1) Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Do your part to reduce waste by choosing reusable products instead of disposables. Buying products with minimal packaging (including the economy size when that makes sense for you) will help to reduce waste. And whenever you can, recycle: paper, plastic, newspaper, and aluminum cans. If there isn’t a recycling program at your work, school, or in your community, ask about starting one.

2) Insulate Your Home
Add extra insulation to your walls and attic, and install weather stripping or caulk around doors and windows. This step alone can reduce your home heating costs by more than 25 percent, by reducing the amount of energy you need to heat and cool your home.

3) Be Thrifty with Heating and Cooling
Turn down the heat while you’re sleeping at night or away during the day, and aim for moderation with heating and cooling at all times. Try pulling on a sweater before rushing to the thermostat.

4) Leave the Car at Home Whenever You Can
Less driving means fewer emissions. And besides saving gasoline, walking and biking are great forms of exercise. Explore your community’s mass transit system, and check out options for carpooling to work or school.

5) Buy Energy-Efficient Products
When it’s time to buy a new car, choose one that gives you the best gas mileage. Home appliances now come in a range of energy-efficient models, and compact florescent bulbs are now designed to provide more natural-looking light while using far less energy than standard light bulbs.

6) Turn Down Your Appliances
Set your water heater at 120 degrees to save energy, and wrap it in an insulating blanket if it is more than 5 years old. Buy low-flow showerheads to save water. Wash your clothes in warm or cold water to reduce your use of hot water and the energy required to produce it. Use the energy-saving settings on your dishwasher and let the dishes air-dry.

7) Don’t Leave the Water Running
Remember to turn off the water when you’re not using it. For example, while brushing your teeth, shampooing the dog, or soaping up your car, turn off the water until you actually need it for rinsing. You’ll reduce your water bill and help to conserve a vital natural resource.

8 ) Get a Report Card from Your Utility Company
Many utility companies provide home energy audits to help consumers identify areas in their homes that may not be energy efficient. In addition, many utility companies offer rebate programs to help pay for the cost of energy-efficient upgrades.

9) Be an Informed Consumer
Learn more about environmental issues so that you can make wise choices for yourself and your family.

10) Encourage Others to Conserve
Share information about recycling and energy conservation with your friends, neighbors and co-workers, and take opportunities to encourage public officials to establish programs and policies that are good for the environment.

These 10 steps will take you a long way toward reducing your energy use and your monthly budget. And less energy use means less dependence on the fossil fuels that contribute to global warming.

Great Post Adri

People think i'm crazy because I bring my paper recycling into work (I always miss recycling day here...)

I need to check out number 8 too, I never heard of it before.

Good post Adri!!

People think i'm crazy for recycling too....I've even heard the excuse that it's "not convienient enough". Umm....20 mins of your day to throw some cardboard in your truck/car and drive it to the recycling bin? Come on now people! hehe

Great post!

I try to encourage all these things.. .wether anyone listens to me is a different story.

You can also eat ice all day. If you talk a lot...eat double the amount a normal person would. That would be equivalent to 64 ounces of water in ice a day for a normal person and 128 for one that is considered by peers to be a spring butt.

Before you buy or rent a house, you can ask the electric company or utility company for a report of the past year on the bills there. They can give you averages, or month by month. That's almost a must here in Texas, when air conditioning can be so high in the summer.