Thermostats
One of the simplest ways to green your home, save energy and cut utility bills is to install programmable thermostats. After all, half of your energy bill goes toward heating and cooling your home [source: Archer]. Most energy companies suggest you set your thermostat to 68 degrees in cold weather and 78 degrees in warm weather.
You can easily program your thermostat to stay at these temps automatically. Your HVAC system will only kick on when it reaches the designated temperatures in your house. You won’t have to think about adjusting the thermostat again; it does it all for you. Plus, you can shave and additional 3 to 5 percent off of your energy bill for every degree you set your thermostat below 68 in the winter and above 78 in the summer [source: Archer].
You can also program your temps around your schedule to save even more on your energy bill. It’s simple with a 5-1-1 thermostat, which allows you to set a separate program for weekdays, Saturday and Sunday. A 5-2 model lets you set a weekday program and a weekend program. If your schedule is particularly finicky, you can purchase a seven-day model that allows for a unique program each day of the week. You can purchase a seven-day programmable thermostat for as little as $40.
Low-Flow
There are many low-flow features you can add to your new home to conserve water and cut down on your water bill costs, including faucets, showerheads and toilets. Toilets are the most obvious starting point because they use 26% of the water in your home. Today’s industry standard for toilets is 1.6 gallons per flush (gpf). If you were updating an old home, you would see significant savings compared to older toilets that use as much as 3.5 gpf. But there is still room for more water savings when installing toilets in a new home. Many high-efficiency toilets on the market use as little as 1.28 gpf, which can add up to a savings of 3,000 gallons of water per toilet, per year [source: Kohler].
Landscaping
Believe it or not, proper landscaping can add to the energy efficiency of your home by providing shade in the summer months and insulation in the winter months. The EPA suggests planting trees that lose their leaves on the western and southern sides of your home to support this phenomenon. In the summer, the trees will provide shade and block infrared radiation, keeping your house cooler. In the winter, when the trees lose their leaves, they will allow more sunlight to reach the windows and warm your home. Planting native trees is best, because they will thrive in your city’s environment.