In Honor of Earth Day: Green Your Life, Update Your North Carolina Insurance Policy

Earth Day is April 22, 2012. It's a time for those of us in North Carolina to celebrate the miraculous beauty of our precious planet and all its offerings, as well as to make changes to our own habits and lives that will help to preserve the earth for many generations to come. Making such changes will not only benefit the planet; they will benefit you, and all of its present and future inhabitants.

Remember to make sure your home and auto insurance policies reflect the earth-friendly steps you are taking in your life.

North Carolina Home Insurance

• Before making green modifications to your home, such as adding solar panels or wind turbines, check with your state insurance department to find out if you are required to insure them. If you are, make sure that your coverage can be extended to these renovations.
• If you are already working to make your home meet the U.S. Green Building Council or LEED certification, make sure that your homeowner's policy will cover the costs of replacing the green upgrades you've been making to your dwelling. This way, you can avoid paying out of pocket to keep your home green when certain aspects need replacing.
• Look into green homeowners' policies specially tailored to cover either the actual cash value or replacement costs of rebuilding a certified green home or upgrading from a traditional home to a green one.
• Green homeowners' policies vary. Some will enable you to make home repairs using green materials; others might cover earth-friendly demolition and debris removal. Such policies are not available in all states.

North Carolina Auto Insurance

• Bike or walk instead of driving. This helps save resources, and saves you money. If you reduce the amount of driving you do, let your auto insurance provider know; it may significantly lower your monthly premium.
• Pay-as-you-drive policies are available in some states, and these are ideal for people who will decrease the amount of driving they do. A data-logging device is installed in your car; it keeps track of the number of miles you drive and enables the provider to calculate a corresponding, fair premium.
• Buying a hybrid vehicle? It's a smart idea, as you'll burn less fuel and benefit from a federal tax incentive. Check with your provider to find out how the change will affect your policy; many companies offer discounts to owners of hybrid cars, and this can offset the increase in your premium that may result from switching from a used car to a new one.
• If you participate in a car-sharing program, in which members can use a car for a couple of hours or a day, look into a non-owners liability insurance policy. This will cover you when driving either a borrowed vehicle or a car share vehicle.

Call or contact Litaker Insurance today for more information about up-to-date insurance plans.