5 Green Updates for Existing Homes
Thinking of making your home a little 'greener'? Updating your home to make it more environmentally friendly will also help make it more energy efficient, saving you money in the long run. However, up-front costs for most of those 'green' updates can be very daunting. This list, though, includes some energy efficient updates that you can do quickly and inexpensively that will begin to pay off right away!
1) Light bulbs: Simply changing your bulbs from 'regular' incandescent bulbs to the newer, money saving compact florescent light bulbs can easily save you over $40 per light, over the course of each bulb's lifetime. These bulbs last more than ten times longer than regular bulbs and use less energy, meaning your electric bills are lower, and you buy bulbs less often.
2) Faucet aerators: A faucet aerator can reduce your water usage by as much as 50%; saving you money on your monthly bill and saving the planet! The aerator fits on the head of your faucet and it works by restricting the water flow. However, you won't notice a weaker flow, instead, the flow actually seems stronger.
Aerators are for sinks, but you can also purchase shower heads designed save water. When you save water, you will also reduce your heating costs, because there is less water to heat, meaning less energy is used. Aerators typically cost anywhere from $3 to $10 and will pay for themselves quickly.
3) Ceiling fans: Turn a ceiling fan on when you walk into the room and allow it to circulate the air from the central air (both the cool air and the heat, as they have a switch to reverse direction). Ceiling fans draw the cool air down and distribute it around the room. These can really help lower your energy bills in both the winter and summer months.
4) New dishwasher: While it may seem like a big expense, replacing an old model with an Energy Star dishwasher could save you 10 gallons per wash. For most households, this means you will save nearly 3,700 gallons of water per year--great for your energy bill, your water bill and the environment!
5) New toilets: New toilets use only about a gallon of water per flush, where older models use almost four. This can save you over 7,000 gallons of water per person per year.
