subject to hazardous waste rules and regulations in many communities; you may need to take these to a special disposal site instead of just tossing them into your trash.

On the up side, using the same formula from part 1, you can see that CFL lamps can reduce energy costs substantially.

A 26-watt compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) is roughly equivalent in light output to a 100-watt conventional light bulb. Burning 24/7/365, that CFL lamp uses 227.14KWH, or about $27.26 per year to operate. Quite a difference.

Now obviously your lights aren’t on for 24 hours a day, unless of course you have teenagers living at home. But you can see that it does add up.

Funniest joke about electricity

Question: How much does it cost to operate a light bulb?

Answer: That depends on how many teenagers live in the house!

What is a kilowatt hour?

Basically electricity is billed in 1,000 watt-hour increments, or kilowatt-hours, or KWH. For example, a 1-watt light bulb burning for 1 hour equals 1 watt-hour or 1WH (1 watt times 1 hour).

A common 100-watt light bulb (typical “A” type lamp) burning for 10 hours = 1,000 watt-hours or 1KWH (100 watts X 10 hours).

Therefore, a 100-watt light bulb burning for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year = 873,600 WH or 873.6KWH

The cost for electricity, at my house anyway, for metering, distribution, environmental, transmission, instrument funding and about a half dozen other line items listed on my bill that I don’t understand (but I’m sure I need) is about 12¢ for every kilowatt hour.

At 12¢/KWH x 873.6KWH of usage, that light bulb costs about $104.84 per year to operate.

These days, having a home ready to sell prior to it going into the MLS is more important than ever.  In many markets, staging has become a strategic marketing tool to compress the cycle time of the listing date to the close of escrow.  Whether you stage the property yourself or use a professional stager to assist you many successful real estate agents encourage sellers to “de clutter” their home prior to sale.

Logistically the seller has a few options to store items when they follow our advice to “Stage for Success”!
1) Rent a Mini Warehouse or a POD:
Advantages:

• Many facilities are available
• A seller can usually find one that is close to their residence
• They are typically reasonably priced

Disadvantages:

• The seller has to invest their time and labor for the physical move
• Risk of injury to the seller and or individuals that assist with the move
• Risk of damage to the sellers home.  Walls, floors, etc…
• The seller needs to rent a truck as well as provide pads and protection
• No insurance coverage
• Possible damage to those nice furniture pieces and your home
• POD’s don’t provide a good “image” and aren’t compatible with many city locations.

2.) Use of Graebel.  A Professional Moving Company:
Advantages

• The seller’s items will be placed in containerized storage
• Furniture will be handled by trained and certified professionals
• Professional movers are skilled to get more into less space which saves money
• The seller can invest their time in other areas to prepare their home for sale
• The seller will not have to worry about the risk of injury to their family or friends
• Accessible to city and high rise locations
• Transported in enclosed vans
• Graebel will be responsible in the unlikely event of loss or damage to the goods and or home
• The home/apartment will be professionally protected
• Monthly cost typically lower than mini warehouse or POD’s

Disadvantages:

• Only to those that don’t experience the difference!

At Graebel we provide a home staging support service where we pick up items in advance of the home listing.  We provide the transferee with a complete inventory and condition of the items.  We take extra care in protecting the home, floors, banisters, elevators against possible damage.  All items are stored in containers which can be eventually delivered to the new home.  There is a reason that Graebel is the preferred mover to Corporate America.  Experience the Graebel difference today!

For a more detailed cost comparison, e mail bivory@graebel.com or call 800.373.6401
Provided by Ben Ivory
VP/General Manager of the Buffalo Grove, IL location for Graebel Relocation Services Worldwide.

Rated A + by the Better Business Bureau
Proud Member of the North Shore Home Services Association

North Shore Home Services Association’s own Patrick McFadden of the Big Picture Home Theater Co. has been elected President of the Wilmette Chamber of Commerce, serving Wilmette and Kenilworth.

We have been a member of the Wilmette Chamber from the day The Big Picture opened six years ago.  From the very beginning, I recognized that there is no substitute for the Chamber in providing useful information about starting and running business in Wilmette and Kenilworth, and no other place with so many fellow businesspeople willing to provide mutual help and support.  I’m honored to be asked to serve as President for the next two years and am excited about what we can accomplish together.

Congratulations to Patrick and The Big Picture Home Theater Co. we are proud to have them as our Home Theatre experts.

Do It Yourself!

Look for these hazardous conditions in your home or office, garage, basement or attic. Sometimes a simple visual inspection can reveal a lot.

If you find any of these hazards you should call a qualified electrician to make repairs.

1. Frequently blown fuses or circuits
2. Lights that flicker or dim
3. Exposed wiring or electrical boxes
4. No GFCI outlets next to sinks and tubs
5. Broken switches or outlets
6. Bulbs mismatched to fixtures
7. Uncovered outdoor receptacles
8. 3-prong adapters in 2-prong outlets
9. Frayed appliance or lamp cords
10. Overloaded outlets

Romitti exclusively serves the following North Shore communities and is family owned and operated. Call 847-831-4471 for your appointment.

Bannockburn 60015, Buffalo Grove 60089, Deerfield 60015, Fort Sheridan 60037, Glencoe 60022, Glenview 60025, Highland Park 60035, Highwood 60040, Kenilworth 60043, Lake Bluff 60044, Lake Forest 60045, Lincolnshire 60069, Northbrook 60062, Northfield 60093, Riverwoods 60015, Wilmette 60091, Winnetka 60093, Glenview 60026, Highland Park 60037, Lincolnshire Woods 60045, Northbrook 60065

Romitti Electric Corporation, www.Romitti.com, offers a Free 12-Point Home Electrical Service Visual Inspection.

Ugly Backyard Transformed in One Weekend

Ultra-Handy and Sliders were selected by the producers of “Yard Crashers”, a DIY Network TV series, to assist in the transformation of a scruffy suburban backyard into a $100.000+ landscaping and remodeling wonderland.

Shortly after the production crew arrived with cameras and lights from California the 30+ workers began the conversion, which lasted from early Friday morning to early Saturday evening.

The screened-in porch was the project for our Association members.

The 9′ x 9′ porch sides were screened with ScreenEZE (a unique snap-in-place screening system).   The front of the porch was fitted with a PANORAMA remote control operated overhead retractable screen by Stoett Industries in Defiance, OH.

This episode is scheduled to be aired in the Spring.

Sliders has enjoyed the respected “Satisfactory” BBB accreditation since the turn of the century, but now with the new revised BBB scholastic type A-F ratings,  Sliders gets the highest mark!

When you want more than just some paint slapped on the walls, there is one source for creativity and perfection… PAINT PLUS.  And, if you schedule your work BEFORE Spring, you’ll save 10% to boot!  Take a look at their work below…

According to CNN, many north shore homeowners qualifiy for a 30% tax credit in 2010 to improve the energy efficiency of their home.

The recently signed Stimulus Package provides a tax credit of up to $1500 for caulking, weatherstripping, a more efficient water heater, A/C, furnace, new windows and doors, etc.