10 Best Ways to Go Green at Home (and save money)!
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10 Best Ways to Go Green at Home (and save money)!
Admin Mon Dec 01, 2008 9:25 pm
1.) TURN THE HEAT UP (OR DOWN) - According to the U.S. Department of Energy, about 47% of a households annual energy bill stems from heating and cooling. Every degree you raise your thermostat in the summer will reduce your air conditioning bills by 2%. It's FREE to adjust your thermostat, why not? You also save energy and GO GREEN in the process!
2.) USE COMPACT FLUORESCENT LIGHT BULBS - According to Energy Star, Compact Fluorescent light bulbs LAST 10 TIMES LONGER and use 75% LESS ENERGY than incandescent bulbs. They are more expensive than traditional light bulbs, but it only takes three months to make up for the higher price. To be cost effective, place the new bulbs in your kitchen or wherever the lights in your house are used the most.
3.) BUY A POWER STRIP - "Did you know that your appliances use electricity even when they are turned off? It's called a phantom load, or vampire power. As much as 75 percent of the electricity used to power home electronics and small appliances is used while they're turned off, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. The Ohio Consumers Council estimates that it costs consumers $40 to $100 a year. " - bankrate.com
4.) MONITOR ENERGY USAGE - Use Kill-A-Watt, Watt Minder or other gadgets that help you find the biggest energy users in your house. Just plug them into the appliance and they will tell you how much energy it uses per hour, day, week, month, or year. Knowing where to cut back can help you go greener and save you big bucks.
5.) PLANT TREES - Planting deciduous trees - trees that lose their leaves every year - around the South, East, or West sides of your house can save you between $100 and $250 per year. They provide shade for your house in the Summer and insulation in the Winter.
6.) GO ORGANIC - Purchasing organic materials is better for you and the environment. By not eating organic dairies and meats, you run the risk of ingesting the same antibiotics and hormones fed to the animal. It may not be cheaper to go organic, but in the long run it will pay off.
7.) STOP THE JUNK MAIL - "Each year, 100 million trees are cut down and turned into junk mail, with Americans receiving a total of 400 million tons of it every year. Earthworks Group, an environmental consulting firm, said cutting out junk mail is one of the most effective things people can do to reduce pollution. There are several ways to stop the flow of junk to your house. For a $15 one-time fee, Green Dimes will send you a junk-mail opt-out kit that will remove your name from mailing lists for junk mail and catalogs. They then monitor the lists to make sure your names stay off of them, potentially reducing your junk mail by 90 percent. Green Dimes also plants 10 trees for each kit sold. Or, you can contact the Direct Marketing Association, and pay a $1 fee to be removed from some mailing lists." - bankrate.com
8.) RUN FULL DISHWASHER LOADS - Washing your dishes is a daily or semi-daily chore for most households. By making sure to run the washer when it's full, you'll save 20 gallons of water per load, or 7,300 gallons per year. According to bankrate.com, that's as much as the average person drinks in a lifetime. Save even more money by only running the washer during non-peak hours (usually 9pm-7am).
9.) DON'T BUY WATERBOTTLES - Using a water filter is a much greener way to get clean water. Rather than filling up landfills, and causing recycling plants to burn the plastic bottles, pour your filtered water into a Nalgene or Klean Kanteen water bottle. Using reusable, eco-friendly water bottles is an easy way to go gree on a daily basis. Each day you don't use plastic water bottles you make a difference.
10.) GO PAPERLESS - With the advent of online media, paper is as close as ever to becoming obsolete. Instead of receiving newspapers or magazines, subscribe to the company's website. The same information that can be found in paper or magazine can be found online at the same company's website. Why use the paper. Send email instead of post. There are hundreds of ways to reduce paper consumption or go paperless altogether. Think of the millions of trees that would be saved each year if America cut back on paper consumption.
I want to hear your opinions and ideas. Please register to join our "green" campaign have your voice heard. Stay tuned for more tips and information!
2.) USE COMPACT FLUORESCENT LIGHT BULBS - According to Energy Star, Compact Fluorescent light bulbs LAST 10 TIMES LONGER and use 75% LESS ENERGY than incandescent bulbs. They are more expensive than traditional light bulbs, but it only takes three months to make up for the higher price. To be cost effective, place the new bulbs in your kitchen or wherever the lights in your house are used the most.
3.) BUY A POWER STRIP - "Did you know that your appliances use electricity even when they are turned off? It's called a phantom load, or vampire power. As much as 75 percent of the electricity used to power home electronics and small appliances is used while they're turned off, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. The Ohio Consumers Council estimates that it costs consumers $40 to $100 a year. " - bankrate.com
4.) MONITOR ENERGY USAGE - Use Kill-A-Watt, Watt Minder or other gadgets that help you find the biggest energy users in your house. Just plug them into the appliance and they will tell you how much energy it uses per hour, day, week, month, or year. Knowing where to cut back can help you go greener and save you big bucks.
5.) PLANT TREES - Planting deciduous trees - trees that lose their leaves every year - around the South, East, or West sides of your house can save you between $100 and $250 per year. They provide shade for your house in the Summer and insulation in the Winter.
6.) GO ORGANIC - Purchasing organic materials is better for you and the environment. By not eating organic dairies and meats, you run the risk of ingesting the same antibiotics and hormones fed to the animal. It may not be cheaper to go organic, but in the long run it will pay off.
7.) STOP THE JUNK MAIL - "Each year, 100 million trees are cut down and turned into junk mail, with Americans receiving a total of 400 million tons of it every year. Earthworks Group, an environmental consulting firm, said cutting out junk mail is one of the most effective things people can do to reduce pollution. There are several ways to stop the flow of junk to your house. For a $15 one-time fee, Green Dimes will send you a junk-mail opt-out kit that will remove your name from mailing lists for junk mail and catalogs. They then monitor the lists to make sure your names stay off of them, potentially reducing your junk mail by 90 percent. Green Dimes also plants 10 trees for each kit sold. Or, you can contact the Direct Marketing Association, and pay a $1 fee to be removed from some mailing lists." - bankrate.com
8.) RUN FULL DISHWASHER LOADS - Washing your dishes is a daily or semi-daily chore for most households. By making sure to run the washer when it's full, you'll save 20 gallons of water per load, or 7,300 gallons per year. According to bankrate.com, that's as much as the average person drinks in a lifetime. Save even more money by only running the washer during non-peak hours (usually 9pm-7am).
9.) DON'T BUY WATERBOTTLES - Using a water filter is a much greener way to get clean water. Rather than filling up landfills, and causing recycling plants to burn the plastic bottles, pour your filtered water into a Nalgene or Klean Kanteen water bottle. Using reusable, eco-friendly water bottles is an easy way to go gree on a daily basis. Each day you don't use plastic water bottles you make a difference.
10.) GO PAPERLESS - With the advent of online media, paper is as close as ever to becoming obsolete. Instead of receiving newspapers or magazines, subscribe to the company's website. The same information that can be found in paper or magazine can be found online at the same company's website. Why use the paper. Send email instead of post. There are hundreds of ways to reduce paper consumption or go paperless altogether. Think of the millions of trees that would be saved each year if America cut back on paper consumption.
I want to hear your opinions and ideas. Please register to join our "green" campaign have your voice heard. Stay tuned for more tips and information!
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