It’s Tuesday again, and that means we are going green. Just a reminder that this series has been inspired by David Bach’s latest book, Go Green, Live Rich. And you can enter to win this book by leaving a comment on Green Living days.

While we are waiting for Solar Power to become the norm, we have to be cautious of how much electricity we consume. Using less will help with not only your bill, but the environment too.

There are several things you can do to reduce the amount of electricity you use.

1. An Energy Audit: Call your electric company and see if they offer a free energy audit. Someone will come to your house and identify places in your home that are not as efficient as they could be. If your power company doesn’t perform this service there are several websites that can help you either find a professional to do it or give you tips on how to do it yourself. The U.S. Department of Energy has one you can check out. Making the changes suggested on your audit can save you between 5% and 30% on your energy bill.

2. Turn the heat down (or the air up): If your heating your home, make it a little bit cooler in there. If your using the air conditioner, make it a little bit hotter. Just one degree cooler in the winter will save you $40 a year.

3. Stop the phantom load: Stuff that’s plugged uses electricity even when it’s off. When I first heard about this I laughed. Yeah right! But apparently it’s true, and I suppose it makes sense. 5% to 15% of your electric bill goes to stuff that’s turned off. You can combat this by plugging into power strips so you can shut it off for real. Why pay for stuff your not even using?

4. Compact Fluorescent lights: I switched almost all the bulbs in my house to these. If you are concerned about the look of the light they give off, don’t be. I noticed a difference at first, but now I don’t think a thing about it.

5. Trees: This one is obvious to those of us who live in the desert, but trees give shade, and shade helps keep your house cool in the summer. A cooler house means less electricity for the air conditioner. But even besides that, trees help process the CO2 in the air, which helps with global warming. Plus, they look nice.

What have you done to reduce your energy consumption? Have a great tip? Do you think energy conservation is for crazy people? Leave a comment and get an entry to win David Bach’s latest book. ***Contest has ended***

Other posts in this series:

Bottled Water

Green Credit Cards

Solar Power

Shop Smart

Babies

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