Committed To Quality Simple Ways To Save On Household Expenditures There are many simple ways for homeowners to reduce monthly expenditures and realize savings, and the easiest place to start is with your monthly energy bill. Here are a few changes you can make that can have a lasting impact on your wallet and the planet. Cool your house with a ceiling or electric fan and open the windows at night. Ceiling fans cost about 1 cent per two hours of use, compared to 67 cents to a dollar for central air. Use your AC only when necessary and be sure to turn it off when you’re going to be away from home for long periods of time. Invest in a programmable thermostat. It will automatically adjust the temperature in your house, saving you energy while you’re away or sleeping. Use insulation with a high R-value. Experts and professionals often use a stone wool product called Roxul ComfortBatt, which can be used to top up the insulation in your attic. Topping up insulation 18• TODAY’S HOME - Spring 2017 to a depth of 16 inches or an R-value of 50 will help to keep your house cool in the warm weather and take the stress off your air conditioning unit. Check the tightness of your refrigerator seal by closing the door on a piece of paper. If it’s held in place, the seal is still good. If not, it’s time to replace the seal or fix the door’s alignment. Only do laundry or dishes when you have full loads. If you have smaller loads, make sure to use the correct settings. If you only have a couple of items, wait it out or wash them by hand. Also consider low-cost DIY projects such as caulking around windows, adding weatherstripping to doors, installing low-flow shower heads, putting aerators on faucets, and switching to energy-efficient LED or compact fluorescent light bulbs for even greater impact. v MetroCreative Connection Morton Mead and Dan Sullivan purchased Parkhurst Lumber in Ashland, Nebraska in 1910. Morton bought out Mr. Sullivan and all 3 of his sons (Lyman, Wilbur & Emerson) entered the business. The business grew to 15 stores by 1986. In 1987 Bob Mead became President of Mead Lumber and continued the expansion until today. As a Mead Company rich in history spanning four generations, we have grown to 37 lumberyards, hardware stores and millwork and truss facilities in 7 midwestern states, Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Wyoming. Bob Mead continues his leadership today as Chairman of the Board. Morton’s values of placing the customer first and treating customers with respect are still the core values of our company. In addition to the Mead Family, the company has over 400 Employee Owners who are committed to making Mead Lumber our customer’s choice for lumber, building materials, hardware and trusses. For over 100 years Mead Lumber has been helping customers with their home improvement needs, as well as assisting professional contractors, builders and remodelers with their building and project needs. Mead Lumber is committed to providing quality and sustainable building materials, a strong product mix and selections, competitive pricing, and outstanding service. We also provide value added design, estimating, timely delivery, in-house credit, and much more. The key to our success is our over 750 associates, many of whom have made Mead and Knecht their workplace for life. Almost two dozen associates have more than 30 years of service with our company. Our front-line employees, particularly our drivers, inside and outside sales people, office support, manufacturing, and local management personnel that interface with our customer’s everyday define who we are as a company. The culture of our company, combined with our commitment to providing a safe yet fast paced work environment, solid growth opportunities, attractive compensation and fringe benefits, has created an outstanding work force that is very talented, loyal and hardworking. v Editorial provided by Mead Lumber