When you buy a property in the Caribbean, the difference between making and losing money every month could be in energy efficiency. Unlike North America, power throughout the Caribbean is major expense of owning a home. If your home is a rental, chances are your guests are not going to be conserving energy for the benefit of your bottom line. By taking some small small steps to make your home energy efficient, you can reduce these costs significantly. Here are just a few of the features we recommend:
There are ways to cut your costs without going truly green. For example, a high energy efficient air conditioning unit can save hundreds of dollars a month. Ceiling fans instead of A/C can be a big cost savings as well. It’s just a matter of being smart and doing what you can to not only save money but be environmentally friendly.
An audit of your homes energy consumption is a smart way to assess your homes energy usage. Some ways can be obvious on how to cut costs and could be done immediately. There is no substitute for having a professional actually meter your output however. By doing some legwork, you can save a significant amount every month.
There are obviously many more options which take a larger investment to increase your homes efficiency. These small steps can make a noticeable dent in your monthly power bills. Most islands have solar companies that specialize in these services. Investigate the ROI of these products to see if they make sense for your situation. Your realtor or property manager can get you started or do a simple internet search.
Good luck in going green!