Guide To Green Living: 40+ Steps You Can Take To Save Money & Energy

Americans are becoming increasingly interested in the concept of sustainability. This guide will provide readers with more than 40 simple steps they can take to save energy and money, and reduce the size of their carbon footprint. Follow these simple tips for green living, and you can help save the environment!

Steps you can take at Home:

1. Turn off lights that are not in use.
2. Turn off bulk freezers when not in use.
3. Take shorter showers, 5 minutes at most.
4. Set your hot water heater at the lowest possible setting.
5. Use cold water to wash your laundry.
6. Turn your thermostat down during the day, wear a sweater.
7. Turn your thermostat down at night, use extra blankets.
8. Use a fan instead of an air conditioner during the summer.
9. Close up unused rooms.
10. Start using B5 heating oil and build up to B50.
11. Turn off dehumidifiers when not needed, or buy an Energy Star approved unit.
12. Turn your hot tub down or off when not in use.
13. Turn your computer off when not in use.
14. Eat lower on the food chain. Eat less meat.
15. Buy bulk products to reduce waste produced by excess packaging.
16. By locally produced foods whenever possible.
17. Use a microwave instead of a stove or oven when possible – they use less energy.
18. Wash and reuse zip lock bags.
19. Compost – the natural process of decomposition produces less methane emissions than the breakdown of waste in a dump or landfill.
20. Rake leaves, do not waste energy by using a leaf blower. Replace incandescent light bulbs with CFL’s or LED’s. This will save you money on your electric bill.
21. Purchase a programmable thermostat.
22. Shrink wrap your windows during the winter.
23. Purchase easy to use wrap around foam insulators for your pipes.
24. Insulate your attic.
25. Insulate the duct work in your home.
26. Insulate the joist bays in your home.
27. Have your furnace cleaned and tuned annually.
28. Add solar-powered outdoor lamps.
29. Use power strips. Appliances often use energy even when they are turned off. Plugging appliances into a power ship and turning the strip off when they are not in use prevents useless energy loss.
30. Use a kilowatt meter to learn about where the energy you use is going.
31. Use rain barrels to supply water for gardens and lawns.
32. Plant a tree.
33. Freecyle – giving things away prevents them from ending up in the landfill, where they will end up producing harmful methane emissions as they break down.

Steps you can take as a commuter.

1. Walk or ride a bike – it is healthy!
2. Take public transportation or carpool.
3. Inflate the tires on your car to the proper level. This increases fuel efficiency.
4. Drive at the speed limit. A speed of 35-55 MPH results in maximum fuels efficiency for most vehicles.
5. Turn your car off when parked. Never leave your vehicle idling.
6. Do not use drive-thru’s. Park your vehicle, turn it off, and walk inside.
7. Avoid having unnecessary weight in your vehicle.