Earth Day: How to Make Your Insurance Company Pay You to Be Green

Happy Earth Day.

Instead of lecturing you about sorting your recycling or posting a generic stock photo of a tree, let's talk about something far more practical: using "going green" to squeeze discounts out of your insurance company.

The insurance industry isn't exactly known for being warm and fuzzy. But underwriters absolutely love it when you make choices that lower their risk—and they will actually reward you for it.

If you want to help the planet and simultaneously stick it to your monthly premiums, here is the ultimate "Accidental Environmentalist" checklist:

• The "I Hate Commuting" Discount: If you started working from home, carpooling, or taking transit, your carbon footprint is way down. More importantly, your annual mileage is down. If you are driving less than you used to, let us know. We can adjust your daily commute rating and drop your auto premium.

• Stop the Snail Mail: The insurance industry prints enough 50-page policy documents to wipe out a small forest every Tuesday.
  Let's stop the madness.
  Switch your policies to e-delivery. It saves the trees & unclutters your kitchen counter.

• Smart Water Shut-Off Valves: Getting a smart water monitor (like a Moen Flo) is great for water conservation. But from our perspective, it immediately shuts off your main water line the second it detects a leak. That prevents a $50,000 basement swamp disaster, which earns you a discount on your home insurance.

• Ditching the Ancient Furnace: Upgrading your 25-year-old furnace or hot water tank to a high-efficiency model is fantastic for your natural gas bill and the environment. It also means you no longer have a ticking time bomb rusting in your mechanical room. Tell us when you upgrade, because modern, reliable utilities make your home much cheaper to insure.

• Hail-Proofing with Recycled Tires: If you need a new roof, look into recycled rubber roofing. It keeps thousands of old tires out of the landfill, and it is practically invincible against Alberta hail. Underwriters love impact-resistant roofs and will usually hand over a discount for making their hail risk disappear.

Being eco-friendly doesn't have to mean buying a $90,000 electric vehicle. Sometimes it just means being pragmatic.

If you've made any of these changes recently, give us a call here at McDonalds Insurance. Let's make sure you are actually getting the financial rewards you deserve.