Beginner's Guide

The Beginner’s Guide to Going Green: 8 Steps for Beginners

For a lot of people, going green is a lot like losing weight. You keep saying you are going to do it, but too many excuses get in the way of your goal. No one ever said that doing the right thing is easy. However, there are many simple measures you could be taking right now to help the environment. Below are eight easy habits you should adopt for the sake of the planet. Not only will this help you start a new life as a conservationist, you will also save quite a few dollars.

1. Use Your Ceiling Fans
   Ceiling fans are designed to circulate both cool and warm air. Most newer fans come with two directions: forward and reverse. During the summer, conserve energy by turning the air conditioner to a reasonable temperature and setting your ceiling fans to the forward position. In the winter time, you should do the opposite: keep your heater at a modest temperature while running your ceiling fans in reverse. By utilizing your ceiling fans correctly, your air conditioning and heating unit will have a lot less work to do.
2. Turn Off Unnecessary Lights
   If your parents ever nagged you about leaving on too many lights in the house, it’s because they were the ones paying the utility bills. Now, as an adult, you probably feel a little pain every time that bill comes to your door. A very easy way to save energy is to turn off all unnecessary lights. Never leave a room empty without making sure the lights are off. Also, utilize smaller lights, such as a desktop lamp. A small lamp will use much less wattage than the giant bulbs on an overhead light fixture.
3. Buy Energy-Saving Light Bulbs
   Energy-saving light bulbs, also known as compact fluorescent lamps, use a fraction of the wattage of normal bulbs. These bulbs do a lot for the environment and will save you hundreds of dollars a year in energy costs. Granted, these bulbs come with a higher price tag, but they are an investment that will pay off within a month or two, especially if you have a home improvement rewards card. Not only that, energy-saving bulbs can last years before going out, making life even more convenient for you.
4. Manage the Thermostat Wisely
   Most people don’t think twice while adjusting their thermostat. However, a few degrees too high or low may result in unnecessary energy loss. Get to know your thermostat and set some house rules about what temperature it should remain at during the winter or summer. Ceiling fans will help you year round, as will installing a programmable thermostat. If you are gone for long periods during the day, you should turn down the air conditioner or heater. After all, the house doesn’t need to remain a comfortable temperature if no one is in it.
5. Carpool With Co-workers / Classmates
   Carpooling is a great way to save money on gas and to reduce outdoor pollution. Whether you are going to work or school every day, there should be a small handful of people around who are interested in a carpool arrangement. Many cities have special carpool lanes on the freeway, so you may even be able to avoid some nasty traffic.
6. Check Your Tire Pressure
   You should check your tire pressure regularly, as unbalanced tires can affect your car’s performance and waste fuel in the process. Not only will this habit conserve gas, it will reduce your chances of having a blowout, which is both dangerous and bad for the environment. After all, shredded remnants of tire are hardly a good thing to leave on the road.
7. Buy a Good Doormat
   Doormats aren’t just for keeping dirt out, they are for keeping pesticides and other toxins out, too. Always keep a good doormat by all outside doors, particularly if you have small children and pets. You can track in a lot of invisible, hazardous waste from the outside. For that reason, a lot of green homes have a “no shoes policy“, which means you leave your footwear at the door. If you aren’t ready to commit to such a policy, however, the doormat should help quite a bit.
8. Clean With Baking Soda
   Baking soda is a household item that can be used for practically everything. It can serve as antacid, toothpaste and even a cleaning product. Since many cleaning products contain chemicals that are harmful to humans and the environment, you should opt for a more natural solution. Baking soda, which is safe for human consumption, works well on counter tops and windows. It is also a lot less expensive than buying different kinds of cleaning products. So, cleaning with baking soda will give you peace of mind and save you some money.
9. Seal it up
   Adjust door thresholds for an airtight fit and install weatherstripping. The largest air-leak culprits are gaps around plumbing, chimneys, recessed lights and unfinished spaces behind cupboards and closets. Also be sure to seal ductwork connections with duct mastic to prevent leakage.

10. Don't overlook outlets
    Install foam gaskets over switch and receptacle plates. Caulk the sides first, then place the gasket in place. Insert child protective covers into outlet holes to stop air.

11. Get window wise
    If air seems to be coming in around your windows, it may be time to boost their efficiency with caulking, weatherstripping and storm windows. Better yet, replace them with new double-glazed, low-E windows that are ENERGY STAR-approved.

12. Make some shade
    Put shade screens and tinting on windows facing south, east and west. Insulated window shades can reduce winter heat loss and summer heat gain by as much as 80 percent.

13. Go ahead—vent
    Arrange furniture so it does not block heating and air system vents and return registers.

14. Cut the chemicals
    Reduce the amount of hazardous waste generated at home from paints, pesticides, fertilizers, etc. Read labels and buy only what is needed to complete the job. Use paints and sealants with low or no volatile organic compounds (VOC). They don’t smell as bad, and they offer the same quality, cost and colors as traditional paints.

15. See the light
    Replace incandescent lights with compact fluorescents (CFL), which use three-quarters less electricity and last years longer. The new CFLs don’t flicker and give an excellent quality of light. They also generate less heat, so your air conditioner doesn’t have to work as hard.

16. Use timing
    Use motion detectors, photo-sensors and timers on exterior lighting.

17. Keep it under wraps
    Lower the temperature of your water heater to 120 degrees and insulate your water heater and pipes.

18. Change by a couple degrees
    Change your thermostat temperature by just 2 degrees when you’re home and awake, and 8 degrees when you’re at work or asleep.

19. Get with the program
    Install a programmable thermostat and use it consistently. This can save you as much as 10 percent a year on heating and cooling bills.

20. Upgrade your system
    Consider having higher-efficiency heating and cooling equipment installed if you can. Also consider replacing your water heater with an on-demand model.

21. Change a chore
    Wash your family’s clothes in full loads with cold water—maybe even hang them out to dry on a clothesline.

22. Turn it off
    Turn off lights and appliances when you leave a room, especially the computer when the workday is done.

23. Pick alternate appliances
    Select high-efficiency refrigerators, clothes washers and dishwashers that are Energy Star-approved. Select a gas dryer if possible. You’ll see the savings.

24. Consider the refrigerator
    Don’t overload the refrigerator; it makes the compressor work harder. Also, vacuum the coils in back every six months to improve heat transfer. Finally, don’t stand in front of the refrigerator with the door open, letting the cold air drain out. Consider unplugging or getting rid of that extra refrigerator in the garage or basement.

25. Cook smarter
    When you boil water, put a lid on the pot. The water boils faster, using less energy. Also, make sure the burner pans are clean and shiny, so they’ll reflect more heat and save energy.

26. Hire an auditor
    Hire an energy auditor to perform a home energy assessment so you can know where the worst energy waste is occurring.

27. Remodel!
    If you need more living space, remodeling is the greenest choice you can make. Reusing an existing house rather than building a new one (no matter how energy efficient it is) is a much greener thing to do.

28. Get help!
    Tap into the resources out there to help you make the right choices. Contact www.southface.org, www.earthcrafthouse.com, www.energystar.com and the newest green-building rating system being piloted in Atlanta, www.usgbc.org/leed/homes.

The suggestions above can serve as your initiation to living green. If you practice these habits, then you will see how easy it is to make adjustments for the betterment of the environment. Another motivating factor will probably be the money you will save by following these tips. Indeed, green doesn’t have to be expensive. Frugal people can be the most eco-friendly people in the world. With a little practice and a small attitude adjustment, the painless habits listed above will only be the start of your new, environmentally conscious life.