Attention all women and moms! Ever feel paralyzed when faced with the daunting task in your home you think is more of a “man’s job?” Fear no more! Let me share a story with you which may make you feel more empowered when it comes to issues like this one.
Imagine it’s a scorching summer day and the AC goes out. With two children at home and the temperature at 89 degrees inside the house, I needed to move quickly. With more time on my hands than my husband, I contacted the necessary players to fix the issue immediately. After three visits from the AC company and our gas/electric company over the course of a week (it kept breaking down), my husband and I quickly realized new quotes were in order.
So, I started to dial up HVAC companies to assess the benefits of upgrading from builder’s grade machinery (that’s 12 years old) to something new. I knew there were some types of tax credits but did not know any of the details. What I didn’t realize was how much I was about to learn and how easy it was to grasp the concepts of building science and these machines!
One by one, the reps paraded into my house and I chaperoned them outside and into my basement to review our machines. After the second quote, I realized how much I was learning about energy efficiency and subsequent tax credits if we purchased certain brands. With each new quote I gained strength that I knew what they were talking about and understood the benefits/drawbacks in my case of replacing my AC and furnace at the same time. Additionally, I found I was considerably less squeamish about asking more “informed” questions. I’m sure it shocked those providing the quotes, but I felt great!
The funny result was that as I shared my story with neighbors over the summer and they had similar crisis situations, THEY STARTED TO CALL ME AS THE EXPERT ON THEIR AC ISSUES! Who would have thought?
In the end our AC was repaired. We didn’t need to purchase a new system (AC and furnace) yet, but when that time comes (and it’s soon), I know who to go to and for what products to maximize energy savings, rebates and costs.
But this lead me to something else too … why not further explore how one can learn more about how to save energy and money in your house. Yes, AC and heat do take the biggest chunk out of your energy bills. But what else can you do to be more efficient in your home?
I took a class with GREENandSAVE and continue to feel incredibly empowered. I have increased my level of awareness and have a better understanding of how our house operates. What does this lead to? You can explore your needs and have a much better platform of knowledge when you call for a quote, whether it be for an AC issue like mine, windows or insulation. Bottom line, you have more of a sense of control with the outcome of your investment.
I can show others how to save energy and money in their homes in nearly every room. OK, it’s not glamorous to go into your attic. But knowledge is power! You can’t fix what you don’t know, and the attic is the worst offender of energy consumption. Getting a grip on that alone can start to save you money and, again, EMPOWER YOU to believe that it’s not just a man’s job “around the house.” You can do it too and then teach your children the lesson of efficiency and simple building science to save energy!
Hopefully you will share in my mission to stop the fear of evaluating your home for energy savings as a job only a man can do. Women, learn and be empowered!
Continue for more information on the GREENandSAVE.com ECO ACADEMY.
