Green at Home

Why is a green home important? Making adjustments to our daily routine at home can have far-reaching results.

Here are some ways to reduce your carbon emissions at home:

Replace your incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs.

Energy Star certified lighting consumes 75% less energy than regular light bulbs and lasts up to 10 times longer. Although energy efficient light bulbs cost slightly more than regular ones, their initial cost will be more than repaid over their lifetime. If every home in the U.S. switched five light fixtures to Energy Star bulbs, we would save close to $8 billion each year in energy costs and would prevent the greenhouse gas equivalent of 10 million cars’ emissions.

Few people know that a screensaver does not actually save the screen or energy. You can save $25 - $75 annually simply by using your computer’s power management option – setting your computer to go to standby or hibernate when not in use. The EPA recommends that users set their computers to go to sleep after 15 – 60 minutes.

Set your fridge between 35 and 38 degrees Fahrenheit, the ideal temperature for food preservation and safety. A fridge that is colder than necessary can consume up to 25% more energy.
To maintain energy efficiency, clean the condenser coils and position your fridge so that air can circulate around the coils. Also, keep the fridge away from ovens or other heat sources.
Defrost your fridge regularly. Frost buildup increases the energy necessary to keep the motor running.

Use warm or cold water in the washing machine rather than hot. Doing so saves energy and has the added benefit of longer-lasting clothes.
Line-dry as much as possible. If you need to use the dryer, clean the filter or lint trap first and wring excess water from clothes before putting them in.
Calculate the energy requirements for your washer and dryer model.