Going Green Bottom Line Savings
Greener is Good - Saving Some Green is Even Better
Sep 14, 2008 Patricia Faulhaber
Consumers these days are saving-money-conscience as well as environmentally-aware-conscience. Going green activities such as recycling, reusing and reducing have proven positive effects on the environment. Many green products are also starting to provide money saving opportunities as well.
Going Green Savings
The October 2008 issue of ConsumerReports magazine reviewed over 60 green consumer products that save the environment and save the consumer money. Appliances, electronics, automobiles, and alternative fuels were profiled along with their potential cost savings.
Products that offered the biggest potential annual dollar savings were furnaces ($230), cloths washers ($129), electronic thermostats ($202), and of course hybrid cars ($990).
An often forgotten household item that could produce the highest potential savings was replacing the old water heater with a new heat pump version. The savings could amount up to $310 per year.
The heat pump uses electricity to heat water by transferring heat from the air to an insulated tank.
Another surprise was the savings from switching thermostats from the manual type to the programmable type. The programmable thermostat lets homeowners program an automatic switch to lower temperatures during the day when nobody is home or at night when everyone is sleeping.
Dropping down 5 to 10 degrees can save up to 20 percent on the heating bill.
The upfront costs may be a little higher when purchasing the newer more energy efficient products but the long term savings both in green cash and the green initiative are worth the investment.
Green Office Products Offer Savings
With raw materials availability on the rise, the post-consumer product prices are beginning to fall. The August 2008 issue of Training and Development magazine reviewed prices on a number of office products.
Post-consumer three-ring binders costs on the average one to two dollars less than non-recycled binders. Bookcases, pencils and scissors are other items that can offer savings when purchasing recycled.
Money for Recycling
Many consumers are taking advantage of the buyback movement surrounding old electronics. According to PC Magazine (August 2008), 4.2 billion dollars worth of old electronic gadgets were auctioned on eBay in the early part of 2008.
There are a few new companies that are offering buy back programs for used electronics. TechForward has a buyback program for laptops, desktops and DVD players.
For those that lease electronics, ecoNEW also offers buy back programs for office equipment and electronics.
Green Savings Continue to Increase
As more and more people participate in the green movement and recycled raw materials become more rather than less, all post-consumer products will decrease in price. Consumers are seeing more energy-efficient appliances, electronics and home remolding products that not only offer environmentally friendly production but they come with pocketbook-friendly savings.
All of which further proves that going green is a good return-on-investment.
Save Money While Going Green
|
What do you think about this article?
More in Home & Style
Latest Articles