Going Green---Part 3: Tips on "Greening" Your Home

by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger

26 Sep 2006 12:58 PM

A few days ago I had the chance to tour a "green home" or a home made from environmentally friendly material and practices. It was an eye-opening experience and while I may never live in a "green home" I walked away with some great ideas on how to conserve energy and reduce energy bills in my own home. I shared some of ideas in "Going Green--Part 2: "Green" Paint. Here are a few more:

Replace Incandescent Light Bulbs With Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs

I learned compact fluorescent light bulbs last 10 times longer and use 50-75% less energy than conventional incandescent light bulbs do. By simply replacing 25% of the bulbs in your home with compact fluorescent light bulbs you can reduce energy used for lighting by 50%.

Replace Traditional Light Switches With Dimmers

I was told that this is a fairly simple procedure. In fact, my neighbor said that she had a worker at Home Depot walk her through the project-over the phone.

Install A Programmable Thermostat

Caulk Around Door and Window Frames To Seal Off Air Leaks That Cause Drafts

Studies show caulking and weatherstripping gaps throughout a home will pay for itself in energy savings within a year.

Add Insulation In Your Attic

Insulate Your Water Heater

A water heater uses most of the energy it consumes to maintain a standing temperature in the hot water tank. Much of this heat is lost through the walls of the tank. Experts say by wrapping your water heater with insulation you can reduce the heat lost through the walls of the water heater by 35%.

Fix Leaky Faucets

Install Low-Flow Faucets and Showerheads

A low flow showerhead can reduce water usage by 30% without sacrificing water pressure. Studies show a high quality low-flow showerhead will pay for itself in energy savings in four months.

Small actions can make a big difference. I plan to make a few changes to help make my home a bit "greener."

How about you?

Related Articles:

Going Green-Part 1: What is A Green Home?

Going Green Part 2---"Green" Paint

Learn more about Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism.

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