Heating & Cooling 

Heating and Cooling your home takes up the lion’s share of energy consumption, but there are plenty of ways to mitigate the cost.  For starters, keep your ceiling fan running even in the winter when it is cold. The ceiling fan circulates more air, which makes heating and cooling easier. Next, consider insulating your attic.  Although this sounds like a big task, some insulations can be installed with just a small hole and there are lots of eco-friendly insulation fibers these days, like Green Fiber Cocoon. And while you’re insulating, make sure to seal up any gaps around doors and windows.  Last, set your thermostat at 68 during winter months and light up the fireplace. You’re probably thinking that chopping down trees to burn in your fireplace isn’t a green alternative? Try burning an eco-friendly alternative made from recycled coffee grounds; there are several brands to choose from these days, Bio-Bean, Java Log, and Pine Mountain to name a few.  They burn for 2-3 hours like a traditional log but produce 3 times the flame capacity. These logs burn 7 times cleaner than wood, produce 96 percent less residue and 54 percent less carbon dioxide than wood. You’ll love the gentle coffee aroma too!

Water

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Conserving water can be as easy as taking a shower instead of a bath, but for those looking to go the extra mile here are some more suggestions.  Try installing a water aerator on the faucet’s in your home; they’re inexpensive and almost invisible. They work by adding air to the stream of water coming out of the faucet, which still gives you a steady flow of water but can reduce water consumption by as much as 50% per use.  Another low-cost way to save more water is by installing low flow showerheads. These water efficient shower heads can save as much as 26 gallons of water per shower. Last, for all the garden lovers; try planning a garden composed of native and adaptive plants that require little to no watering.

Electricity

Whenever you leave a room, its best to turn off the light and most of us already know that.  But did you know that many of the devices in your home are drawing power even when they’re not being used?  It is best to unplug your gadgets when you’re not using them, but unplugging your TV, Bluray, etc. can become tiresome.  An easy way around this is using power strips which make it easy to switch everything off at once. Of course, these days there is another easy way to save on your electric bill if you have not already made the leap, consider installing solar panels on your home!  In sunny California, solar panels can save many homeowners about half of their entire electric bill!