“We decided as a family that 2017 was going to be the year we got really serious about living our lives in a way that helps the planet,” Mark said. “Nobody can change everything, but if we all do a little something to reduce the amount of fossil fuels we’re using, the entire Earth will benefit.” The Abington MA family was living a lifestyle that was already pretty green – they recycle, and Mark’s wife Stacy rides her bike to work most days.
“You look for opportunities to make a significant improvement in how you operate,” Mark explained. “And that meant looking at our house, and how it functions. When you think about it, your home consumes a lot of energy. You need to keep it warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Even the most fuel efficient furnace isn’t going to help much if the heat being produced leaks out through old windows and doors – which is what was happening in our place.”
Leaky doors and windows are responsible for significant amounts of energy loss in many homes. Industry experts estimate that up to 40 % of a home’s heating energy can be lost due to windows that aren’t as energy efficient as they could be. “There are some low tech ways to improve your window’s efficiency,” Mark said. “But we’re not in a place in our lives where I want to be stapling plastic to our window frames. The technology exists to do the job right. Today’s replacement windows look really good and they’re energy efficient. It’s the best of both worlds.”
“And let’s not forget about the energy that goes into cleaning and maintaining windows,” Stacy said. “When we talked to the Abington replacement window company, we asked about replacement windows that are easy to clean. These tilt in, which is so convenient. And you never have to worry about painting them: the color is solid so even if the window sill gets scratched or damaged, it won’t show.”