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By Kevin Allen
Rappahannock News Staff Writer
From the Foster Harris House’s lush backyard garden, it’s easy to feel at one with nature. The 102-year-old home is surrounded by verdant pastures and offers a dear view to the Blue Ridge Mountains.
It is a setting that inspires environmental consciousness. And now guests can maintain that “green” feeling while they are inside the Town of Washington bed and breakfast.
Owners John and Diane MacPherson are making their inn environmentally friendly with compact fluorescent light bulbs, a water-saving washing machine and a more efficient air-conditioning system.
The conversion hasn’t been cheap, but it should pay off in the long run with lower utility bills. And John and Diane said they feel that making the Foster Harris House environmentally friendly is just part of being true to Rappahannock County.
The MacPhersons have spent about $250 on new light, bulbs, $1,000 on their new washing machine and $14,000 for their air conditioner.
“That’s a huge cost, but we’re planning on being here a while,” so the initial price can be spread out over several years, John said. “We’re hoping very soon to see some cost benefit” from lower water and energy bills.
The couple plans to keep track of their savings during the coming year.
How they did it
The MacPhersons’ new Whirlpool Energy Star washing machine is so effident that it will save the average family 10,000 gallons of water per year. Considering that the Foster Harris House is not the average family - John and Diane do four loads of laundry a day on average - the MacPhersons can expect to save even more water than advertised.
Their new Carrier Infinity air conditioner is 30 percent more effident, and John says the house is more comfortable than it was with the older system.
John and Diane said the trickiest part of their project has been finding fluorescent light bulbs to fit the myriad of light fixtures they have at the Foster
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