It’s Easy to Be Green

Energy Saving Tips for the Home

  • Use a programmable thermostat. Lower your thermostat in the winter and raise it in the summer.
  • Upgrade insulation in attics and crawlspaces, basements and walls.
  • Replace furnace filters monthly.
  • Install a whole house fan to draw hot air out of your home.
  • Change your incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent bulbs.
  • Seal cracks and holes around windows and doors. Sealing air leaks is the quickest and cheapest energy improvement you can make!
  • Use task lighting when possible instead of brightly lighting an entire room.
  • Purchase items that can be recycled.
  • Use reusable grocery bags.
  • Turn out the lights in rooms you are not using.
  • Take shorter, cooler showers. Install low flow shower heads.
  • Plant tall trees near east & west facing windows to create shade from the sun.
  • Close heating and cooling vents in rooms you don’t use.
  • Turn off TVs, stereos and other electronic appliances when you are not using them.
  • Cool hot foods before placing them in the refrigerator.
  • Wash full loads of laundry only.
  • Clean the lint screen of your dryer after every cycle (this will help your dryer run more efficiently).
  • Use dimmers on your lighting.
  • Lower the temperature of your water heater.
  • Install ceiling fans.
  • Get a home composter.
  • Inflate tires properly. This reduces gas consumption and your tires last longer.
  • Pay bills online; view bills online. This reduces paper usage and saves postage.
  • Run your dishwasher when it is full.
  • Donate old electronics.
  • Use both sides of paper.
  • Clean with cloth. Don’t use disposal paper towels.
  • Buy rechargeable batteries.
  • Reduce clothes dryer use. The dryer uses more energy than any other household appliance with the exception of the refrigerator. Use the moisture-sensor setting, which turns the dryer off as soon as the clothes are dry.
  • Plant native plants. Native plants require less water to grow because they have adapted to the environment. They also require no herbicides or pesticides.
  • Plant a garden. No fuel is needed to transport the harvest. (Store bought produce travel an average of 1,500 miles).
  • Keep reusable bags in your car. You will always have them available when needed.
  • Never let the water run. Turn off the faucet when brushing your teeth.
  • Ride your bike, walk or carpool whenever possible.
  • Reduce junkmail. Contact the Direct Marketing Association, (it costs $1) at dmachoice.org/mps to remove your name from mailing lists. To stop credit card and insurance offers go to optoutprescreen.com. ProQuo offers a free service to remove your name and address from being bought and sold in marketing lists. They also offer a list of common catalogs that you can choose to cancel or keep. Contact them at secure.proquo.com.