Going green can be one of the most satisfying projects for home improvement that you will ever undertake. You can employ energy savings ideas that will save you money and energy at home immediately, over the course of three to five years, and for five years and longer. The tips below enable you to transforming residences into green friendly buildings.

Immediate Home Energy Savings

You will notice an immediate reduction in your energy bill when you take the following steps to save energy in your home. First, lower the thermostat in your home in all unoccupied rooms and dress warmer. By lowering the thermostat a few degrees, you will see a change in energy consumption and by several degrees, your heating bill can go down as much as ten to twenty percent in the winter. Open south-facing window coverings such as curtains and blinds to bring in sunlight and close them at night to hold in the heat for energy savings. Pay attention to the weather stripping on your windows. If your windows are old or ill fitting where wind easily blows through, you may want to replace them with energy saving windows and also install stripping and door sweeps.
By lowering the temperature of the electric water heater, you also reduce your energy bill. Keeping your appliances clean and in working order increases their efficiency. With your refrigerator, try setting the temperature at forty degrees Fahrenheit or four and a half degrees Celsius and keeping the coils clean, your refrigerator will consume less energy. Also you will want to replace a refrigerator that is older than ten years since these models consume a lot more energy up to three times as much as newer and more efficient energy saving appliances.
When you use the dishwasher, load up a full load of dishes. Air dry your dishes as much as possible. The same method applies to washing machines where you should use only full loads and warm or cold water. When you air dry your clothes, be sure you have enough ventilation.
Next, consider all your appliances for technology such as computers, radios, speaker systems, printers, and other electronic appliances. Turn off the lights when you are not using them for additional home energy savings. You can activate also the sleep mode in your computer to reduce energy usage.
In your bathroom, employ a low-flow showerhead. Showers consume less water and thus energy for heating than baths do.

Home Energy Savings In Two Years
The following steps will cost more initially but pay for themselves within a period of two years. Install weather stripping and caulking on all doors and windows, paying attention to all areas that are exposed to the outdoors to seal air leaks. Install a thermostat with an automatic setback, adjusting the room temperature daily.
Replace all incandescent light bulbs with energy saving lighting such as compact fluorescent bulbs that consume one-fourth of the energy. Install motion sensors and timers for all outdoor lighting. Change your windows and install all storm windows. Add insulation to your hot water heater and pipes. Install covers for your fireplace, while replacing filters for furnaces to allow for smooth airflow. You will notice a substantial improvement in energy costs as you create energy saving homes.

Home Energy Savings In Three to Five Years
Take these steps to improve your home energy savings within three to five years. While these steps take more time, they will pay for themselves in savings. Insulate all floors and unheated spaces, sealing attic ducts, garages, and crawl spaces. Add dampers and glass doors to fireplaces to monitor heat loss.

Home Energy Savings Over the Long term
The following steps will eventually pay for themselves, saving you both money and energy. Appliances that are cheaper initially, cost more later in operating costs. On the other hand, appliances that cost more upfront pay for themselves over the long term, offering substantial savings.
One of the biggest and most significant steps you can take to building an eco-friendly home is to use Energy Star® appliances. They save you energy, water, and consume less cleaning products. Energy Star® appliances include washers, dryers, refrigerators, air conditioners, heaters, and electronic equipment. Select only high efficiency models for your furnaces, heat pumps, water heaters, and air conditioners. Use timers and motion sensors for all your room lighting. Install flame-retention burners instead of oil furnaces and add fireplace inserts in your fireplace. Eco-friendly green homes also have alternative energy sources such as solar panels or wind power to reduce fossil fuel consumption while using renewable energy.

Image: Danilo Rizzuti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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