Saving green when going green

One complaint Recycla hears regularly is that it is expensive to go green. Au contraire! Going green can actually save you money while also saving Earth. Check out this list:

1. Turn down your water heater — Lowering the temperature from 140 to 120 degrees will save you 6-10% on your water heater costs.
2. Unplug unused chargers — Even when they’re not in use, plugged-in cell phone, laptop, and other chargers continue to use electricity. This can account for as much as 8% of your electric bill.
3. Install fluorescent light bulbs — Yes, you’re probably tired of hearing this one, but that doesn’t matter because you can impact your electric bill immediately with such a simple step. CFL’s use a third of the energy of regular light bulbs and last ten times longer. And there are a variety of bulbs available that can give you different types of light without the harsh glare normally associated with fluorescent lighting.
4. Install low-floor fixtures — All of the sinks and showers in Recycla’s house have low-flow fixtures. They aren’t expensive and are easy install (or so Mr. Recycla has said). Best of all, you can lower your water consumption by a whopping 50-70%.
5. Upgrade to Energy Star appliances — If you’re in the market for a new fridge, stove, or other large appliance, buy one that is labeled with the Energy Star tag, which means that the appliance in question is 10-50% more efficient than standard models (depending on the class of product). And
6. Landscape your yard with low-water greenery — Plant drought-tolerant grasses, shrubs, flowers, and tress that won’t require much watering (if any).
7. Get smart about heating and cooling — Most households spend 50-70% of their energy budgets on heating and cooling, but there are ways to reduce this number. Just by installing a programmable thermostat will save you approximately $150 every year. During the warm months, set it for 78 degrees and reduce your cooling load by 10-20%. When you’re away, bump it up to 85 degrees for additional savings. During the cold months, for every degree you lower the thermostat, you’ll save 1-3% on your heating bill.