Here’s how to tell which ones are the best – and the 5 places you should install them to use the least amount of energy and save the most money on your energy bill. And if you don’t have any bulbs, don’t worry.

Taking the Energy Star Pledge enters you into a giveaway for a terrific package of ENERGY STAR CERTIFIED LED Bulbs worth $50 (see more below).

Look for the ENERGY STAR Logo

The best LED bulbs are those that bear the bright blue and white ENERGY STAR logo.

The ENERGY STAR is a symbol of energy efficiency, set up by the federal government to help consumers and companies save energy

LED bulbs that earn the ENERGY STAR label are independently certified to save energy and help protect the environment. Here’s what that means:

LEDs that are ENERGY STAR Certified meet the program’s high-performance standards to save you the most energy and money while

providing the highest quality light.

So first things first: Whenever you shop for an LED bulb, above all, make sure the blue ENERGY STAR logo is on the package (just like it is on this one to the right).

PUT ENERGY STAR CERTIFIED LED BULBS IN THESE 5 LIGHTS

According to the U.S. EPA, the average American home, maybe like yours, has approximately 70 light sockets, many of which still use old-fashioned incandescent or halogen bulbs.

Understandably, you might not be able to replace the bulbs in all your lights at once. That’s why EPA has put together this list of the fixtures where you should replace the bulbs first.

Replacing your home’s five most frequently used light fixtures or the bulbs in them with models that have earned the ENERGY STAR can save you about $40 per year on your electricity bill.

Though you might spend that much money buying the new bulbs, after the first year, that $40 just builds and builds. In 10 years, you could save $400 (and that’s if you only replace the bulbs in five fixtures – what if you do them all??).

Take the ENERGY STAR PLEDGE!

That’s not only a terrific way to stop wasting money on lighting, it’s also one of the best investments in your home you can make. ENERGY STAR encourages you to #lightthemoment with certified LED bulbs in videos like this one:

NOTE: Many retailers, including Ace, WalMart, Lowe’s, and Home Depot, offer frequent sales that make buying LEDs extremely affordable. Look for sales and coupons that will save you even more money when you buy LED bulbs.

Even if you can’t or don’t want to replace all 5 bulbs, as least do one.

A single ENERGY STAR Certified LED bulb that has earned the ENERGY STAR can save nearly $55 in electricity costs over its lifetime.

TAKE THE ENERGY STAR PLEDGE

There’s so much to keep us busy that, despite our best intentions, sometimes we don’t get around to doing what we should or want to do.

That’s where the ENERGY STAR Pledge comes in handy.

I took the ENERGY STAR Pledge because I wanted to make myself a promise – that I would actually switch to LED bulbs. Here it is! (I pledged to replace 5 light bulbs, as well as to turn off lights when not needed.)

I’d like to ask you to take the ENERGY STAR Pledge, too.

It literally takes less than a minute to do, so no “I don’t have time!” excuses, please!

As an added incentive, taking the pledge enters you into our LED Great Bulb Giveaway for a chance to win ENERGY STAR Certified, high-quality LED bulbs worth $50 (you can decide what kind you want, up to $50).

All you have to do is snap a screenshot of your pledge (like I did with mine) and share it on the big Green Purse Facebook page.

How easy is that?

I hope you’ll do it right now!

POST A PICTURE OF YOUR ENERGY STAR PLEDGE TO WIN LED BULBS WORTH $50.

The post People Who Choose 5 ENERGY STAR Certified LED Bulbs Save More Money appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Has your community set a goal to go carbon neutral? When you start planning, make commercial LED lighting a priority.

LEDs aren’t just for the lamps in your living room. They can meet pretty much any lighting need your city or town has. They work in office buildings, retail developments, transit centers, hospitals, schools, factories, communal workspaces, show rooms, libraries, and more.

In fact, if a space needs a light, there’s no good reason why it shouldn’t be an LED.

That’s why we’ve teamed up with the LED lighting experts at Alcon Lighting in Los Angeles: to explain the many benefits of commercial LED lighting.

Why Choose Commercial LED Lighting?

LED lighting is popular for some reasons you’d expect, and maybe a couple you’ll find surprising.

LEDs are modern, stylish, and functional. As you can see from these photos, they look as cool in the kitchen at work, pictured above, as they do lighting up building corridors, which is why Sustainable Los Angeles chose them for their space.

But in this day and age of climate change, extreme weather events, and expensive energy, the added bonus of using an LED is that it’s a climate saver.

“An LED light bulb can reduce heat and energy consumption by 90% while increasing color rendering and light quality,” Alcon points out on its website.

Put another way, LEDs are the best way to get the affordable, quality light you want without the climate change or environmental impact you don’t.

LEDs also help keep the air in your communities cleaner.

Most lighting is powered by electricity that’s generated by coal-fired utilities. Burning coal releases carbon dioxide (CO2), one of the major causes of climate change. It also emits tiny toxic pollutants that turn into smog and make our air dirty to breathe. When you use LEDs, you cut the CO2 AND the air pollution.

That, on top of the money saved and the high quality of the light LEDs exude, is why, if your goal really is to have a carbon-neutral city, you actually can’t achieve that goal without switching to commercial LED lighting.

Here’s one additional benefit to LEDs.

If you walk or drive through your community or city at night, how many buildings seem to have every office light turned on, even when no one is there working?

With commercial LED lighting in place rather than old fashioned bulbs, you can reduce energy use in these buildings by 90% – even when the lights are left on (though, of course, we still want them turned off when they’re not in use).

Lighting accounts for almost 20% of the energy a commercial building uses (it’s about 11 percent for residential buildings, which is still a lot!).

Whether you’re building new construction or renovating existing structures, make sure that the architect understands that commercial LED lighting is a top priority. If the architect is not familiar with LED lighting options, the experts at Alcon Lighting can lend some expertise.

By the way, if you’re wondering how LEDs compare to CFLs (compact fluorescents), this post explains: 

7 Ways LEDs are Better than CFLs

NOTE: Sponsors like Alcon Lighting help us bring you the expert content you need to lead the greener life you want. All editorial opinions remain our own.

The post Commercial LED Lighting Can Help Your City Go Carbon Neutral appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Are you wondering how you can live the green life you want if you’re renting an apartment rather than living in a space you own? We’ve teamed up with apartment search website RENTCafe to bring you these great ideas for enjoying an eco-friendly lifestyle in an apartment, condo, or home you rent.

How to Green Your Rental Apartment

 If you live in an apartment, you’ve likely made several changes to the décor to help suit your style.

But if you aren’t also making green improvements to your home, then it may not be as healthy or as energy efficient as it could be.

And while you may think that creating a more eco-friendly home isn’t possible as a renter, there are several ways you can green your rental apartment to save money and make it more comfortable to live in at the same time.

BONUS! You can get these done in one day and reap the benefits for a long time!

Invest in Drapes

The biggest source of energy loss in most homes is right around the window area. Even with double paned windows, if the area surrounding them isn’t well sealed, you could still be losing a lot of the energy you use to heat and cool your apartment.

By investing in good quality, thermal drapes, you can help stop this energy loss, eliminating drafts and making your apartment more comfortable at the same time.

As a bonus, most thermal drapes are also light blocking, so you can control how much sunlight your apartment gets – perfect for weekends when you want to sleep in.

By the way, if you install floor-to-ceiling drapes, you can easily take them with you when you move. They’ll fit other windows.

Swap Out Your Lightbulbs

Even if the light fixtures in the apartment need to stay as they are you can still lower your energy bill an get better ambient light at the same time by investing in new LED lightbulbs.

LEDs use far less energy than incandescents and last for at least a dozen years!

Plus, they can give off more lumens per watt (which means they produce more light for less energy), so you can get a brighter living area while saving energy at the same time.

Here’s how to choose the right LED for your apartment.

Replace Your Water-Wasting Showerhead for a WaterSense Model

It may be best to leave the main faucets and toilet in your apartment alone and encourage your landlord to make them more water efficient. But it’s easy to replace your shower head with a low-flow WaterSense model. Just look for the WaterSense logo, pictured right, when you shop.

Older shower heads use as many as 7 gallons of water a minute. New water saving units that meet EPA’s WaterSense standards use around 2 gallons. WaterSense technology helps make up the difference by spinning the water droplets as they leave the head, making the shower feel fuller.

You’ll reduce your water bill, paying for the modest cost of the shower head in no time.

Plug Into Power Strips

Many appliances end up sucking up energy even when they aren’t on or in use.

Sometimes known as “energy vampires,” these appliances and devices add a lot to your monthly energy bill.

To help save energy and money, put a power strip at each outlet, then plug your standby devices like lamps, televisions, gaming sets, and computers into these.

When you’re not using any of the items, turn off the power strip to stop the energy drain.

FYI, here’s one of the power strips I have my video monitor and Roku plugged into.

Purify the Air

If your apartment was painted in the last five years, chances are that it’s still giving off VOCs or volatile organic compounds, into the air. The effect is worse the closer you get to the time the paint was applied. In fact, about 50% of the VOCs are given off in the first year after the room was painted, with the rest “off-gassing” over the next four.

Plus, you might use air fresheners or cleaning products that are filled with synthetic fragrances, chemical compounds that can cause head aches, flu-like symptoms, and even trigger asthma attacks.

To help clean the air you breathe and eliminate some of those harmful toxicants, first switch to no VOC paint when you repaint.

In place of air fresheners, remove the sources that stink (like rotting food, dirty clothes, pet waste), circulate fresh air, and make potpourri out of fragrant natural herbs and dried flowers.

Use baking soda, vinegar, and fresh squeezed lemon juice for most cleaning projects. Open boxes or bowls of baking soda can also help absorb unwanted odors.

Monitor what’s in your air using a system like HomeLab’s, which will tell you what chemicals you’re breathing, and how you can turn your space into a healthy home.

Add Some Plants

Air purification systems aren’t the only way to clean up the air in your apartment and make it healthier; adding plants can make a big difference as well.

Greenery like English Ivy, rubber plants, and peace lilies clean the air in your home and enhance your décor, too.

Place plants in areas that may need air cleansing the most, such as kitchens, bathrooms, and bedrooms and breathe a little easier.

In my living room, I have a big peace lily. It gets beautiful white flowers once or twice a year.

Check and Replace Your HVAC Filter

If you have a furnace, central air conditioning unit, or HVAC system that uses ducts to heat or cool your apartment, make sure that you’re checking and cleaning the filter at least once per season (some companies recommend changing or cleaning filters monthly).

When the filter gets clogged, it causes the unit to work harder, spiking your energy bill.

If you aren’t sure if the filter needs to be changed, hold it up to the light; if you can’t see through it, it should be cleaned.

NOTE: You don’t need to buy a new filter every month; get one that’s reusable and wash it by spraying it with a hose or running it under a faucet. Just make sure it dries thoroughly before re-installing it. You can keep an extra on hand so you always have one to clean and one to replace it with.

Decorate Using Vintage and Recycled Furnishings

From rugs and bed frames to sofas, dining room tables and lamps, you can find great bargains and repurpose gently used (and sometimes brand new) furniture rather than buy brand new.

In addition to CraigsList.com, eBay.com and Freecycle.com, browse the listings at NextDoor.com, a site that makes it easy for neighbors to swap from each other or buy at a reasonable price.

Thrift stores, auction houses, estate sales and vintage shops (think antiques) are more great – and eco-friendly – places to shop.

Here’s one of the rugs I have in my home. When I got it 15 years ago it was already at least 60 years old.

Go Green

It doesn’t take much to green your rental apartment and make it healthier and more eco-friendly. Implement any of these changes and you’ll see the benefits in no time.

What Do You Do?

What else do you do to green your rental apartment? Please share!

Note: Partnerships enable us to bring you expert content at no additional cost to you. Our editorial opinions remain our own. Thanks!

The post 8 Inexpensive Ways to Green Your Rental Apartment (& Save Money Doing It) appeared first on Big Green Purse.

If you have made the choice to upgrade to LED lights in your home, you have taken a step in the right direction for reducing your home’s impact on the environment. However, to get the best performance from your LEDs, you must purchase the right type of lights. We’re partnering with LED lighting experts LEDified to offer 6 steps that guarantee you’ll choose the right LED for your home.

How to Choose the Right LED for Your Home

1. Choose brightness based on lumens, not watts.
2. Pick soft, neutral or cool white light.
3. Select a bulb made for dimmers if needed.
4. Keep in mind “beam angle.”
5. Pay attention to ambience, accents and tasks.
6. Use a coupon, get a utility rebate.

Choose the brightness of your LED bulbs based on lumens, not on watts.

When purchasing LEDs, many people make the mistake of judging the bulb’s brightness on the amount of watts on the label. The brightness of incandescent bulbs is linked to watts. However, watts are a measure of how much energy a bulb draws. Because LED lights draw less energy and don’t correlate to brightness, the metric that is used for the brightness in LED lights is lumens.

Compare how many watts it takes an incandescent bulb to the amount an LED needs to generate the same level of brightness:

Pick Your Bulb Depending on What Kind of Light You Need

There are 3 types of brightness to consider when you are purchasing an LED light bulb: soft, neutral, or cool.

Soft white LED light bulbs.

These are the standard color of LED light bulbs. The color emitted from this bulb is yellowish and provides a warmer color. They’re nice in living rooms, bathrooms, family rooms and bedrooms.

Neutral White LED light bulbs.

These light bulbs are ideal to use in task-oriented environments, like a kitchen or workshop.

Cool White (also known as daylight)

These lights lumens are good for a porch, garage or even a closet.

Select the right bulb for your dimmers.

Dimmers have traditionally been used with incandescent light bulbs to change their brightness by adjusting the voltage going into the light bulb. The same doesn’t apply to LED lights because when the applied or average voltage drops below the minimum voltage that’s required to power the LED, the LED light won’t turn on. Furthermore, the LEDs might flicker, hum, or buzz. Conventional LEDs will only work at a 100% brightness level.

If you want to have the option to dim your LED lights, you must purchase LED lights that have the circuitry to perform the dimmable function. Some tips for purchasing LEDs include:

• Check the label to see if the LED light is dimmable.
• Although some LED lights will work with incandescent dimmers, it is recommended that you upgrade to LED-specific dimmers.

If you cannot see any information about dimming on the label, do not purchase the LED light for a dimmer fixture.

Get your desired beam angle.

One of the great things about investing in LED lighting is that they can provide different beam angles. You can check the labelling for the LED’s beam angle lens. If you want your lights to shine with like a spotlight, you will probably opt for a 20-degree lens. However, if you would prefer a wide-angle lens, then a 60-degree lens would be better. Keep in mind that the intensity of the light may be lower, the wider the beam angle is. These types of bulbs are ideal for lighting up entire rooms.

Select the right lights for ambience, accents and tasks.

There are three main ways to think about lighting in your home: ambient, task, and accent lighting.

Ambient

Ambient lighting provides the overall illumination for a room by lighting up the entire space.

Task

This type of lighting illuminates an area for a specific function. For example, a table lamp shines light on what you’re reading; a bathroom sconce might be helpful for applying make-up. Before you choose any light, be clear on what task it needs to illuminate.

Accent

Accent lighting draws attention to a particular object such as artwork, sculptures, bookcases and plants.

Get an LED!

LED lights are a great investment because they can last a decade or longer and save the cost of buying the bulb many times over in reduced utility bills.

Use the advice provided by LED lighting experts LEDified to select the right LED light bulbs for your home.

NOTE: Sponsors like LEDified allow us to provide expert content at no cost to you. Our editorial opinions remain our own.

The post 6 Steps That Guarantee You’ll Choose the Right LED For Your Home appeared first on Big Green Purse.

However, these days my bulb of choice is the LED, or Light Emitting Diode.  While both CFLs and LEDs offer a number of advantages, LED (Light-Emitting Diode) lighting has surpassed CFLs for many consumers, including me.

A Different Type of Mechanism Makes LEDs Better than CFLs

To be able to understand why LEDs have an edge over CFLs, consider the different ways in which the lights function.

With CFLs, electricity passes through a mixture of gases – generally magnesium and argon – which are contained in a thin glass tube, the inside of which has been coated with a special phosphorous powder. The electrical current stimulates and excites the gas within the tube, which then emits energy that passes through the phosphorous coating in the form of visible light.

LEDs are not manufactured with any type of gas or conductive filament. Instead, they rely on a semiconductor material. As electricity travels through this material, its electrons start moving at a faster rate, releasing energy perceived as light.

Because of the nature of the semiconductor, LEDs are more durable than CFLs, marking what has become one of the most important advantages they offer. Plus:

• Lower Cost Over the Long Term – Although it may appear that the initial investment into LED lighting is higher than that of CFLs, the long-term savings can be quite substantial, mostly due to the number of operating hours each type of bulb can provide. While CFLs have a useful life of up to 10,000 hours, LEDs can provide as much as 5 times that amount, meaning the need for replacement bulbs will decrease exponentially over a long period of time, cutting costs significantly.
• Color Availability – CFLs can only produce two colors, a cold bluish type of light, and a warmer yellower type. In stark contrast, LEDs can be manufactured in almost any color imaginable, allowing them to serve a wider range of functions and situations, making them adaptable to every possible need. Sites such as HitLights offers a selection of colorful LED lighting for any given occasion.
• A Lower Rate of Energy Consumption – Even though CFLs save a good amount of energy when compared to incandescent bulbs, LEDs are king when it comes to energy efficiency. For example, an LED bulb will use 300 kilowatt hours of electricity during its 17-year lifespan. At 20 cents per kilowatt hour, calculated SFGate.com, the lifetime electricity cost of an LED bulb is $60. You would need five CFLs to match the lifespan of one LED bulb, during which time those five CFLs would use 600 kilowatt hours of  electricity at a cost of $140. No contest!
• Outdoor Lighting – LEDs are preferred outdoors because they enhance the look of different environments. Says lighting specialist Bruce Paul of Passion Lighting, “Landscape lighting has completely gone from non-LED to LED, bringing with it an energy reduction of around 80 percent. And, the amount of light you receive is unbelievable.”
• No Mercury – Some consumers worry about CFLs because they contain a very tiny amount of mercury, a toxic metal that has been linked to a variety of illnesses. Though we are exposed to more mercury as a by-product of burning coal, people still don’t like the idea of bringing mercury into their home. There’s no mercury in LEDs.
• Size – LEDs come in a wide variety of sizes, including very small sizes that perfectly accommodate down-facing lights as well as lamps and ceiling fixtures.
• LEDs are Cool – Actually, they’re cooler than CFLS. That’s because LEDs convert most of the electricity they use into light. Incandescents, and CFLs to a lesser degree, convert the electricity they use into heat. Try touching an incandescent after it’s been on for a while and you’ll see what I mean.

When it comes to durability, maintenance, and environmental impact, LEDs are leading the way into a new age of safe and efficient lighting, one which consumers are getting to know and appreciate more than any other before it.

NOTE: Many thanks to Passion Lighting for sponsoring this post. Sponsorships allows us to provide expert content at no cost to you. Our editorial opinion remains our own.

The post 7 Ways LEDs are Better than CFLS appeared first on Big Green Purse.

What is an LED?

 LED stands for “light emitting diodes,” semiconductor devices that produce visible light when an electrical current is passed through them. This technology makes them far superior to incandescent bulbs, which waste a huge amount of energy generating light by using electricity to heat a metal filament until becomes “white” hot.  Until LEDs started moving into the market, compact fluorescents were the most energy-efficient option for consumers. CFLs are still a good choice, because they’re 75% more efficient than incandescents. But LEDs are better yet, because they’re even more efficient than CFLs, durable, versatile and so longlasting. Read on to learn more about these benefits.

LED Benefits

I have many LEDs in my home. Here’s what I like about them.

Durability: LEDs last a really long time. One LED can last anywhere from 5 to 10 years, with some bulbs lasting as long as 100,000 hours – 11 years of continuous operation, or 22 years of 50% operation.  That means I don’t have to spend a lot of time changing bulbs. This is especially useful for hard-to-reach locations, like ceiling fixtures, wall sconces, and porch lights. Even if an incandescent lasts 1,000 hours, the LED lasts 100 times longer!

Save money: LEDs help reduce my electricity bill. Though an LED is more expensive to purchase, in the long run, it is much cheaper to operate. A quick review of prices at my local hardware store showed LEDs on sale for as little as $5.97 a bulb. The cheapest incandescents cost around a dollar a bulb. Let’s do the math: For an extra $5, you get a bulb that lasts 100 times as long! That’s almost $100 saved in light bulb costs, let alone the money you’ll save on your electricity bill. Imagine if you replace 10 incandescents in your home with 10 LEDs. You’ll save $1,000 just in light bulb purchases. That’s pretty hard to beat.

 Bonus: Many utility companies now offer their customers discounts when they purchase LEDs. Sunlite, the sponsors of the post, is giving away $1,000 of free LED products to one consumer who enters their Facebook contest here.  Anyone can enter!

 LEDs are cool. Yes, they’re “cool,” if you mean hip. But more importantly, they’re cool to operate. Unlike incandescent or halogen light bulbs, LEDs don’t radiate heat. This is especially important in the summer, when air conditioning sends electricity costs through the roof.

 No mercury. Compact fluorescents contain a very small amount of mercury. While usually not dangerous at home, CFLs add this toxic chemical to our landfills when they’re thrown away. LEDs are safe to use, and safe to dispose of.

 ENERGY STAR certified. The best LEDs available are also those that meet the high standards for performance and quality set by the Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR program. You know from reading this blog that I’m a big fan of ENERGY STAR products because they are well-made, deliver reliable service, and help me save energy and money. ENERGY STAR LEDs meet more than 20 separate industry standards and procedures and have been tested by independent third-parties to meet their claims.

 Nice light. LEDs come in a variety of brightness and color options. Choose soft white/warm for kitchens, dining and living rooms, bright white for bathrooms, hallways and offices, and daylight for security, garages, and laundry and utility rooms.

 Versatility.  LED bulbs can be used in pretty much any lighting fixture you have. Living room table and floor lamps, kitchen and bathroom ceiling lights, recessed fixtures, porch lights, desk lights. Once you decide to go LED, you shouldn’t have a problem finding the right bulb to fit your need.

In the average U.S. home, lighting accounts for about 20% of the electric bill. Why not cut that down significantly by installing LEDs? You’ll start saving money immediately. And won’t it be great not to have the hassle of changing bulbs so often?

NOTE: Thanks to the Sunlite lighting company for sponsoring this post. Sponsors enable us to bring you expert content at no cost to you. Our editorial opinions remain our own.

The post LED Lights Brighten Rooms, Save Time & Money appeared first on Big Green Purse.

But guess what? As climate change increases, it is becoming more expensive to cool your home in the summer than heat it in the winter. Here’s a copy of my 2012 electricity bill, which shows how much electricity I use month to month and compares 2012 overall to 2011. (I have an electric heat pump for both heating and cooling). I use almost twice as much energy to cool my home in July and August than to heat it in November and December!

All of which is to say that, as we face another blistering summer, now is a smart time to think about insulating your home to keep hot air out and cooled air in.

5 WAYS TO REDUCE HIGH AIR CONDITIONING COSTS

The Mark Group, a company based in the United Kingdom but with offices in Philadelphia, Delaware, and New Jersey, is sponsoring this post to let you know what energy-saving options you can take advantage of right now. They include:

1) Home Energy Assessment – Is your attic leaking energy? Your basement? Both? Do your windows and doors need extra insulation? What about the cracks around your chimney? In 60-90 minutes, at no charge to you, the Mark Group will take a thermal photo of your home to help you identify where it makes the most sense to insulate.

2) Home Energy Audit – This is a more extensive analysis of where your home is losing air that’s been heated or cooled. It also tests and analyzes the amount of energy your appliances use. After the audit, you’ll receive a comprehensive home performance report that includes recommendations for energy saving improvements. The cost of the audit depends on where you live; both New Jersey and Pennsylvania help consumers offset your out-of-pocket expenses.

3) Air Sealing & Insulation – Heat rises in the winter and builds up in the attic in the summer. To save energy and money, seal gaps and cracks around the perimeter of the attic floor, where the interior wall studs intersect with the attic floor, as well as around recessed lighting cans, ceiling fans, and other openings. Once all the gaps are sealed, you and your energy advisor can figure out whether you need to add additional insulation to prevent conditioned air from escaping through the attic floor. You can follow a similar process to insulate your basement and crawl spaces.

4) Lighting & Appliances – Take stock of the light bulbs you use indoors and out. A variety of energy-saving compact fluorescents (CFLs) and LEDs can help you minimize the amount of money you’re spending on lighting. Plus, I love the fact that, once installed, many of these bulbs last for a decade or more. I’m too busy to keep changing light bulbs, aren’t you? Likewise, run appliances like clothes dryers, dishwashers and ovens in the cooler evening or morning hours when the heat they emit won’t be quite so noticeable – and send you scampering to crank up the AC even more.

5) Solar Hot Water and Electric – Is solar energy right for you? It depends on the home you live in, what part of the country you live in, and how much direct solar “gain” you can capture on your roof or in a system near your house. An energy audit can also let you know if you should consider solar and how much it will cost.

Summer or winter, insulating your home saves energy, increases your comfort levels, and helps you do your part to save energy and help reduce climate change. You can get much more information from the Mark website. In the United Kingdom, you’ll find them here. In the U.S., start here.

Even if Mark doesn’t have an office in your state or community, you’ll find the website highly informative, and you’ll be able to compare what they offer to similar companies that serve your neighborhood. Note that the Mark Group received the 2012 Super Service Award from Angie’s List. Whomever you do business with, make sure they are reputable, experienced, and affordable.

Full disclosure: The Mark Group underwrote this post in order to let me offer you insights on the importance of insulating your home any time of the year. ARS Rescue Rooter sponsored the helpful link to their tips on improving HVAC efficiency. The opinions expressed are my own. As you know from reading my blog, I am a strong proponent of energy efficiency and believe we should all do as much as possible to reduce the amount of energy we consume. Thanks!

Related articles

Now’s the Time to Consider Sun-blocking Blinds to Keep Your Home Cool This Summer

Saving Energy is Easy & Fun With the Help of Team ENERGY STAR

The post 5 Ways to Reduce High Air Conditioning Costs appeared first on Big Green Purse.

The solution? Replace your old incandescents with new LEDs. You can do so without worrying about waste by recycling the incandescents here for free. When you do, you’ll earn a discount coupon worth 15% off the price of the new LED lights you buy. Act now, since the recycling program and discount coupon are only available through February 2010.

How should you package the lights?

Please DO NOT:

1. Include any packing material or anything other than the lights themselves

2. Send the lights in outer packaging such as retail boxes

3. Include any apparatus used to wind up or store the lights

4. Use any size box that is larger than what is needed to accommodate the lights.

5. Put your light sets in plastic bags or any other interior packaging.

Please DO:

1. Use cardboard boxes or other packaging that can easily be recycled.

2. Coordinate with your friends, neighbors, co-works, social groups, church groups, or other organizations when possible to collect lights and send in one bulk shipment (this reduces shipping costs for everyone and reduces environmental impact of shipping.)

3. Compact your light sets into the smallest space possible.

BTW, it’s easy to recycle CFLs (compact fluorescent lights), too. Here’s how.

The post Recycle old holiday lights and replace them with LEDs. appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Nevertheless, you may still be among the millions of people who have not yet incorporated energy conservation into your daily routine. Why not? The number one reason for most people is money – not necessarily real money, but definitely the perception that it will require a lot of money to put energy-saving strategies to work in your home.

I say “perception,” because that’s often what it is. Many consumers are under the generally false impression that they can’t afford to adopt ‘green’ (i.e., energy efficient) technologies. And especially during these economic hard times, even the suspicion that something will cost more is enough to deter its purchase.

That’s why the concept of Green ROI – return on investment – is so important. Green ROI offers a way to calculate what the purchase of a green product is worth both in the short term and a longer way down the road. In other words, if you spend xx $$$ on a green product today, how long will it take you to realize a gain – in real dollars – and make the purchase worthwhile?

Well, consider a few of these Green ROI calculations, courtesy of GreenandSave.com, and based on a ten-year performance period:

Programmable Thermostat – Automatically adjust indoor air temperatures to reduce the amount of gas or electricity you use.
Cost: $115
Annual Savings: $180
ROI: 156.5%

  Standby Power Reduction – Use energy-saving power strips on office electronics and home appliances to reduce energy use
Cost: $20 for two strips
Annual Savings: $24
ROI: 120%

Compact Fluorescent Lighting – Replace 20 incandescent bulbs that are 60 Watts and have a life expectancy of 1,500 hours, with CFLs that only use 14 Watts and last 10,000 hours.
Cost: $3.00 – $6.00 per bulb
Annual Savings: Each bulb saves on average $4 to $7 per year in electricity
ROI: 133.3%

See how saving energy saves money – a lot of money — over the long-term? But what about climate change, you ask?

Take programmable thermostats. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which administers the federal Energy Star program, calculates that in 2006, consumers using programmable thermostats not only saved a total of $14 billion on their utility bills; they also saved enough energy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to taking 25 million cars off the road.

Want to know how additional investments will create Green ROI? Click here.

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