As energy costs continue to rise an easy way to cut back on monthly expenses is to save on your power bill.  It is actually quite easy to save at least 30% every month without affecting your normal routine.

Reduce your energy use

Here are several suggestions to get you well on your way to saving money and living well all while giving Mother Earth a break!

• Figure out how much energy you are currently using. TVA and NES have partnered to offer a “do-it-yourself” home energy audit.  Go online and fill out the audit and you’ll receive a free Energy Conservation Kit in the mail. From there, you can set goals to reduce your energy use. Its kind of like putting your house on a diet!

• Replace all the conventional lighting in your home with compact fluorescent (CF) bulbs. They cost more initially but use 65-75% less electricity than an incandescent bulb and last 8-15 times longer. Remember to properly recycle CF bulbs, as well as any other fluorescent bulb, as they contain trace amounts of mercury.
• Invest in a programmable thermostat or turn the AC off when you leave the house. Keep your thermostat set to no less than 78 degrees in the summer and no more than 72 degrees in the winter. If you are too hot, use a small fan near you instead of cooling the whole house. In the winter, use a small space heater to warm the immediate area to your liking… and wear a sweater!
• Set your water heater to 120 degrees. This temperature is sufficient for household needs, is recommended for safety against scalding and will ensure your heater a longer lifespan.
• Unplug all electronic devices that are not in use. Cell phone chargers draw electricity even when your phone is no longer plugged into it. Don’t pay for this waste of energy! Any item that has a remote is pulling a little bit of electricity even if it is not “on”. These devices are ready to be “on” with a touch of a button, thus constant electrical usage is needed to provide this convenience. Keep electronics you use daily plugged into one power strip; other electronics that you use less frequently can go on a separate power strip that is turned off after use. Evading this “phantom load” will save you a bit everyday!

Addicted to paper? You are not alone! It takes some getting used to, but in three easy steps you will be well on your way to chopping your pile of paper into pieces.

Slow the Paper Waste Stream

Step 1. Got junk mail? You do have control over it -- you can opt-out. Its a privacy issue, but it is also a waste of paper and resources if you have no interest in these solicitations. Just let them know the mountains of paper is not welcome in your mail box. More information is available at http://www.ftc.gov/privacy/protect.shtm

Step 2. Saving trees is easy thanks to the internet. Paying bills online cuts down on paper consumption and saves the cost of paying for checks and stamps. Credit card companies are advertising it helps prevent identity thief too. Contact companies that send monthly bills and ask them to change your monthly payments to online billing. Save some bucks and a few trees! You will have less to shred and recycle too! Win, win, win, win, win!

Step 3. While you are surfing the internet and come across something you want to read later, don’t print it! Save it as a portable document file (pdf), read it offline, forward it to someone and save it for all eternity in your neat and dust-free file cabinet in your computer.

You’ve heard about it until you are green in the face, but how do you really know if you are truly living a green lifestyle? It is a different idea for everyone. For some, it’s a decision making process that affects every aspect of their lives; others might consider it as simple as choosing a piece of organic carrot cake for dessert; and sadly, far too many still don’t seem to have a clue or care at all.

The truth is we can all live a green lifestyle! It isn’t that hard at all. In this blog we will narrate our own experiences in figuring out the ongoing and often confusing process of becoming green. Check in weekly for green living tips, recommendations about the newest and best green products, links to interesting articles and recipe ideas.

Whether you are already monitoring your carbon footprint or have absolutely no idea what that means, Guy and Girl on Green will educate and entertain you along the way!