8 Tips for Greener Living

Reducing your carbon emissions is good for the planet, and it will save you money as well. You may already be doing some of the below tips, but see if you can add a couple more. Kudos to anyone who achieves all eight!

1. Install a programmable thermostat.
   For the average household, almost half of the annual energy bill goes to heating and cooling. You can save up to $150 per year by turning the heat down when you’re away from the house or sleeping. A programmable thermostat will automatically adjust temperature settings to balance comfort, energy savings and eco-friendliness.

2. Prevent phantom energy drain.
   Plug appliances and electronics into power strips. Turn off these central hubs when devices aren’t in use to prevent phantom energy drain, which accounts for about 25% of your electricity bill.

3. Switch to compact fluorescent lightbulbs.
   Replace incandescent lightbulbs with energy-efficient CFLs which use 75% less energy and last 6-10 times longer. They can last between eight and 10 years and usually pay for themselves in about nine months. LEDs are another good option with lots of choices – indoor, outdoor, pathway lighting, porch lights and even solar-powered outdoor lights.

4. Stop air leaks.
   Seal around doors and windows to stop air leaks. A few $2 tubes of caulk could cut your energy waste by 10-20%. You’ll probably need a half-cartridge of caulk for each window or door.

5. Wash laundry with cold water.
   Cold water is gentler on clothes and can protect them from fading, shrinking and bleeding. That’s why most garment care labels recommend cool or cold water. Washing four out of five loads in cold water instead of hot would cut over 860 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions per year. That’s the equivalent of planting 1/3 acre of forest!

6. Install a low-flow showerhead.
   Taking showers uses approximately 17 percent of residential indoor water use—nearly 40 gallons per day for the average family. That's about 1.2 trillion gallons of water used in the United States annually, enough to supply the water needs of New York and New Jersey for a year! A low-flow showerhead can save up to 2700 gallons of water per family per year.

7. Reduce use of single-use plastic.
   Cut down on single-use plastic and rely more on reusable containers and bottles. Disposable water bottles take up space in our landfills, pollute our oceans and take an incredible amount of resources to produce. Reusable bottles will save you money, too—if you drink the recommended eight glasses of water a day from single-use plastic bottles for one year, it would cost 3,500 times more than drinking the same amount of filtered tap water.

8. Start composting.
   In the U.S., food waste is estimated to be 30-40% of the food supply. Wasted food is the single largest category of material placed in municipal landfills. Compost food scraps to reduce your landfill contribution by 22%. Or if you have a garden, your compost would be a great fertilizer—free, organic and eco-friendly! To get started, check out this article on countertop composters: The 12 Best Countertop Compost Bins For 2021 | Epic Gardening