In the midst of the Pacific Northwest energy crisis, and the coming crisis in your area, it's important for everyone to do their part to make a difference. Companies and businesses should implement energy saving standards in the workplace and everyone should take measures to reduce their energy consumption in their homes. Furthermore, I believe that real estate agents should use their relationship with home owners to spread the word about energy efficiency.

Realtors have a unique position in our communities because they interact very closely with new home owners. Home owners are looking to their agent to help them with every aspect of home ownership, which should include advice on energy efficiency. It's typical for new home owners to review past utility bills when purchasing a home, however with the onset of the energy crisis these bills are poor indications of current utility costs. New home owners should turn to their agent to offer suggestions on ways they can reduce energy costs.

In January, the Governors of Washington and Oregon came together to request that businesses and home owners alike, reduce their energy use by 10%. Utility companies throughout Washington, Oregon and Idaho all report reductions in energy consumption compared to this time last year, and in particular since January when the request was made. However, we've continued to experience a warmer, dryer-than-average winter in the Pacific Northwest, further complicating the energy situation because of our reliance on hydropower.

As I see it, the goal of saving 10% is a step in the right direction, but more proactive measures need to be taken to have long term impact. The president of the Urban Land Institute announced earlier this month that the population of the U.S. is projected to increase by more than 63 million people by the year 2025. In light of this and the fact that our area's demand on energy resources is only going to increase, it's apparent that we need to start making long-term behavioral changes. The energy crisis should be serving as a real eye-opener for each of us. Short term solutions for our current situation are very important, but ideally this crisis will help to change the way that people think about energy consumption in years to come.

For their part, real estate agents can advise home owners on ways to be more energy efficient and save money on their utility bills. There are several areas within the home where simple measures will go a long way. The first place to start is with the kitchen. There are several power-sucking appliances in the kitchen that if used more efficiently have the potential to save money. A refrigerator costs, on average, $3.90 a month to run. The freezer will run an additional $4.80 a month. That adds up to $8.70 a month—or $104 a year. If the temperature in both the refrigerator and freezer is simply reduced by 10 degrees, home owners can save about 25%, or $2.18. That's more than $25 a year. It’s also advisable to use a microwave or toaster oven in place of a conventional oven, if possible. Microwaves use about 14% less energy than a regular oven and a toaster oven can be up to 50% more efficient.

Another area home owners can save in the laundry room. The average washing machine costs about .52 cents a load using hot water/warm rinse; .15 cents a load using warm water/cold rinse; .03 cents a load using all cold water. If a typical household does 16 loads of laundry a month using hot/warm water, the annual cost is approximately $100. Using all cold water the cost is only about $6 a year—a savings of $94. The dryer costs .22 cents per hour of use, on average. Using the same number of laundry loads as above, that would run the average household about $3.50 a month, or $42 annually. Combined, the washer and dryer can cost $150 a year, or more. To reduce dryer costs, home owners should be advised to use the automatic moisture sensor, which most current models have. This function automatically shuts the dryer off when the clothes are dry. It's also very important to clean the lint filter after each use, which helps the dryer to run at optimal efficiency. And when possible, hang clothes to dry—this is obviously the ideal way to save energy when drying clothes.

One of the easiest, most efficient ways home owners can conserve energy and lower their power bill is by replacing traditional incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL). A CFL not only saves 75% more energy, but also costs much less to operate. Based on an average household use of 5,000 hours a year, a CFL has the potential to save $14 a year for EACH incandescent light bulb that is replaced with a CFL. If a home owner only replaced four lamps in their home, that's a savings of $56 a year.

If the average home owner practiced those measures outlined above, not only would they save well-over the Governor's request for 10% conservation, but they would also have the potential to save hundreds of dollars on utility bills a year. Real estate agents can—and should—take a proactive role in advising home owners of the necessary measures to conserve power and money. It’s simply another way for agents to enhance the home ownership experience, while doing their part for the energy crisis.

J. Lennox Scott is the president of John L. Scott Real Estate. You can visit his Web site and learn more energy tips at www.johnlscott.com.

Published: May 16, 2001

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J. Lennox Scott is the third-generaton president of John L. Scott Real Estate, founded in 1931. During his twenty-year tenure, the Seattle-based company has more than quintupled in size. With over 41,000 closed transactions last year, John L. Scott grossed more than 7.8 billion dollars in volume and has over 2,600 sales associates operating in 103 offices throughout Washington, Oregon and Idaho. J. Lennox Scott is a leader who has pioneered real estate into the electronic age. His company's award-winning website, www.johnlscott.com , receives over 20 million hits per month, including 280,000 unique visitors.