I WOULD NOT CALL MYSELF “GREEN” BY A LONG SHOT, but I tend to be environmentally aware. I drive a hybrid and take measures to save energy whenever possible, and I was probably the first on my block to change the settings on my sprinkler timers when the city announced the odd/even plan for conserving water. I don’t go crazy with it, but I’m aware of the issues and do my best to do my part. Of course, being a tad fiscally conservative I am always looking for ways to save money.

Last week a couple of college-aged kids walked into my office to tell me about a free energy audit program for California residents. Turns out that there is a nonprofit called Rising Sun Energy Center that trains young people between the ages of 15-22 to perform energy audits. They call these audits Green House Calls. The program, California Youth Energy Services (CYES), is funded by California rate payers under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission.

As I listened to what they were offering, I was pretty impressed — and heck, it was free, so I figured I would give it a go. I arranged for a Green House Call.

When the trained energy specialists arrived at my home, sporting green polos with the CYES logo, they carried with them a large bin and a folding ladder. They checked the water pressure on the outside of my home and asked me a few questions. Then they went about checking my lighting and replacing any of the old-style incandescent bulbs with more energy-efficient compact fluorescents, always checking with me first if they had a concern about the visible aspects of the bulbs in some locations. They crawled into my attic space and checked on my insulation, checked my furnace and air conditioner, and made sure that I had a recycle bin that I was actually using. They even checked all of my faucets to make sure aerators were installed and checked that I was using low-flow shower heads. Finally, they checked the toilet tanks to ensure that we were not wasting water on leaks.

I was curious about this last part and was informed that one of the biggest water wasters in a home is toilet tank leaks. Interesting. Since I live with the CFO of a large plumbing contractor, I wasn’t surprised that we passed on all the plumbing checks.

At the end of their visit the CYES folks gave me some helpful information about saving energy and even gave me a couple of gifts. They were in my home for a total of 45 minutes. All in all, pretty cool. No catch, no sales pitch, not even an invitation to attend a time share presentation.

I would highly recommend this service. You really don’t have anything to lose and you have a lot to gain in making your home more energy and water efficient. The only tough part is that this is a summer program, so it is nearing the end of its 2014 run. If you’re interested, don’t delay, call 510-661-1501, ext. 5, or go online at www.risingsunenergy.org.

Guy Benjamin (CAL BRE License #01014834, NMLS 887909) writes a weekly column for The Herald, offering general information on real estate matters. As it is impossible to address all possibilities and variations, he will try to answer individual questions by readers who contact him at 707-246-0949 or gbenjamin@rpm-mtg.com.

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