TIPS: Homeowners / Individuals

Did you know U.S. homes and businesses spend about $37 billion annually on lighting? That a leaking toilet may add up to 50 gallons a day to your water bill? The costs that accumulate as a result of such day-to-day activities add up as do the wastes created by those same activities. Fortunately, there are many simple steps that you can take to reduce these costs and make a positive difference in our environment.

In Your Kitchen:

• Install a faucet aerator.
• Use cloth napkins and dish towels instead of paper.
• Make sure your dishwasher is full before running it.
• Store food items in reusable containers.
• Wash out and reuse freezer bags and aluminum foil.
• Use a reusable coffee filter.

In Your Laundry Room:

• Make your purchasing dollars count. When shopping for a washer and dryer, buy an energy-efficient, low-water model.
• Clean your clothes dryer's lint trap after every load.
• Give your dryer a vacation; hang your clothes to dry instead.
• Use a phosphate-free detergent.
• Turn down your water heater to 130 degrees Fahrenheit, especially in the hot summer months.
• If you have a baby, use cloth diapers instead of disposables.

In Your Bathroom:

• Rub-a-dub-dub more quickly. Take shorter showers.
• Install low-flow showerheads.
• Use less water when brushing those pearly whites. Turn off the faucet when brushing your teeth.
• Make your shower do double-duty. Hang clothes in the bathroom while showering to "steam" wrinkles out.
• Install a toilet dam or other water saving device. This will reduce the amount of water you flush away.

In Your Living Room:

• Is your house lit like a Christmas tree? Turn off those lights and your television when not in use.
• Turn your thermostat up during the hours of the day when you are out.
• Replace incandescent light bulbs with energy-efficient fluorescent bulbs.
• Don't let energy go out the door (or window). Make sure your rooms are well insulated.

In Your Yard:

• Water your lawn while enjoying your morning coffee or watching the evening news. Save water by watering your lawns in the early morning or in the evening.
• Xeriscape. Use water-saving native plants.
• Leave your grass clippings on the lawn.
• Compost fruit and vegetable scraps.

At the Grocery Store:

• Consolidate shopping trips; cut down on outings to pick up one forgotten item.
• Buy grocery items in bulk. (This may have the added benefit of cutting down on the amount of trips you have to make to the grocery.)
• Get to know your neighbors. Carpool to the grocery store, to the park, or anywhere else you might both be going.
• Buy eggs in cardboard cartons instead of Styrofoam.
• When possible, buy organic, reducing the amount of pesticides used to produce your food.
• Buy items with less packaging.
• Tote your goods in style. Use canvas bags to carry your groceries.
• Look for less toxic alternatives to household cleaning products.
• Buy unbleached coffee filters. Or buy a reusable one.

Lower your energy bills:

• Turn down your water heater to 130 degrees Fahrenheit. For every 10 degrees you reduce the temperature, you can save 6 percent in energy used.
• Save up to 10 percent a year on your heating and cooling bills by adjusting your thermostat up or down 10 percent to 15 percent for 8 hours daily.
• Plant a tree. Carefully placed trees provide shade, potentially saving up to 25 percent of the energy used for heating and cooling.
• Caulking and weather-stripping can save you at least 10 percent on your heating and cooling bill by reducing air leaks.
• Replacing 25 percent of your lights in high-use areas with compact fluorescents can save you up to 50 percent on lighting.
• Purchasing an energy efficient washer and dryer will save you $30 to $70 annually, compared to 15-year-old models.
• Use a "solar clothes dryer" (clothesline), which uses no electricity or fuel.

Reduce your water bills:

• Install a faucet aerator. This can reduce usage by as much as 280 gallons per month for a family of four.
• Washers use 32 to 59 gallons for each cycle. Make sure you have a full load before doing laundry or adjust the water level on your washer to match the load size.
• Repairing a leaky faucet can save you as much as 2,400 gallons of water a year.
• Xeriscape. Landscape using native drought-resistant plants.
• Water infrequently, but thoroughly. According to water conservation programs, lawns should be watered every 5 days or so.
• Water early in the morning or in the evening, minimizing water loss due to evaporation.

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