Six Ways to Have a Greener Home

by Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger

08 May 2009 10:19 AM

The little things that you do around your home can make a big impact in how much energy you can save. if you want a greener home, concentrate on the following six areas.

1. Conserve hot water. You can conserve hot water by taking shorter showers, washing your laundry in cold water and lowering the thermostat on your furnace or water heater.

2. Replace your blinds. If you have traditional metal blinds on your windows, you'll save money when you replace them with wood or fabric. This is because blinds will suck up the heat and the cold from outside and radiate it back into your room. Many window treatments come in insulated designs to help you save even more.

3. Clean and seal your ducts. Clean ducts are much more efficient and can reduce your energy usage for heating and cooling. It is amazing how much you can actually save.

4. Get an energy audit. You can usually get a free energy audit from your energy provider, whether you use electricity, gas or oil. An energy audit will give you a good idea on where you will get the most energy savings for your home.

5. Get a dual flush toilet. Traditional toilets can use up to seven gallons of water per flush. A dual flush toilet will allow you to choose the amount of water needed for a flush. Fluid waste requires only .08 to .09 gallons, while for solids you can use up to 1.6 gallons of water.

6. Get rid of leaks. going around your house every six months or so and checking for leaks can go a long way to keeping the warm or cool air in your home, making the drain on your heating or cooling system much less. Check around windows, doors, fireplaces, around wiring, around pipes and more to find small holes that can be filled in with caulk.

Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, creating a home in the Home Blog, caring for little ones in the Baby Blog and now relationships in the Marriage Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here or subscribe to the blog using the subscription box on the right.

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Learn more about Mary Ann Romans

Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat.

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