How to Go Green at Home

When it comes to your home, going green can be easy, and you don’t always have to spend a lot of money to make an impact. In fact, being eco-friendly and saving money can go hand-in-hand. Here are ten low and no cost tips to conserve water and energy, limit waste, and help the planet.

1. Set your water heater to 120 degrees F. Water heating is one of the largest home energy expenses (behind space heating and cooling). And when you’re out of town, set your water heater to Vacation mode. No sense wasting energy to heat water you won’t be there to use.
2. Repair leaks – especially leaky faucets. Did you know one drip per second could waste over 1,660 gallons of water a year?
3. Replace older showerheads with new, low-flow models. This will not only help you save water, but also will help reduce your water heating costs.
4. Wash laundry in cold water (or warm) whenever possible. Also try to wash full loads, or if that isn’t possible, change the water setting for the load size.
5. Consider line drying your clothes. Clothes dryers use a lot of energy. Don’t have room for a clothesline? Try a clothes rack; these are especially useful for drying smaller or delicate items.
6. Use timers and motion detectors for lighting. At your local home improvement store you can find everything from simple timers to high-tech Wi-Fi enabled switches that let you control your lighting with digital personal assistants like Siri, Amazon Alexa, and Google Assistant.
7. Fix items instead of replacing them whenever possible. Every item you repair instead of throwing out is one less piece of garbage in the landfill. And of course, recycle or donate whatever you can.
8. Do your homework before you buy – especially electronics and home appliances. Check reviews and ratings, and look for energy efficient, quality products. You might pay a little more, but they will probably last longer and will save you money on energy.
9. Make your own eco-friendly cleaning products. You can keep your house clean by using many common household items like vinegar, baking soda, and lemon juice. For soap, consider castile soap or other soaps free of chemical detergents.
10. Use reusable bottles for water. Bottled water is wasteful and expensive. Don’t like the taste of your tap water? Try using a faucet-mounted or carafe filter. They are inexpensive and easy to use.