Green Home, Happy Home
An Energy-Efficient Home
Creating an energy-efficient home lessens your load on the planet. Most of the decisions you make on a daily basis can have a significant impact.
Opening your windows more often can help save the environment and some of your own green as well. Emil Hedaya, 28, and his wife Alina, 29, often forego air conditioning. “Not only does it allow me to circulate fresh air, but it saves me $100 on my energy bills during the summer,” Emil says.
Your green-home solution can be that simple. “Turn out the lights when you leave the room,” says Meaghan O’Neill, editor of Treehugger.com and Planetgreen.com. Another immediate change is switching to CFL (compact fluorescent) or LED lights.
In the kitchen, keeping lids on the pots when bringing water to a boil and using the microwave instead of the oven will help you save energy. Additionally, you can request an energy audit, either from your utility company or an outside professional, which is an inexpensive way to maximize the efficiency of your green home.
For those of you who have dishwashers—stay clear of 7th Generation products they flat out don't work. I've heard the same from many of my eco-friends. Whole Foods generic orange crystals do the job and are cheaper.