30 Ways to Save Money and the Environment
by Nick & Crystal Harter, Co-Founders, Indiana’s Green Network, Inc.

Whether you believe in global warming or not, we can all agree that we should be good stewards of our environment, and saving money at the same time isn't a bad way to do it.

The purpose of this article is to give you some concrete methods to become friendlier to the environment, and provide you with some motivation to do it, namely, saving money.

This article includes tips and advice on how use less energy, as well as improve your quality of life.

I hope you the best success in obtaining energy efficiency while saving money at the same time!

1. Replace regular light bulbs with CFLs.  Compact Fluorescent light bulbs use 60% less energy than regular light bulbs, plus they last for five years!

2. Reuse by buying used.  Save money by purchasing used products on eBay.

3. Wrap your water heater in an insulation blanket.  I recently bought one at Home Depot for only $19, and have already noticed the cost savings on my gas bill.  The insulation blanket keeps your water hotter for longer so your water heater doesn’t have to work as hard.

4. Open the blinds on south facing windows during the day to maximize heat during the winter.

5. Unplug electrical devices when not in use.  Many electrical devices draw electricity all day long, whether you are using them or not.  By plugging them into a power strip and turning that strip off, you won’t use electricity.

6. Turn off the lights when not in a room.

7. Check your tires weekly to make sure they’re properly inflated.  Proper inflation can improve gas mileage by more than 3%.

8. Drive smoothly.  Smooth driving saves gas and lowers vehicle emissions. You should accelerate slowly, avoiding "jackrabbit starts".

9. Move your thermostat down 2° in winter and up 2° in summer.  Almost half of the energy we use in our homes goes to heating and cooling.

10. Cancel catalogs and shop online.  This saves trees, and you can normally find better deals online anyways.

11. Get a home energy audit.  Many utilities offer free home energy audits to find where your home is poorly insulated or energy inefficient.

12. Take shorter showers.

13. Replace/Add weather stripping.  This will make your house more energy efficient.

14. Reduce the number of miles you drive by walking, biking, carpooling or taking mass transit wherever possible.

15. Open windows, use blankets.

16. Avoid lengthy idling. Idling wastes gas. Don't start your car until you're ready to go, and keep winter engine warm-ups brief. Turn off the engine if you won't be moving for an extended period of time.

17. Reuse dishes and cups.  If you drink coffee every morning, rinse the cup out at night and reuse it instead of putting it through the wash.

18. Plant a tree.  One tree, over its life, will absorb over one ton of carbon dioxide and put healthy oxygen into the air.

19. Eat at home.  Restaurants use lots of energy to produce meals.

20. Reduce the weight of your car.  If you have heavy things in your car it causes lower gas mileage.  Don’t drive around with heavy items in your trunk.

21. Get regular tune-ups.  Keeping your car in good working order can improve gas mileage.

22. Opt to receive bills and bank statements online.  Some companies even offer discounts for this service.

23. Turn the water off when brushing your teeth.

24. Reuse your bath towels.

25. Don’t use plug-in air fresheners.  They use electricity 24 hours a day, even when they run out of scent.

26. Use battery operated clocks.  They’ll stay on during a power outage and use much less power than one that you plug in.

27. Put a timer on your Christmas tree and outdoor lights.

28. Buy Energy Star rated appliances.  They are up to 40% more efficient than those which don’t have the Energy Star logo.

29. Carpool whenever possible.

30. Buy rechargeable batteries.

Copyright 2007 Indiana's Green Network, Inc.

Nick Harter is President of Indiana's Green Network, Inc., a non-profit organization specializing in energy conservation education.