Easy ways to go green at home

It is vital for us all to live gently on the Earth today to protect our children's future. Unfortunately, many people think it is too expensive to be environmentally conscious. However, it doesn't cost a fortune to go green at home. If done properly, it can save money and save the planet -- all at once!

With the prospect of global warming close at hand, it is our duty to do our part to go green!

compact flourescent light bulbs

Replace the traditional light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs (CFL). The bulbs may be more expensive up front, but they will last up to 10 times longer than traditional incandescent bulbs and they will reduce your electric bill.

If you can't afford to replace all the bulbs in your home, start by changing them out one at a time as the old bulbs burn out. In the rooms that you haven't changed to CFL's, consider replacing two lower wattage bulbs with one higher wattage bulb. For example, a single 100 watt bulb can be used to replace two 75 watt bulbs with minimal discernible change to the light output. This simple change uses up to one-third less electricity.

low-flow shower heads save water

Go green in the home by reducing water usage. We could all, collectively, save one billion gallons of water a year by changing our old flush toilet cisterns. The old ones use three and a half gallons per flush; the new high-efficiency ones use just over one and a quarter gallon. What a huge difference! If you did only this to go green in the home you would save 20,000 gallons of water every year. This also would greatly reduce your water bill.

Also, by buying a low-flow, water efficient shower head, it not only wastes less water but also saves money. This can save a family of 4 up to 280 gallons of water a month. Within 1 to 2 years there will be a return on your investment in the shower heads. You can take shorter showers to lower your water bills.

For every 10 degrees lower on your water temperature, you are saving between 3 to 5 percent on your bill. Many times your hot water heater will be set to 140 degrees Fahrenheit per the manufacturer. If your dishwasher has a booster heater, you should be able to reduce this setting to 120 degrees. If it does not, then you will want to set it around 130 degrees depending on the manufacturer's instructions. When the water temperature is reduced to 120 degrees, it will help reduce the mineral buildup in your water heater and pipes and save you money.

The house mice don't need to be cool while you are at work. If you hate coming home to a stuffy house, set the thermostat to 85 degrees while you're at work or outside the house. When you're home, start at 78 degrees and gradually get cooler until you find the warmest temperature that feels comfortable. During the winter set the temperature at 50, when you're at work and start at 60 degrees Fahrenheit and slowly increase the temperature until you feel comfortable. Making small daily changes in your air conditioning or heating for short periods can lead to spikes in power consumption which increase your bill. Find a good temperature for each season and stay with it.

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