Green Energy Tips

• Each degree you turn down the heat saves 3 percent of heating costs, while each degree you raise the temperature of your air conditioner saves 3-4 percent of cooling costs. By changing the temperature by two degrees all year you can save about 2,000 pounds of C0₂ a year.
  
  
• Opt-out of junk mail. Contact the companies or organizations that currently send you junk mail and ask that you be removed from their list. This one tip will save TONS of trash from going to the landfill every year.
  
  
• Take your own cloth bag to the grocery store and spare the waste of using store-provided paper or plastic ones.
  
  
• Only run the dishwasher and washing machine when you've got a full load.
  
  
• Use alkaline manganese batteries because they are free of toxic heavy metals. Better yet, use rechargeable batteries and save some money.
  
  
• Buy seasonal produce items grown or produced within 100 miles and you'll reduce the amount of diesel fuel needed to ship food. You can get fresher food and help small-scale agriculture by shopping at neighborhood farmers' markets.
  
  

Recycle cans, bottles, plastic bags and newspapers. Support recycling by purchasing items that are reusable and/or recyclable. When you recycle, you send less trash to the landfill and you help save resources that would be used in manufacturing non-recycled products.

• Switch to cold water washing and save 80 percent on energy used for laundry and save an estimated $60 a year. Hang dry your clothes instead of using the dryer and save 700 pounds of C0₂ a year.
  
  
• Turn off the lights when you aren't using them and reduce your direct lighting energy use by 45 percent.
  
  
• Switch to compact fluorescent from regular incandescent bulbs and use 60 percent less energy per bulb and save 300 pounds of C0₂ a year.
  
  
• Wrap your water heater in an insulation blanket and save 1,000 pounds of C0₂ a year. Insulate your hot water pipes.
  
  
• Keep your tires inflated to improve gas mileage by three percent. Every gallon you save also saves 20 pounds of C0₂ emissions.
  
  
• Take shorter showers. Showers account for 2/3 of all water heating costs. Save 350 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $99 per year.
  
  
• Plant a tree. Trees suck up carbon dioxide and make clean air for us to breathe. Save 2,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide per year.
  
  
• Reduce carbon dioxide emissions by staying at or within the speed limit. Plus, driving an appropriate speed increases driver safety and saves money on gas costs.
  
  
• Choose products that come with little packaging and buy refills when you can. You will also cut down on waste production and energy use!
  
  
• When it is time for a new car, choose a more fuel efficient vehicle. You can save 3,000 pounds of carbon dioxide every year if your new car gets only 3 miles per gallon more than your current one.
  
  
• Be sure you're recycling at home. You can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide a year by recycling half of the waste your household generates.
  
  
• Choose biodegradable and eco-friendly detergents and household cleaners made from natural ingredients instead of harsh chemicals.
  
  

• Encourage your friends and family to sign up for GreenCurrents, a program that supports electricity generation from clean sources such as wind and biomass energy.