From Guest Blogger Anita Ginsburg: Green Home–Six Ways Homeowners Can Make A Difference

A few green changes in your home can have a lasting effect on the environment and make a positive impact on your finances. Converting to a more energy-efficient lifestyle, such as recycling, managing your home’s temperature and conserving water, can be achieved by taking some simple steps.

Purchase Energy Efficient Appliances

Many major home appliance manufacturers sell energy-efficient versions of dryers, washing machines, refrigerators and other machines. You can identify an energy-efficient appliance by the Energy Star label that is affixed to the machine. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, appliances that have earned an Energy Star rating can save the average user approximately $11,000 on energy costs over their lifetime. In addition, using only Energy Star products in your home, over their lifetime, can help to diminish greenhouse gas emissions by 130,000 pounds.

Insulate and Seal Your House

Heat flows into a house that is not sealed or well-insulated in the summer and loses heat in the winter. The lack of effective insulation can drive up your heating and cooling costs significantly, especially if you live in an area with a wide range of temperatures. Adding more insulation to your attic, sealing your basement with caulk and using weatherstripping are all effective ways to stop the flow of heat and cold. Insulating and sealing your house also increases the life of your HVAC equipment because it takes less strain to maintain the temperature in a well-insulated house.

Manage Your Home’s Temperature

Maintaining a comfortable temperature in your home can drive down heating and cooling bills while simultaneously reducing your home’s carbon footprint. Instead of manually changing the temperature on your thermostat, use the programmable temperature feature to automatically change the temperature at specific times. This feature is especially useful when you are not home. Changing your air filters, keeping your windows closed and cleaning all ducts and vents are other steps you can take to ensure your heating and cooling systems are working efficiently.

Recycle and Reuse

Reusing and recycling products that you consume daily can help to reduce pollution, conserve energy and save money. Join your community recycling program, if applicable, and recycle products that would otherwise end up in a landfill, such as plastic bottles, newspapers and cardboard cartons. Most city and state recycling programs provide recycling bins to residents free of charge. Purchase products in bulk to take advantage of bulk prices and reuse single serve containers. In addition, if you have a backyard, you can also consider composting your eligible food, such as old fruit, to cut down the garbage that you contribute to your local landfill.

Use Essential Oils for Natural Cleaning Products

Although conventional cleaning products can do an excellent job getting rid of dirt and stains, they also produce hydrocarbons, which contribute to air pollution and can be very harmful if ingested. As an alternative, create your own natural cleaning products using essential oils. These oils are obtained from plants and have unique properties that make them natural cleaning alternatives. According to natural health experts like Gary Young, essential oils have antimicrobial properties, such as tea tree oil, which make them an excellent disinfectant. Their natural cleaning ability is a direct result of their chemical composition and they usually have a strong pleasant scent, such as lavender essential oil.

Reducing the amount of water that your household consumes is one of the most effective things that you can do to lessen your carbon footprint. This is because it takes a tremendous amount of energy to collect, treat and distribute water to millions of homes. The energy that is used to treat and send the water to your home directly adds to the planet’s greenhouse gas emissions. You can conserve water by repairing all leaky pipes, including toilets, turning off the faucet while you are brushing your teeth and only using the dishwasher when it is full.

Making some green changes in your home can have a big effect on your home’s carbon footprint and save you a lot of money in the long run. In addition, these changes also save the wear and tear on your appliances and your home’s infrastructure.