We’re entering another hot week here in the Greater Boston area, and it looks like we will be in the 90’s through at least Wednesday. Hot weather means air conditioning for most of us, and air conditioning means electricity usage. On the hottest days of the year (called peak days), our electrical grid experiences the highest demands; and to meet that demand, they must resort to using the dirtiest and most expensive fossil fuels: natural gas and oil. This causes pollution, spews out greenhouse gasses, and costs us consumers a lot more money (up to ten times the usual rate).
Luckily, there’s a way to make a difference: join the growing movement to Shave the Peak! It’s really simple. Sign up to receive a text message when the grid anticipates a peak day; then, conserve electricity from 4-8 PM on that day. That’s it! Why this timeframe? Because that’s when everyone is back home, cooking dinner, starting laundry, and settling in for the night. On a peak day, electricity demand can double during this time. However, if you just delay that laundry, unplug your EV, and turn your AC from 68 degrees to 72 degrees, you can prevent that surge in demand, ultimately saving your wallet and the planet more damage.
I signed up to Shave the Peak a few years ago, and I only receive texts on the few days a year when it’s needed. Today is one of those days–so do your part by shaving the peak, tell your friends (Heck! Tell your enemies, too!), and be a part of the solution.
As housing affordability continues to challenge our local communities, we find it encouraging to see legislative steps that prioritize affordability, flexibility, and access, like Massachusetts’s Affordable Homes Act, signed into law last year by Governor Maura Healey. One of the changes we find most intriguing is the expanded ability to build Accessory Dwelling Units, or ADUs. These are small residential living spaces located on the same lot as another home, either within an existing primary residence, like converting a basement into an apartment, attached to a primary residence as a new construction addition, or completely detached, like a cottage or converted detached garage in a backyard.”
Here at Liz & Ellie Local, we are always looking for ways to make life a little greener. And if you’ve been in the Boston area for any length of time, you’ll know that there are areas where paving your yard was all the rage…and the remnants of that craze are still all over town. But things are changing. In Somerville, in particular, residents are tearing up their pavement in favor of something green.
We’re a few days from “official” summer, but there are already plenty of things happening outdoors in the Boston area. And while we love a good Red Sox game or concert at the Pavilion, there are tons of ways to take advantage of summer without spending a dime. From free music, to lectures, to movies and more, Boston has a plethora of free events worth checking out. As local residents of Cambridge and Somerville, who adore the communities we live and work in, we'd like to share a few of our favorite events.
With their complementary communication styles, responsiveness, competence, and ability to truly listen, Ellie and Liz enable their clients to feel at ease throughout any real estate transaction. They would welcome the opportunity to be your next real estate advisors.
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