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Going green is a process; not something you accomplish overnight. Instead, try adopting one new green habit per week and before you know it you’ll be seeing green – both in the environment and in your wallet.
10 Easy Changes: |
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Take the stairs - Skip the elevator and take the stairs instead. Climbing stairs burns up to 10 times more calories than standing in an elevator. And, depending on type, capacity, and usage, an elevator’s yearly energy usage can equal the energy used to power seven homes annually. |
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Replace incandescent light bulbs with Energy Star qualified Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFL) - If every household in the U.S. replaced one light bulb with a CFL, it would prevent enough pollution to equal removing one million cars from the road. |
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Adjust the thermostat - Raising your A/C one degree higher in the summer and heating one degree lower in the winter will save about 10% on your energy use! In addition, invest in a programmable thermostat which allows you to regulate temperature based on the times you are at home or away. |
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Buy local - Consider the amount of pollution created to get your food from the farm to your table. We can help reduce the amount of pollution that is created by purchasing local products, thereby reducing the amount of green house gas created when products are flown or trucked in; and it supports the local economy. One of the largest organic food providers in Central Florida is Whole Foods Market; much of their produce is purchased from local farmers. |
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Leave the bag behind - Say no to paper and plastic, instead bring your own reusable bags to the grocery store when you shop. Also, reduce waste by packing lunches in reusable, safe containers and use sandwich containers instead of baggies. |
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Reusable drinking bottles - Every year, 1.5 million barrels of oil go to making plastic water bottles used in the United States; and nearly 90% of plastic water bottles are not recycled. Consider purchasing a reusable container that you can refill with tap water. It saves the environment, and saves your wallet. |
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Conserve water - Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth or shaving; and showers use less water than baths. Only wash full loads of laundry, using cold water to save energy costs. Make sure your sprinklers are set to water the lawn and garden, not the pavement; and water in the early morning before any moisture is lost to evaporation. |
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Recycling toner/ink cartridges - Every year, Americans throw out enough printer cartridges to stretch from Los Angeles to New York City and back again. Recycling toner cartridges is not only good for the environment; it’s easy to do. Many outlets that sell toner will not only take your spent cartridge off your hands, but they sometimes offer a price break on a new cartridge for trading in the old one. There are also fundraisers that recycle printer cartridges to support charities. |
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Car Pool - Soaring gas prices, time-consuming congestion and growing environmental concerns are just a few of the many reasons to consider car pooling. |
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Inflate Your Tires - Every 2 weeks, Americans wear out nearly 50 million pounds of rubber off their tires. This is enough rubber to manufacture 3 and a quarter million new tires from scratch. You can improve your gas mileage by keeping your tires properly inflated. Under-inflated tires can lower gas mileage by 0.3 percent for every 1 psi drop in pressure of all four tires. Properly inflated tires are safer and last longer fueleconomy.gov. |
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| Long Term Green Improvements: |
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| Plant a tree. Trees remove CO2 from the air, and they help prevent global warming. Trees also provide natural A/C for your home with their cool shade, lowering your electric bill. The following are some statistics from the Arbor Day Foundation: |
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The net cooling effect of a young, healthy tree is equivalent to ten room-size air conditioners operating 20 hours a day."—U.S. Department of Agriculture |
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"Landscaping can reduce air conditioning costs by up to 50 percent, by shading the windows and walls of a home." — American Public Power Association |
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"If you plant a tree today on the west side of your home, in 5 years your energy bills should be 3% less. In 15 years the savings will be nearly 12%." —Dr. E. Greg McPherson, Center for Urban Forest Research |
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"A mature tree can often have an appraised value of between $1,000 and $10,000." —Council of Tree and Landscape Appraisers |
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| Replace old appliances with energy efficient products. According to EarthDay.gov families can save about 30% ($400 a year) on their energy bills while reducing emissions of greenhouse gases. Use the Energy Star program to find energy efficient products for your home. ENERGY STAR is the government backed symbol for energy efficiency. |
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| Trade in your old Gas Guzzler. Burning fossil fuels such as gasoline or diesel contributes to a number of environmental problems, such as air pollution and global climate change. In addition, spills from refining and transporting oil and petroleum products damage ecosystems and pollute groundwater and streams. Consider a purchasing a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) or high fuel efficient vehicle. According to FuelEconomy.gov “ the difference between a car that gets 20 MPG and one that gets 30 MPG amounts to $665 per year (assuming 15,000 miles of driving annually and a fuel cost of $2.66). That's $3,325 extra in fuel costs over five years!” Plus, CFE offers green loan discounts for high fuel efficient vehicles, and buyers should also be aware that the federal government is currently offering tax incentives for HEVs. See www.fueleconomy.gov for gas mileage estimates and more information for 1985-2009 model year cars. |
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| Home Improvements: A typical household spends about $1,900 a year on energy bills and contributes twice the amount of greenhouse gases to the environment as an average car [energystar.gov]. Consider having a home energy audit to help you assess how much energy your home uses and evaluate what measures you can take to improve efficiency. Many utility companies such as Progress Energy offer free energy audits, and pay you incentives for making home improvements. Plus CFE offers green loan discounts on second mortgages to help you make those home improvements. |
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| Energy Saving Home Improvements: |
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Duct repairs can result in significant savings in heating and cooling costs. |
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A new high-efficiency heat pump can significantly lower the heating and cooling portion of your electric bill. |
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A reflective roof can lower air condition costs by reflecting the sun’s heat off the roof, and reducing the heat coming into your home. When your existing roof needs replacement consider reflective roofing. |
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Install energy efficient windows. Reduce your energy costs – by installing energy-efficient windows, window film or screen on your home. |
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