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Everyone wants to save the planet and keep it going for our future generations. We also want to save money, especially with our current economic issues. Making your home green friendly is a great way to do both!

Here are 5 easy things home owners and renters, new and old can take to make their home green; saving them some green, as well as the planet.

1) Use CFLs. CFL’s are “compact flourescent light bulbs”. Replacing some of your most often used incandescent light bulbs with these can save you hundreds of dollars a year. CFL’s last about 10,000 hours, compared to the 1,000 hour lifespan of an incandescent light bulb. And while CFL’s cost around $3 compared to the 50 cents for an incandescent bulb, factor in the number of times you’l need to replace your incandescent bulb and the amount of energy it takes to run them, changing your lights will be a worthwhile investment. And if every family in the U.S. did this, we could cut greenhouse gas emissions by 1 trillion pounds.

2) Program your thermostat. Most people suggest 72 as a good temperature to regulate your home. Bumping up the temperature to 78 while you are away, and programming it to return to 72, before you return can cut your bill by 10%.

3) Install “Low Flow” shower heads. Switching your showerheads to low flow models can greatly cut down on the gallons of water used in your home. Most showerheads used about 10 gallons of water per minute, while low flow models use as little as 1.5 gpm. Partner that with taking shorther showers and installing a low flow toilet, families can save upwards of $250 a year.

4) Plant trees. planting a couple of trees around your home can help cut down on costs year round. The trees provide shade in the summer, cutting down on cooling costs, and act as a windbreaker during the winter months, cutting down on heating costs. Plus, it provides a great home for birds and squirrels, can make a nice tree house for the kids, and converts Carbon Dioxide to Oxygen.

5) Buy Energy Star products. If you’re needing to replace a washer and dryer or refridgerator, make the investment and make sure you purchase one that is Energy Star certified. Energy Star washers,dryers and dishwashers can cut down on the amount of water used and the amout of energy used to heat the water. And Energy Star refridgerators can cut down on energy consumption as well, saving homes an average of 10-30%.

For more information on how to “go green”, check out these sites!

www.amconservationgroup.com
www.greenhomeguide.com

It’s hard to ignore all the chatter about “going green” or “living a greener lifestyle” but what does that really mean? For some it means dramatic changes to their current way of life and for others it can be more simple. We want to share with you one simple way that you can participate in the green revolution with little work and other benefits.
www.walkscore.com is a website that allows you to enter an address and find all the amenities that are withink walking distance of your home. It maps out the different services for you and even gives you a score of 0-100 for how walkable your location is.

So next time you are thinking about how you can live a little more green lifestyle, not to mention the health benefits of walking, look up your walkscore and discover the services in your neighborhood.
@dsmhomes