Green
At Home:
content provided by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency
- Change 5 lights
Change a light, and you help change the world. Replace the conventional
bulbs in your 5 most frequently used light
fixtures with bulbs that
have the ENERGY STAR label and you will help the environment
while saving money on energy bills. If every household in
the U.S. took this one simple action we would prevent more
than 1 trillion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions.
- Look for ENERGY
STAR labeled products
When buying new products, such as appliances for your home, get
the features and performance you want AND help reduce greenhouse
gas emissions and air pollution. Look for ENERGY STAR-qualified
products in more than 50 product categories, including lighting, home
electronics, heating
and cooling equipment and appliances.
- Heat and cool smartly
Simple steps like cleaning air filters regularly and having your
heating and cooling equipment tuned annually by a licensed
contractor can save energy and increase comfort at home,
and at the same time reduce greenhouse gas emissions. When
it's time to replace your old equipment, choose a high
efficiency model, and make sure it is properly
sized and installed.
- Seal
up your home with better insulation and duct-work
Close up any visible cracks and gaps in your house, install adequate insulation,
check that ducts are
sealed and choose ENERGY
STAR qualified windows when replacing old windows. Not sure
where the cracks and gaps are? A home
energy auditor can also help to identify areas with poor
insulation and evaluate the energy efficiency of your home. By
taking these steps, you can eliminate drafts, keep your home
more comfortable year round, save energy that would otherwise
be wasted, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
- Use green power
Green
power is environmentally friendly electricity that is
generated from renewable energy sources such as wind and
the sun. There are two ways to use green power: you can buy
green power or you can modify your house to generate your
own green power. Buying
green power is easy, it offers a number of environmental
and economic benefits over conventional electricity, including
lower greenhouse gas emissions, and it helps increase clean
energy supply. If you are interested, there are a number
of steps you can take to create a greener
home, including installing
solar panels and researching incentives
for renewable energy in your state.
- Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle
If there is a recycling program in your community, recycle your
newspapers, beverage containers, paper and other goods. Use products
in containers that can be recycled and items that can be repaired
or reused. In addition, support recycling markets by buying
products made from recycled materials. Reducing,
reusing, and recycling in your home helps conserve
energy and reduces pollution and greenhouse gases from resource
extraction, manufacturing, and disposal.
- Be green in your yard
Use a push mower, which, unlike a gas or electric mower, consumes
no fossil fuels and emits no greenhouse gases. If you do
use a power mower, make sure it is a mulching mower to reduce
grass clippings. Composting your
food and yard waste reduces the amount of garbage that you
send to landfills and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. See
EPA’s GreenScapes
program for tips on how to improve your lawn or garden
while also benefiting the environment. Smart
Landscaping can save energy, save you money and reduce
your household’s greenhouse gas emissions.
- Use water efficiently
Everyone can save water through simple actions. Municipal water
systems require a lot of energy to purify and distribute
water to households, and saving water, especially hot water,
can lower greenhouse gas emissions. Do not let the water
run while shaving or brushing teeth. Do not use your toilet
as a waste basket for toiletry items - water is wasted with
each flush. And did you know a leaky
toilet can waste 200 gallons of water per day? Repair
all toilet and faucet leaks right away. See EPA's WaterSense
site for more water saving tips.
- Spread the Word
Tell family and friends that energy efficiency is good for their
homes and good for the environment because it lowers greenhouse
gas emissions and air pollution. Tell 5 people and together
we can help our homes help us all.
Home Performance with ENERGY STAR.
A drafty home, rooms that are too hot or too cold, and high energy
bills are all common issues for homeowners. Installing a new
heating or air conditioning system, buying replacement windows,
or adding more insulation may fix part of the problem. But the
way to better results is through an integrated "whole-house" approach
that looks at your house as a system.
Home Performance with ENERGY STAR, a national program from the
U.S. EPA and U.S. DOE, offers a comprehensive, whole-house approach
to improving energy efficiency and comfort at home, while helping
to protect the environment.
Contractors participating in a locally-sponsored Home Performance
with ENERGY STAR program can help you cost-effectively improve
your home’s energy efficiency. These specially-trained contractors
evaluate your home using state-of-the-art equipment and recommend
comprehensive improvements that will yield the best results. They
can also help you take advantage of Federal tax credits for energy
efficiency improvements.
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