Save the Planet, Save Your Money

In celebration of Earth Day, I thought I’d tell you about my own forays into trying to save the environment. (Please, no arguments about how Al Gore is wrong or that I’m being brainwashed by liberal hippies; leading scientists regard global warming as a fact, and that’s good enough for me.)

Recently, I’ve done a number of things to reduce waste produced by my home, most of which have also saved me money:

• replaced my furnace: went from 60% efficiency to 80%, which should lower my gas bill. Also, it is a two-stage unit, so my electric bill should also go down
• replaced my air conditioning unit: went from 10 SEER to 14 SEER, which should definitely cause a noticeable dip in my electric bill. I also went for the R-410A refrigerant, which is more environmentally friendly and supposedly the way of the future
• switched my electric service to a provider that uses only wind energy: actually about $5 a month more expensive, but using a renewable resource is the way to go
• started a compost pile: I bought a bin at a reduced cost from my county, and if more people joined me in doing this, we'd have less need for garbage pickup and processing, which would lead to savings on energy and taxes. Eventually, I’ll also save because I’ll have little to no need for buying soil
• in the process of replacing standard bulbs with CFL bulbs: more expensive at the outset, but longer life means $ savings and less energy used
• readying a section of the lawn for a garden: one less area I’ll have to mow (and spend gas on), and will provide some food that I now won’t have to pay retail for

There are plenty of sites that give tips on how to save money while becoming more “green.” (I don’t like that term because it’s just so trendy, but I’ll use it in the name of spreading a good cause.) Here are a few sites I have used:

• Bankrate.com
• Green And Save
• This Old House
• U.S. Green Building Council

Check out the sites of your local utilities, governments, and universities, as they likely have more information that is even more pertinent to your situation.

So, how is everyone else celebrating Earth Day? Any developments on your own homes that made them more efficient and maybe also saved you some cash?