Let’s face the facts - no matter what our political persuasions might be, it is most definitely clear that energy costs are skyrocketing as natural resources are becoming more and more limited.  But what can we really do about it at home in our everyday lives?

Go low flow.  I know just the other day, I bragged up the benefits of an awesome high output luxury showerhead, but this is the perfect time to make note of the recent improvements in water saving shower heads.  You might be surprised at how much pressure some of them put out - I know I was.

Switch to CFLs already.  CFL stands for compact fluorescent light bulbs - you might already refer to them as swirl bulbs or even ice cream cone bulbs because of their shape, but don’t dismiss their dramatic improvement in function and quality over the last couple of years alone.  They used to be a novelty, but now they’re totally mainstream.  And the savings?  Phenomenal.  My wife and I switched all of our bulbs a few months ago and we’re saving around $20 monthly on our electric bill!

Turn down the temp.  Try a programmable thermostat to automate your house a bit while you’re sleeping or away at work.  The benefits are awesome, basically keeping your house warm and toasty when you’re aware and powered down and efficient when you’re not.  And when you are at home, why not save even more energy and money by deploying a space heater where it counts and keeping the rest of your house turned down?  That’s what I do and I can assure you it’s well worth it!

Sure, going all out and doing a total renovation is one (really expensive) way to improve energy efficiency and go totally green.  But for the rest of us, there’s no need to fret - going green one step at a time is easier and more affordable than ever!