Small water leaks often go unnoticed and neglected for long periods of time, until those leaks turn into bigger leaks.  By preventing them now, you’d be surprised at how much water you are actually saving.  Sealing leaky pipes or faucets can make a drastic difference in your water bill.  Take some time to go around the house and check all of your faucets and pipes for leaks or even those small slow drips in the bathroom or kitchen sink.

Try utilizing the Drip Accumulator calculator on the United States Geological Survey website (http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/sc4.html).   You can see for yourself that a single slow leaky faucet dripping thirty drops per minute wastes three gallons per day, or the equivalent of twenty-seven baths per year.  The USGS also estimates that many of our toilets leak approximately twenty-two gallons of water per day.

Don’t Forget to Turn Off the Thermostat

People commonly turn on the heat in the house and then run out for a couple hours, picking up some milk and dropping off a package at the post office, maybe swinging by the bank to make a deposit.  All the while back at the house, the heat stays on, heating an empty house and wasting energy.  People make this mistake all the time and we all hate when we do it.  Try posting a note on the inside of the door to remind your self to turn off the air conditioning or heat.  Or post the note next to the hook where you leave your house keys or car keys, that way you’ll always be reminded on your way out to turn it off, whether or not it’s on.   Taking the time to do this has its advantages.  Not only will you be developing a good habit, but you will also save money on your energy bill.   For every degree you lower the thermostat, you can save anywhere between one and three percent of your energy bill.

If you are not the type to write yourself notes, consider investing in a programmable thermostat.  The price of programmable thermostats has dropped considerably in the last few years.  They are now widely available for as low as fifty dollars.   These thermostats save the average family one hundred and eighty dollars a year, off the average annual heating budget of two thousand dollars, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.   Don’t forget to look out for the EPA’s Energy Star guidelines (mentioned above).  Energy star has recently launched a new campaign to encourage homeowners to maximize the benefits of their programmable thermostats.  Energy Star-rated models come equipped with presets that tend to help most families save energy.  Check out Energy Star’s website http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=thermostats.pr_thermostats to find which programmable thermostat is best suited for your home.

Tax Credits

Numerous tax credits are available for homeowners who install renewable energy and energy efficiency projects.  Various state, local and federal incentives exist to encourage storm doors, energy efficient furnaces and much more.  Check out a detailed list of opportunities available to you at the Database of State Incentives for Renewable and Efficiency http://www.dsireusa.org/.

Check out these examples of home improvements that can qualify as tax credits:

* exterior doors and windows,
* storm windows,
* skylights,
* metal roofs,
* insulation,
* central air conditioning and heating,
* geothermal heat pumps,
* hot water boilers,
* advanced main air circulating fans,
* biomass fuel stoves with a thermal efficiency rating of 75% or more, and
* asphalt roofs with cooling granules.

Check out a comprehensive list of qualifying home improvement equipment from the Energy Star web site: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=products.pr_tax_credits.

Find a Green Contractor

Some of the improvements discussed above might be ambitious for some.  Don’t hesitate to call in a professional.  Green building professionals are setting up shop all across the country.   It’s important to find the right contractor, one that shares your values about going green.   Ask potential contractors about their interest in and experience with going green, and find out if they are approved for work that qualifies for a green home label.