Lillie News | Kath: a no-brainer for any homeowner Lillie News The company's warranty is not an added charge or promotional gimmick -- it's just how Kath does business. Kath's expert staff treat customers right, providing top-notch installation and service for heating, cooling and electrical jobs, and their long ... |
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Kath: a no-brainer for any homeowner - Lillie News
The cost of powering your home and all your assorted appliances and devices can be significant. The price of everything, from running your air conditioner on hot days to charging your phone as you sleep, can add up.
Getting a handle on your electric bill is important. While utility companies dont typically report payments to the main credit bureaus, missing payments could potentially eventuallydrop your credit scoreas they can get sent to collections. (You can check two of your scores for free every two weeks on Credit.com).
But you can significantly reduce the electrical energy your home consumes by taking a few simple steps. Here are 11 ways you can lower your electric bill.
1. Perform a Home Energy Audit
Home energy auditors are professionals who come to your home to evaluate your power usage, assessing your home and your past power bills. Theyll look for areas where you can increase efficiency. Many electric suppliers provide this service for free, but you can also find a local paid professional.
When the audit is complete, the auditor can recommend energy-saving methods and products.
2. Install Dimmer Switches
The overhead lights in many rooms often provide more illumination than we need. With dimmer switches, you can adjust the amount of light youre using. Modern dimmers also reduce how much electricity lights use.
Ceiling fans circulate air through your home and can cool you off. While they use electricity, they may reduce the workload of your air conditioner.
Sunlight coming in through windows can heat up your home and make your air conditioner work harder. You should close the curtains or blinds on your windows when you dont need them open and consider installing tinted window film. (If heating or cooling your home is the main cause of your high electric bills, heres how you can keep temperatures comfortable without spending too much.)
5. Turn Off Unused Items &Unplug Electronics
Of course, you should shut off all electronics and lights when you leave a room to reduce energy usage. But electronics and appliances can use energy even when theyre turned off.
Gadgets and appliances like TVs, laptops, coffee makers, printers, space heaters and cable boxes continue to suck energy even when turned off, said Andrea Woroch, a consumer finance expert. Get in the habit of unplugging all these electronics and appliances when you arent using them. Power strips are an easier and less timely alternative some even come with a remote control for easier use.
LED light bulbs use significantly less energy than incandescent bulbs. While LED bulbs can cost more, they have a longer lifespan, so you could save money on light bulbs in the long run.
7. Replace Your HVAC Air Filters
Air filters keep dust and debris from circulating through your HVAC system and clogging vents and air registers. Over time, these filters get clogged with dust and debris themselves, and your air conditioning system will have to work harder to cool your home. You should swap your air filters out every few months to reduce the energy needed to regulate your homes temperature.
8. Install a Programmable Thermostat
Programmable thermostats reduce energy costs by adjusting your home temperature when youre away, at work or asleep. Your energy usage will be reduced because you wont be wasting electricity cooling an empty home.
The HVAC system uses the most energy in your home, and running the air conditioner or heater can blow your budget. However, installing a programmable thermostat takes the guesswork out of fiddling with temperatures and allows you to preset temps when you are home or away at work or school so you dont waste energy, said Woroch.
Just be careful. Smart thermostats are one of a few household objects that might make you vulnerable to hackers.
If youre looking for big savings and energy reduction, solar panels may be the way to go. Typically installed on the roof, solar panels harvest the suns energy and convert it into electric power.
Solar panels continue to improve. The prices of solar panels have become cheaper, their ability to capture the suns photons and convert them to electricity is becoming more efficient, and the technology is changing as solar shingles emerge as a more mainstream item, said Sage Singleton, home maintenance specialist at Safewise. The time before payoff on solar panels is also getting shorter the average rooftop solar system will pay back a homeowner in seven-and-a-half years. The sooner you install your solar panels, the sooner you will see the average savings on your lowered energy bills.
Solar panels might also lower your tax bill.
10. Look for Energy Provider Programs
Many electric suppliers have programs you can participate in to reduce the cost of your bill. These include rebates for buying energy-efficient appliances, rewards for reducing energy usage during peak hours and programs that spread the cost of your peak usage for months across the year. Visit your energy providers website or call to find out what programs might be available.
11. Shop for an Alternative Provider
If you have alternative energy providers in your area, you can always shop around to see if you can find a cheaper option.
One common way that consumers reduce their electric bill is to shop for a new electric supplier. Many states in the U.S. are deregulated, meaning the residential customers can shop for electricity, said Kelly Bedrich, cofounder and president of ElectricityPlans.com. In these states, homeowners and renters can shop for electricity in the same way you can shop for cable and internet service. By being able to shop for their energy, the homeowners can often save as much as 30% to 40% off of their energy bill simply by switching their supplier.
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This article originally appeared on Credit.com.
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11 Ways to Save on Your Shocking Electric Bill - Atlanta Journal Constitution
Zachary Comeau Daily News Staff @zcomeau_MDN
MILFORD - One of the towns oldest companies unveiled their newest investment to the town Monday: a 16,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art, energy-efficient office building.
Consigli Construction, a Milford-based construction and contracting firm with a large portfolio of projects and several locations in New England and the mid-Atlantic, unveiled the new building adjacent to their Sumner Street headquarters. The two-story building was construction in just nine months.
The estimated $5.5 million project, dubbed Granite Building 2, houses the companys pre-construction, project services, and purchasing and estimating divisions.
According to President Matthew Consigli, the structure was built next to the companys granite headquarters to complement it, rather than compete with it.
The company, named one of the "Top Places to Work" by the Boston Globe for the eighth year in a row, constructed the building to continue to strengthen its employee happiness. Work spaces, although divided by cubicles, are open to foster collaboration and feature powered lift-top desks that can easily be converted from a traditional desk to a standing desk.
Rooftop solar panels on both buildings can now power electricity costs for both buildings.
After a quick tour of the facility on Monday, Consigli commented on the partnership between the company and town, including a large tax break for the first few years that the building is online.
We wanted to continue to invest in the community where it all started four us four generations ago, said Consigli of the 112-year-old company. This is a people business and were able to draw from some of the best people in the industry being here in Milford.
According to a 15-year tax increment financing agreement signed by the town and company in 2015, Consigli Construction is awarded a 95 percent exemption in the first year that the building is operational. The exemption decreases by 5 percent the following year until reaching 30 percent in year 15.
Outgoing Selectman Brian Murray, also a newly-elected state representative, spoke at a brief ceremony about the partnership between the town and company, calling it immeasurable.
The other building was a former school that was vacant and nearly demolished until Consigli Construction stepped in and converted it into their headquarters, Murray said.
That building, now with this addition, really I think gives Milford a showpiece a gateway into a mini industrial park on Sumner Street, he said. It wasnt like this 10 or 20 years ago. Im very, very proud and fortunate to have Consigli Construction as part of Milford.
Also featured in the building is one of the company's virtual reality rooms. The technology, used on dozens of projects already, allows employees to take a tour using virtual reality goggles of completed or conceptual projects for a better perspective of building layout.
In addition to retaining 329 full-time employees, the company created 50 new permanent, full-time jobs as part of the agreement.
Zachary Comeau can be reached at 508-634-7556 and zcomeau@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @ZComeau_MDN.
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Consigli unveils new building in Milford - Milford Daily News
Spec office buildings slated for big 250-acre Gilbert development Phoenix Business Journal Nationwide Realty Investors has started construction on two new speculative office building at its 250-acre Rivulon development in Gilbert. The two buildings are 60,000-square-feet and four stories each and are at Nationwide's Rivulon's project at ... |
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Spec office buildings slated for big 250-acre Gilbert development - Phoenix Business Journal
Amanda Renko , arenko@stargazette.com | @SGAmandaR Published 2:08 p.m. ET March 28, 2017 | Updated 5 hours ago
Money(Photo: TongRo Images, Getty Images/TongRo Images RF)
Plans to expand Steuben County government offices will move forward after Monday's approval of construction bids by county legislators.
The legislature approved $5.62 million in bids for a project that will result in a new office building on East Morris Street in Bath, as well as a records storage building on Mount Washington Road.
Costs came in below an $8.9 million budget set for the office space project, according to a news release from Steuben County.
Low bids listed in a resolution approved by legislators Mondayincluded $4,020,250 for general construction from Edger Enterprises, $574,800 for electrical construction from Schuler-Haas Electric Corp., $636,000 for mechanical construction from Louis N. Picciano and Son Inc., and $492,400 for plumbing from Nairy Mechanical LLC.
Legislators also approved a change order that would allow for the construction of a third-floor shell on the East Morris Street building as long as costs remain under budget, allowing for future expansion if necessary.
The new buildings will allow for breathing room in the existingoffice building and expanded space for departments, several of which are growing because of state-mandated programs, according to the release.
Once complete, the East Morris Street building will house the county board of elections and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Steuben County, freeing up existing space for other departments. The new building alsowill include conference space that can hold up to 150 people and can be split into smaller rooms, as well as a place to store electronic voting machines.
Two county-owned homes on East Morris Street, across from the county courthouse, were recently demolished to clear the way for the new building.
The Mount Washington Road building will house records that are not in usebut are required to be retained. Those files are currently kept at a space the county leases.
Bonding and reserve funds will cover the project's costs without raising property taxes, officials said.
We believe that this project will allow the county to address the immediate shortage of space, while also planning for future needs, said County Manager Jack Wheeler. Its a fiscally responsible plan that will create efficiencies in county services.
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Steuben County office bids come in under budget - Elmira Star-Gazette
U of L realigns $48 million loan for big downtown office building Louisville Business First Once formed, the research foundation approved a measure that would give authority to Postel to adjust terms for a $48.6 million construction loan with Old National Bank for a $78 million downtown project called the Pediatric Medical Office Building, or ... |
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U of L realigns $48 million loan for big downtown office building - Louisville Business First
A rendering of how the Gateway development will look.
By Holly Cook
Final development plans for the Mission Gateway site passed through the citys Planning Commission Monday with a vote of 8-1. The $162 million project outlined during this weeks meeting was virtually the same as what was put before the Mission City Council in December 2016 by developer Tom Valenti of Cameron Group LLC.
Plans include construction of a hotel, apartment building, restaurant and retail space and potentially an office building. The site will also include a partially free-standing parking structure and courtyard with seating and a performance area. Construction will roll out in three phases. The first phase will develop the apartment building with retail and restaurant space. The second phase will develop a 200-room Aloft and Element hotel and restaurant.
The final phase will develop three buildings in the area previously slated for the Walmart Superstore at the corner of Johnson Drive and Roe Avenue. Walmart backed out as a potential tenant in October 2016. According to Valenti these three buildings will serve as placeholders until tenants are secured.
Valenti said they would like to start the first phase of construction as soon as possible but did not provide details on a timeline. Previously Valenti had planned to initiate construction at the end of this month. The commission did not delve into a construction start date or how tax-increment financing (TIF) or community improvement district (CID) funds may be leveraged to finance the plans.
Instead Mondays discussion centered on a presentation of the modern-style design planned for the development. Buildings will be wrapped in corrugated metal, stained cedar, aluminum composite panels and precast concrete. The proposed color scheme used mostly blues and greys with a pop of canary yellow.
City Planner Danielle Murray said the plans complied with Johnson Drive design guidelines. Planning Commissioner Robin Dukelow said she liked the usage of yellow as an accent color. I think its kind of fun, but thats just my opinion, she said.
Planning Commissioner Jim Brown said he did not care for the heavy usage of metal and voted against approving the plans for that reason. It just seems like a lot of corrugated metal, he said.
City staff determined the sign criteria outlined in the plan was not sufficient and recommended the commission revisit that piece at a later time. Planning Commissioner Stuart Braden made the motion to accept the proposal, minus the sign component.
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Final site plan approved for Mission's Gateway development; construction to start as soon as possible - Shawnee Mission Post
Portland, Ore.-based Hoffman Construction is a national contractor that prides itself on using digital tools to complete its projects.
So, in mid 2015, when it was planning to renovate a 10,000-sf office space in Seattle, Hoffman challenged its interior designer, Gensler, to take a similar approach that would highlight Hoffmans digital integration and technical delivery techniques.
With the help of a host of digital productsincluding SketchUp, Revit, Faro, Navisworks, Cyclone, AutoCAD and CNCthe Building Team designed the space in just four weeks and helped the client build it in seven.
Hoffman is always looking to do the impossible in a possible amount of time. Gensler saw us as innovators showcasing our talents with this project, says Kevin Ryan, operations manager and GM for Hoffman Construction in Seattle.
The focal point was the Think Tank, a 2,000-sf space that would serve as the offices central hub. That space, according to Jeroen Teeuw, Senior Associate at Gensler who was Lead Designer on this design-build project, is clad in over 100 unique panels that were fabricated from shop drawings produced by digital scans. Fuller Cabinets in Eugene, Ore., supplied the panels, which were fabricated by Straight-Up Carpentry in Oregon.
Photo courtesy of Heywood Chan Photography.
Teeuw says that, before this job, Gensler had only rarely employed digital scanning for interior projects. The scans, he says, were accurate to the point where no tweaks to the design were necessary. Hoffman had a lot of trust in us, he says.
Demolition started on Sept. 1, 2015, and included four weeks of asbestos mitigation. Building started the first week October. Hoffman wanted to occupy the building by Christmas,so we had to identified what absolutely needed to be done in order to satisfy the fire marshals and inspectors, recalls Ryan. The Building Team stripped the floors, knocked down walls, and installed new T-bar ceilings.
For the renovation, the Building Team broke up the shop drawings into several packages, which Ryan says all but eliminated material waste.
Hoffman achieved its goal, even though the office wasnt fully completed until April 2016. The space includes conference rooms and private offices, a central teaming area, pantry/lounge/kitchen, open workspace, facilities space, and a reception area.
Its a challenge familiar to many families: the desire to add more space to a home while maintaining its original character and its seamless fit with the surrounding neighborhood.
Homeowners Jonathan OConner and Eric Schlotterbeck envisioned a more expansive family room and a kitchen remodel for easier hosting and entertaining in their circa-1920s Tudor on Minnehaha Parkway. They were willing to sacrifice a small, little-used sunroom and expand the footprint of the house.
By staying open to the creative possibilities offered up by their design-build team, the couple gained the additional space they hoped for and much more.
Fine-tuning a Tudor for modern living
As avid cooks and frequent hosts to their many nieces and nephews, OConner and Schlotterbeck initially hoped for a larger main-floor family room that would take advantage of the space now occupied by a three-season porch. Extra square footage would be added with an addition.
They planned a kitchen remodel that would re-cast the small kitchen to make it truly functional for a two-chef family. Finally, they settled on an open floor plan for both the kitchen and family room, with the goal of enhancing traffic flow through both rooms for their many frequent guests and ensuring that everyone in the space could feel part of the action.
Yet the couple were surprised by the options open to them once the architect and builder looked at what a renovation could potentially offer: not only the family room and expansive kitchen theyd imagined, but also a new master bedroom suite with a three-quarter bath.
Together with architect Randall Buffie, the husband-and-wife team behind boutique design-build firm Schrader & Companies were inspired by the challenge to create some functional new square footage while also keeping the homes original character intact.
They werent contemplating the possibility of being able to gain a bedroom and bath as part of the project at all, originally, said Andy Schrader of Schrader & Companies.
But by taking advantage of the existing half-story in the Tudor homes original layout, a new vision took shape.
Adding on and going up
The original tiny sunroom like many that you see on these circa-1920s South Minneapolis homes wasnt heated well, so it was more like a three-season porch, Schrader explained. We knew wed be removing that as well as adding on to the homes original footprint to create a larger, open family room.
Soon, an iterative design process in close tandem with the architect revealed that much more was possible.
As we worked together, we started to reveal more ideas for ways the remodel could improve the homeowners lives, Schrader said. Design professionals who can look outside the box can come up with some creative solutions that meet the original goals for the project and bring even more livability and functionality to the home.
To gain the open floor plan the couple desired, the builders opened a structural wall to create an arched opening that echoed those common to the Tudor style.
The new master suite was made possible by not only adding on but also building up.
The resulting addition is built onto the back of the house. A unique flat-roof solution gracefully blends the second-story master suite addition into the rest of the homes exterior.
Theres nothing worse than an addition that sticks out like a sore thumb on the home and in the neighborhood, Schrader said. The addition of the suite would normally have necessitated a peak in the roof that would have been much higher than the homes original peak almost obnoxiously so but going with a flat-roof solution allowed us to avoid that and stay closer to the original character of the home.
Careful blending of the stucco and woodwork banding on the addition makes the new exterior feel like a natural extension of the home. With a new master suite above the family room, the small home has sized-up to a total of three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
Perserving a warm, welcoming feel
The addition also successfully created the larger family room the couple wanted.
We were able to keep the sunroom feel by wrapping the family room in 12 large windows that let in the sunshine, Schrader explained.
Water-based radiant heat in the tile floor keeps a room lined with windows comfortable and welcoming to bare feet in all seasons, while a patio door to the back yard brings the outside in.
Being open to the kitchen helps the family room feel connected to the rest of the house. It also allows the cooks in the kitchen to remain part of the flow of fun and conversation.
A dream kitchen to delight two cooks
Since both OConner and Schlotterbeck enjoy cooking and entertaining, a larger and more functional kitchen was a key goal of the remodel.
Gutting the room to the studs allowed for a complete re-imagining of the kitchen not only making room for two chefs, but also adding custom touches that made the space completely their own.
A series of stations throughout the kitchen allow two cooks to work on different tasks while not getting in one anothers way. An island peninsula opens to the expanded family room and welcomes guests into the kitchen without impeding the cooks progress.
A Wolf six-burner stove joins a steam oven, while custom cabinetry provides dedicated homes for small appliances. The cabinets include thoughtful details, like storage for scores of spice jars.
Attaining the original goaland so much more
Seeing the joy on the homeowners faces is the best part of the project, Schrader said, agreeing with his wife, Melissa. By taking the time to plan and investing in a design that was the right fit not only for the neighborhood but for the familys lifestyle, the couple gained space that enriches their lives as well as their familys and friends.
A project of this scale isnt without challenges, however. Particularly with older homes, surprises are bound to pop up.
Melissa Schrader said thats when a strong relationship and trust in your contractor is key.
You want someone who will address any issues promptly to be on the spot to quickly and calmly address the issue, she said.
It all pays off in the end.
We love being able to work closely with the homeowners to achieve their goalsand we love it when they love the finished product, she said.
For the family in this 1920s Tudor, staying open to possibilities means they can now look forward to many more opportunities to love the space theyre in and graciously welcome their many guests to do the same.
For more information:
Schrader & Companies
schradercompanies.com
952.465.3582
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Entertaining possibilities for a '20s Tudor - Southwest Journal
Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department units responded March 22 at 5:27 a.m. to a reported house fire in the 9800 block of Bridleridge Court in the Vienna area.
Units arrived and found that the large, two-story, single-family home had significant fire showing from a one-story sun room above the garage. In addition, crews reported the fire already had extended into the first and second floors and attic of the main house.
Crews worked aggressively on the interior and exterior of the home to contain the fire and limit it to the areas that were ablaze when they arrived, fire officials said.
There were two occupants at home when the fire was discovered. One occupant discovered the fire after hearing something fall down in the sunroom and seeing smoke coming from underneath the sunroom door.
A neighbor initially called 911 and reported smoke coming from the house. The homes occupants called 911 shortly thereafter to report their house was on fire and that everyone had safely evacuated.
There was one smoke alarm located in the hallway of the home, which did not alert the occupants to the fire because it had been disabled, officials said.
Investigators determined that the fire originated in the sunroom. The blaze was accidental in nature and caused by an unattended space heater that ignited combustible materials, officials said. The fire caused about $176,250 worth of damage, they said.
The fire displaced two adult occupants, who accepted Red Cross assistance. Rescue personnel transported the occupants to an area hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries and also took a firefighter to a hospital for evaluation.
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Unattended space heater cause of house fire in Vienna area | Crime ... - Inside NoVA
