10 Cost-Saving Green Tips for the Home
by Mairi Beautyman, Berlin, Germany 
on 05.24.06
We love green tips. This batch—"10 easy high-impact ways to make a difference"—is from Home Depot. Some sharp advice (even if it is from a mega store) such as birdfeeders for bug control, fans in winter to reduce energy bills, and hmm....soaker hoses to reduce runoff of pesticides... which we hope you don't use...
1. Don't Wait to Insulate
Upgrading your insulation to a higher R-value can lower energy costs dramatically. Start with insulating the attic and unheated crawl spaces. Sealing ducts, caulking, and weatherstripping reduce energy loss even more.
2. Lower the Flow
Your old shower head probably delivers a lot more water than you really need. Reduce that to 2.5 gallons a minute or less with today's standard shower head – it can make a difference in your water bill. For even greater savings, replace your old toilets with today's standard low flush models that use 1.6 gallons or less per flush.
3. Reduce the Runoff
Soaker hoses and drip irrigation systems can lower your water bills by delivering water directly where you need it. By reducing or eliminating runoff, you also reduce the burden of fertilizers and pesticides on our lakes, streams, and oceans and still have a gorgeous garden or lawn.
4. Keep Your Cool
Ceiling fans can make you feel cooler while reducing air conditioning costs by as much as 40% in summer. In winter, they can save up to 10% in heating costs by circulating warm air from the ceiling to the floor where you can enjoy it. Learn more about reducing your energy bills.
5. Try Branching Out
For an all-around environmental boost, plant a tree. When properly sited, trees and other landscaping can save up to 30% in home cooling and heating costs. They also help cool your community and make your Smart Choice home even more enjoyable.
6. Look for the Energy Star Label
Replace your old, inefficient appliances with Energy Star qualified appliances and save energy and money.
7. Something Bugging You?
Stay in control by starting with nature's own methods to beat the bugs. Attract birds with birdhouses, feeders, and natural backyard wildlife habitats to help reduce pests. Bug lights, screening, citronella candles, and insecticidal soaps are other less-toxic alternatives.
8. Clear the Air
Tune up your systems to make your family more comfortable while you save on heating and cooling costs. Upgrading and properly maintaining your home air filters is easy and helps improve indoor air quality. Vented range hoods and room exhaust fans also help remove smoke, moisture, airborne bacteria, and other indoor air pollutants.
9. Get the Lead Out
In the U.S. and Canada, over 58 million homes built before 1978 contain lead-based paints. To reduce lead hazards in your home and protect your family during any home renovation, ask our Paint Department for the free information sheet "Reducing Lead Hazards When Remodeling Your Home."
10. Make Your Own Mulch
Composting is the smart way to dispose of leaves, yard clippings, selected food scraps, and other organic wastes. Instead of burdening landfills, you'll produce rich nutrients to fertilize your garden the natural way. And it's free. Make it a habit to recycle your glass, cans, cardboard, and newspapers, too. ::Home Depot
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Good list. For a lot more efficiency tips, check out the Rocky Mountain Institute.
and what do you know... ten out of ten suggestions can be cured by a trip to the depot! amazing!
Well, of course they're doing that to get more business, but it doesn't mean the tips aren't good (it's possible for corporations to do positive things that actually bring value to society and nature, y'know).
You can go buy the materials needed in another store, if you want...
Speaking of tip #1, I'm suprised treehugger hasn't written more about this. I did a search on radiant barriers and didn't find anything. While not as glamorous as alternative energy sources, maybe a story or two on it would help people squeeze more energy efficiency out of their existing homes?
You're quite right, flatgreg. It's one of these obvious things that we always forget about, and I have a few efficiency post coming up... in the meantime, rmi.org has tons of goodies.
Ironic that Treehuger is pumping up Home Depot as a remedy for energy consumption so as to combat global warming. So why was Home Depot one of George W Bush's biggest financiers? Answer: to keep the carbon age alive because that's how HD makes money. Treehugger should jetison the Home Depot and recommend people buy from locally owned non-chain stores.
The list of tips is from that store, and I don't think we should reprint their list without credit.
But you can buy what you need from wherever you want. We never said anything to the contrary.
As for political donations, well.. That's a complex issue. Look at the things around you (your computer monitor, your keyboard, your computer and all its parts, your desk, CDs, the wood and metals to build your house, etc...) and tell me that none of the makers of these things donate to people you don't support. Even if you buy from a local store, chances are that what's on the shelves are the same products that you find in chain stores.
tip #2 wouldn't it be better to encourage people to put a small water saving device, like say a brick in their cisterns rather than buy a whole new toilet? It's definitely cheaper, just make sure you use reclaimed bricks..
JP - I heard bricks could be bad? something about them degrading? I can't remember the whole explanation. A sealed jar of water would work fine though.
Another option is a $5 replacement flap for your toilet. Mine was leaking, and when I went to buy a new flap they have these water saving ones. They flush volume is adjustable too, and it took all of 2 minutes to install.
One technique which has worked for us this year that I do not see many people mention are installing solar shades on the exterior or outside of the entire window.
We installed these this spring on our south and south west 5+ foot high windows and the difference is amazing. Once we installed these (the ones we purchased simply over the internet of all places were very easy to install over any shape or size of our windows) the reading of our temperature gauge dropped by 15 degrees F.
We posted an entry on our blog if you want to see what these look like, etc. if you are interested.
http://dailyhomerenotips.com/2008/05/04/exterior-solar-blinds-part-7-installation-results-from-the-inside/
These are the best new product to come around in years to reduce air conditioning usage. And it cost us less than $3 per square foot.
Dan
Point 4, "Keep your cool" is certainly a good one - a LOT of energy is spent on cooling every summer - but make sure you get a ceiling fan with reversible spin direction on. It should be run counter-clockwise in the summertime - this creates a cooling breeze that makes you feel cooler. In the winter, it should be run clockwise. This sucks the cooler floor air upwards, forcing the warmer ceiling air down.
Also, there's a whole lot of stuff you can do to keep your home cool besides getting a ceiling fan. I'm writing a mini series of posts about this on my blog now; there are tips there for any budget and type of home:
http://www.renewablesathome.com/energy-conservation/green-home-cooling-mini-series