| Most people think there is little they can do to reduce | | | | protect your home from winter's winds. |
| their home's environmental impact or control power | | | | 4. Grow plants that like the weather in your location. |
| and resource usage. The good news is there are | | | | Natural native plant landscapes, called "xericapes" are |
| things any home owner can do to save on power bills | | | | easier on resources than more exotic plants. Also |
| that are a lot less expensive than covering the roof | | | | make lawns smaller. Lawns need hazardous |
| with photo voltaic panels at a cost of $20,000 or more. | | | | chemicals, too much water, and too much |
| Not that it is not a good strategy and a good way to | | | | maintenance. If you got rid of the lawn you wouldn't |
| free Americans' excessive dependence on foreign oil. | | | | need the riding mower, either. |
| Many homeowners just can't afford solar panels. | | | | 5. One of the most overlooked cheap ways to protect |
| Many good ways of controlling heat gain and loss in | | | | a home from weather is to build or utilize square feet |
| structures and water usage are good science that | | | | in basements or earth shelters. Earth is there and can |
| many of us have forgotten or never knew. Here are | | | | protect a structure from both heat and cold and ...no...it |
| seven suggestions that any homeowner can choose | | | | doesn't have to feel like a cave. It can feel like a good |
| from to help with the ever-rising costs of home utility | | | | place to ride out a storm and a sturdy place to live |
| bills that go beyond buying more insulation. More | | | | less expensively. Most good contractors are capable |
| insulation is good, but there are other things you can | | | | of building a waterproof basement foundation that |
| do. | | | | could be a great space for family living. |
| 1. Lots of houses were equipped with cisterns before | | | | 6. Lots of conventional houses need more storage. |
| municipal water services became the norm in most | | | | One way to make your older home more energy |
| communities. You can catch gray water from your | | | | efficient is to cover the interior walls with cabinets and |
| house in a cistern attached to drains that release bath | | | | shelving. You could make it out of salvaged windows, |
| and shower water with some plumbing work. You can | | | | doors, shutters and wood from your local recycled |
| also capture rainwater in barrels from gutters and | | | | materials location. The look could be really rich. The |
| downspouts to feed to landscaping and drip irrigation | | | | covered airspace would give functional storage and |
| systems and water features. | | | | insulating space, too, the ultimate double whammy |
| 2. You can purchase appliances that are more | | | | benefit. |
| efficient than others or make cooking less expensive | | | | 7. Use compact fluorescent lighting. While the mercury |
| with things like slow cookers and small toasters running | | | | present in these lights is not great for the environment |
| on 110 outlets rather than a big oven attached to a 220 | | | | they are much cheaper to run over the longer life of |
| outlet. Appliances and HVAC that run on 220 outlets | | | | the bulb. Another alternative is to get fiber optic cable |
| are the power hogs in your structure. A burner pulls | | | | for ambient lighting in your home. Though the cable is |
| less power than an oven so maybe stir-fry is a better | | | | expensive, the power usage for one light bulb and |
| choice than pizza. Also turn off and unplug all those | | | | some cable is a great way to light a home more |
| appliances when not in use. All those little timers pull | | | | economically. You then need just a few task lights for |
| more power than you think. | | | | close work and feature lighting. |
| 3. Use landscaping or roof overhangs to shade your | | | | There are more good ideas out there. One that |
| structure from the heat in summer. Deciduous trees | | | | interests us is solar panels that are less expensive to |
| that lose their leaves in winter can serve the dual | | | | purchase. It does still pay to shop around and it's good |
| benefit of shade in summer and heat gain in winter | | | | for all of us, and the environment if we need less oil. |
| after the leaves fall. Use evergreen windbreaks to | | | | |