Keep Your Home in Good Repair

Being conscious of various places in your home that can help or harm the environment is an important step to living green. Here are some ideas for keeping your home in good repair in order to reduce water and energy usage:

• Make sure all faucets and toilets are in good repair and don't leak. A leaky faucet or toilet can waste massive amounts of water every day.

• Replace your hot water heater with a tankless water heater or water pump, if you can afford it. If not, wrap the heater with an insulating blanket to conserve energy.

• A programmable thermostat can help regulate the temperature and use less energy, automatically turning up the heat in the morning and turning it down at night.

• Install plastic window energy conservation kits to reduce the cold air coming in from the outside. You'll be able to set your thermostat lower and save money and energy while heating your house.

• Make sure you turn off lights, air conditioners, radios, etc. when you leave the house.

• Use compact fluorescent light bulbs rather than incandescent light bulbs in your light fixtures to save on energy while lighting your home.