Ways to Go Green: Energy

Tip 31:

Turn the heat up (or down).About 47 percent of the average household's annual energy bills stem from heating and cooling, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Adjusting your thermostat is free, easy and can yield big savings.

$ Factor:Every degree you raise your thermostat in the summer will reduce air conditioning bills by about 2 percent, said Jeff Deyette, energy analyst with the Union of Concerned Scientists. Lowering the temperature by one degree in winter will save you 3 percent on heating bills.

Tip 32:

Install a programmable thermostat.If your house is empty for long periods of time while your family is at work or school, a programmable thermostat may make sense. It allows you to use less heat or air conditioning when you're away from home or sleeping.

$ Factor:Programmable thermostats start at about $30, are easy to install and will shave about 10 percent off of your heating and cooling bills, says Ronnie Kweller, spokeswoman for the Alliance to Save Energy. The average annual savings is about $100.

Tip 33:

Switch to cold water.Almost 90 percent of the energy used to wash clothes is used to heat the water, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Save money and energy. Wash your clothes in warm or cold water, instead of hot, using a detergent formulated for cold-water use.

$ Factor:Turning the dial from hot to warm will cut your energy use by 50 percent per load and save you up to $63 a year, according to the Alliance to Save Energy.

Tip 34:

Use compact fluorescent light bulbs.Compact fluorescent bulbs use 75 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs and last up to 10 times longer, according to Energy Star. They're more expensive than traditional light bulbs, but it only takes about three months to make up for the higher sticker price in energy savings. For the most impact, replace the bulbs in the fixtures you use most, such as the kitchen, bathroom, dining and family room lights.

$ Factor:You will save $85 over the life of the bulb for each 60-watt light bulb you replace with a 15-watt compact fluorescent, according to Energy Star. You'll also save 543 kilowatt hours of electricity and reduce your CO2 emissions by 833 pounds.

Tip 35:

Buy a power strip.Did you know that your appliances use electricity even when they are turned off? It's called a phantom load, or vampire power. As much as 75 percent of the electricity used to power home electronics and small appliances is used while they're turned off, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. The Ohio Consumers Council estimates that it costs consumers $40 to $100 a year.

$ Factor:The simple solution is to unplug small appliances and electronics when you aren't using them. Or plug them into a power strip and turn the power strip off when you aren't using those items. Power strips cost $10 to $20 each and can save you up to $100 a year, depending on how many electronics you have. Simply unplugging one television, computer monitor and fax machine when you aren't using it will save you about $6 a month.

Tip 36:

Line dry, like grandma used to do.Dry your clothes on a laundry line rather than throwing them in the dryer. Clothes dyers are the third-largest energy users in the home, behind the refrigerator and washing machine, costing more than $100 a year to operate, according to Project Laundry List.

$ Factor:Drying your clothes on the line can save you as much as $10 a month, said Brad Stroh, co-founder of Bills.com. Laundry lines vary in cost, from about $5 for a simple rope line to $500 or more for deluxe models.

Tip 37:

Insulate your water heater.It's inexpensive to insulate your electric water heater. The insulation comes in pre-cut "blankets" sized to fit your heater, and many you can install yourself, although the U.S. Department of Energy recommends hiring a contractor to install insulation on gas heaters. Choose a water-heater blanket with an insulating value of R-8 or higher.

$ Factor:Water-tank insulation wraps cost from $10 to $20, reduce heat loss by 25 percent to 45 percent and will save you about $23 a year. To save even more, turn down the thermostat on your water heater, to between 115 and 120 degrees. This can reduce your water-heating expense by another 3 percent.

Tip 38:

Watch the watts.Gadgets, such as the Kill-A-Watt and the Watt Minder, help you find the biggest energy users in your home. Plug an appliance into one of these devices and it will tell you how much energy it uses per hour, month or year, and how much it's costing you.

$ Factor:Wattage meters cost from $20 to $30. If you are interested in the bigger picture, rather than monitoring one device at a time, the Power Cost Monitor tracks in real-time the electricity use in your entire house and shows how much it is costing you. The monitor costs about $130 and attaches to your electric meter.

Tip 39:

Check for leaks.Check for leaks around windows and doors, baseboards, around window-unit air conditioners, outside pipes, fireplace dampers, electrical outlets, switch plates, and faucets. Also look for cracks in the home's foundation or siding. Most leaks can be remedied with caulking or weather stripping, although old windows may need to either be replaced or fitted with storm windows. If existing caulking and weather stripping isn't in good condition, repair or replace it. Leaky outlets can be sealed with an inexpensive foam insulation insert. Seal any leaks around electrical fixtures in the attic, and make sure all attic vents are unobstructed.

$ Factor:Sealing leaks can improve the efficiency of your heating and cooling system by as much as 20 percent, according to Energy Star. The products needed to do the job are relatively inexpensive: Caulk costs less than $6 a tube, a package of weather stripping costs less than $10 and outlet insulators cost about $2 each.

Tip 40:

Maintain your furnace and air conditioner.Regular maintenance will keep your heating, ventilation and air conditioning, or HVAC, system operating efficiently, saving energy and money. Regularly clean or replace the air filter in your furnace, repair any leaks in the duct system, and make sure the radiators and baseboard air ducts are clean and unobstructed by rugs or furniture.

$ Factor:Having a professional tune up your system -- every year for oil-fired systems, every two years for gas furnaces and three years for heat pumps, according to the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy -- will increase the life of the system, improve energy efficiency and reduce pollutants.

Tip 41:

Know when to replace your appliances.If your furnace, air conditioner or other major appliances are more than 10 years old, it may make sense to replace them with newer, more efficient models. Americans spend an average of $1,900 on energy every year. Buying newer, Energy Star-certified appliances can save you at least $30 a year.

$ Factor:For instance, replacing a pre-1994 dishwasher with a new Energy Star model will save you $30 a year in energy costs. Replacing your pre-1994 washing machine with a new Energy Star model would save you $110 a year.

Tip 42:

Insulate the attic.Boosting attic insulation gives you the most value for your dollar. The U.S. Department of Energy recommends attic insulation with an R-value of 22 to 49 in most houses. To check your insulation, measure the thickness. Seven inches of fiberglass or rock wool insulation and six inches of cellulose insulation are equal to an R-value of 22. In all but the mildest climates, the agency recommends adding more.

$ Factor:Adding insulation can cost up to $1,800 and could reduce your heating and cooling bills by more than $100 a year. If it is less than seven inches, you may need to add more. Also check to see if there is a vapor barrier under the insulation. Vapor barriers such as Kraft paper, tarpaper and plastic sheeting prevent moisture from entering the attic through the house below. If there is no vapor barrier, you may want to paint the home's ceilings with a vapor barrier paint to reduce potential moisture damage to the attic.

Tip 43:

Plant trees.Planting deciduous trees -- those that lose their leaves every year -- on the south, east or west sides of your house will lower your heating and cooling bills. The trees will shade the house from the sun in summer and then let in light to warm the house in winter.

$ Factor:Well-placed trees can save you $100 to $250 a year in energy costs, according to the Alliance to Save Energy. The cost to plant the trees varies by type and size.

Tip 44:

Get an energy audit.Energy audits evaluate your home and look for ways to improve energy efficiency. You can hire a professional, or in some areas your gas or electric utility will do the audit for you. Inspectors often use thermography and other technologies to evaluate hidden leaks and insulation problems.

$ Factor:Fixing problem areas, such as air leaks, can save you between 5 percent and 30 percent in energy costs, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, but you can perform a basic energy audit without any special skills or equipment.