Conserving Energy
Lighting, heating, and cooling a home is costly—to your pocketbook and to the environment. By taking steps to save energy, you can help reduce pollution in your community and save money. Being earth-friendly is a win-win proposition.

Here are some energy-saving tips from Earth Share:

Insulate windows, doors, attics, and crawl spaces against draft. Earth Share reports that if all windows in the United States were energy efficient, we would save up to 2.5 percent of the total amount of energy the U.S. consumes each year. If you're thinking of replacing a window, look into installing energy efficient windows—you'll save money in the long run.
When replacing appliances, check for an energy efficiency label. Many new appliances come with an Energy Efficiency Rating (EER). The higher the EER, the less it will cost you to operate the appliance.
Adjust air conditioning and heating thermostats to use less energy when you're not at home or sleeping. When you're at home in the summertime, 78º F is a comfortable, energy-efficient temperature. Keep your cooling system well maintained by a professional.
Wrap your water heater in an insulated jacket. You can reduce carbon dioxide emission by up to 4,000 pounds a year.
Turn off lights and appliances when they are unneeded. Lighting accounts for 30 to 50 percent of a building's energy use according to Earth Share. Simply by turning off unnecessary lights, you can reduce the amount of energy used for lighting by up to 45 percent.
Use cold water to wash clothes—not hot water.
Install a whole-house ventilating system. This type of system can cool an entire house for about the same price it costs to run an air conditioner in one room.