Charlottesville Homeowner Services

Dennis, Mike and Joe, our crew works hard every day to provide you with the best customer service possible. They have been doing such a great job, that I am getting noticeable great reviews about them. I often speak with customers who tell me how "polite", "courteous" and "efficient" they are. We invite you to see some of the rave reviews about them on our testimonials page. 

Plant flowers and shrubs that are well suited to your climate. This will allow you to water less as these plants are naturally able to survive in the environment. If you are not sure what to plant ask the staff at your local nursery. Another added benefit is that you will use less fertilizer and pesticides. Great plants to grow in the Charlottesville area include: Eastern red columbine, Common yarrow, Box elder, Red maple, and White snakeroot. For more information on native plants visit the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Move your fridge out of direct sunlight or away from the range. The heat from either will force a refrigerator compressor to gobble up more energy than necessary. A fridge uses up to 2.5 percent more power for each degree the surrounding temperature is above 70 degrees. So moving it out of a 90-degree spot can save you as much as $70 a year. If you can't move it, at least block any sunny window with curtains and put as big a buffer as you can between it and the range.

Still wash your clothes in warm water? If so, turn down the hot water tap for the washing machine so less goes into the warm-water cycle. Perspiration and most other dirt dislodge best at body temperature, so you don't need water that's warmer than 100 degrees. Since most washers simply open both the hot and cold taps to make "warm" water, it may take longer to fill the machine. But you'll save about $40 annually on your water-heating bill. Or better yet, wash your clothes in cold water only. There are now laundry detergents designed to get your clothes just as clean using only cold water.

Check the water flow in your shower to see if it is low flow. You can check this by placing a 1-gallon bucket under the running water, then see how long it takes for it to fill up. If it's less than 20 seconds, replace the shower head with one that sprays 1.5 gallons per minute. With low-flow models, a family of four can cut water usage by as much as 280 gallons a month — and yet not feel much difference in water pressure --especially if you limit your showers to 10 minutes. It will also save you $22 on your annual water bill, and $150 per year on water heating.