Low Cost!!! Addressing Your Home's 'Green' Potential
Here are some low cost ways to make your home more efficient (remember efficiency means eventually more of YOUR MONEY will be saved). Some of these changes are simple, a few are more involved and therefore I shall dedicate much of this blog to help you get started on some of these projects (if of course, you are so inclined).
Use CFL or LED lightbulbs
Install low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators
Start a compost pile
Plant Trees
Insulate your hot water heater
Weatherstrip and caulk doors and windows
Collect rainwater to water plants
Paint with low - or no VOC (volatile organic compounds) paint
Replace all heating/cooling filters
Install a programmable thermostat
Plant a rain garden
Plant native plants
Place appliances or office equipment on powerstrips to reduce 'phantom' load - this I recently did. Went through and put my microwave, coffee maker, DVD player, etc. on a powerstrip. Basically everything that has a clock and that I never look at for the time. Now I just push the button on the powerstrip to turn it all on/off!