There are plenty of little steps that people can take at home to help save the environment. While the eco-footprint of each step is small, thousands of people doing the same thing can make a difference. In making some small changes to the way that you do things at home, you are gradually making a difference, even as an individual. You will kill costs and improve your health at the same time, so helping to save the environment isn’t a totally altruistic exercise!

Method 1 of 6: Throughout the House

1. Turn off appliances

when you are not using them. Up to 30% of power used by TV is used while they are turned off, so buy power strips and just flip the switch on the power strip, because they use far less energy while turned off.

2. Lower the thermostat by a few degrees in winter.

An extra layer or blanket will not only keep you cozy but will help to reduce your electricity bill significantly.

3. Make sure that the house is fully insulated.

Insulation keeps the heat and cool on the correct side of your living space. Consider not only the ceiling but also the walls and under the floors.

4. Use windows to regulate the temperature.

• Keep windows and doors closed properly to avoid the loss of heat in winter.
• Open the windows in summer. The cross breeze will often keep you cool and flushes out stale air (indoor air is often more highly polluted than the air outside). Importantly, the use of fresh air to cycle through your home saves the cost of running an air conditioner.

5. Install ceiling fans instead of air conditioning units to keep rooms comfortable in warm weather.

6. Fill the gaps.

Gaps reduce energy efficiency in a home. By caulking gaps around windows and doors, you increase the ability of your house to retain heat and cool at the right times of year, allowing your heating and cooling systems to work less.

7. Switch to compound fluorescent light bulbs.

They last longer and consume one-quarter of the energy. Lately, LED lamps have started to pick up the pace too — they are up to ten times as effective as fluorescent, and totally blow incandescent bulbs off the charts.

8. Turn off the lights.

Always turn off the lights when you are not using them. Rooms that are lit with nobody in them are wasteful.

9. Buy rechargeable batteries for devices used frequently.

Author: Danny, Sondra C, Andy Zhang, Eric and 58 others

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