It doesn’t take much effort to run your household in a more eco-friendly way. You might even be surprised by how much money you can save.
Here are four simple green changes that could benefit any homeowner:
1. Recycle – and not just the obvious stuff.
Chances are you’re already recycling glass bottles and aluminum cans. But why stop there? Consider recycling before you throw anything away. You might also consider collecting aluminum cans and bringing them to your local recycling facility where you may get some cash for your efforts.
2. Switch to high-efficiency lighting.
For years we’ve heard that high-efficiency lighting is the way to go. But did you know the magnitude of difference this one change could make? EnergyStar reports that each compact florescent light bulb can save up to $40 in energy costs over its lifetime.
3. When it’s not in use, turn it off.
Moms all over the world can be heard reminding their brood, “Turn the lights off!” While there’s no doubt it makes sense to turn off lights, some may question when and if a computer should be turned off since it takes a bit more energy to power up than to leave it running.
The U.S. Department of Energy reports that for energy savings and convenience, consider turning off your monitor if you aren’t going to use your computer for more than 20 minutes. Turn off your computer if you’re not going to use it in the next two hours.
4. Paper – who needs it?
Valinotti suggests that taking baby steps toward a paperless existence can be natural and painless. For example, many homeowners already do their banking online – so why not also switch to paperless bank statements? Many utilities, credit card companies and municipalities also offer online billing.
As you can see, just a few small changes can help you go green – and help you build financial strength as well.
Source: [NBC-2]
Deciding how much house you can afford You may be surprised by what you learn.
