Today is Earth Day—a special day set aside to honor Mother Earth. At LifeStyle Homes, we’re celebrating our solar homeowners today, as well as anyone else who has invested in clean, renewable energy.

Even if you don’t live in a solar home, though, there are many things you can do on a daily basis to help conserve and protect Mother Earth. Here are just 10 tips for living a greener (and more economical!) life at home:

• TURN OFF WATER WHEN NOT IN USE. Aim to be conscious of needlessly running water. Turn off the sink faucet as necessary when washing dishes. Take quicker showers. And teach your kids the importance of clean water conservation.
• UNPLUG ELECTRONICS. Plugged-in electronics continue to use energy, even when they are not in active use. Be sure completely power down or unplug phone chargers, computers, video games, televisions, etc.
• INVEST IN CFLs OR LEDs. Light bulbs have come a long way in recent years. Not only do CFLs and LEDs typically use about 25%-80% less energy than traditional incandescent light bulbs, they also produce less heat. LifeStyle Homes uses CFLs standard in every new LifeStyle SunSmart℠ home. According to Bulbs.com, “It only takes one CFL in each American household to save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year, save about $700 million in annual energy costs, and prevent 9 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions per year, equivalent to the emissions of about 800,000 cars.” Of course, the greenest way to illuminate your home is with natural light. Open curtains, blinds, and windows during daytime hours when you won’t overload your air-conditioning unit.
• TURN UP YOUR AIR CONDITIONER WHEN NO ONE IS HOME. And speaking of air-conditioning your home, remember to punch up the setting on your thermostat to about 80 degrees when your house is empty.
• WASH AND DRY ONLY FULL LOADS. When running you dishwasher, or washer and dryer, remember to wait until you have a full load before putting these appliances to use.
• RECYCLE. Recycling is one of the easiest ways you can reduce your carbon footprint. Waste Management and other waste disposal and recycling companies make it simple. Today, papers, cardboard, plastics, aluminum, and other recyclable materials can be tossed into one bin, no sorting required.
• DISPOSE OF OLD ELECTRONICS PROPERLY. Along the same lines, before you toss your old computer into your trash can, research how to dispose of it properly so it doesn’t end up in a landfill. Visit E-Stewards.org for more information on this topic.
• PLANT A TREE. Why not start a new tradition at your house and plant a tree every Earth Day? Not only do trees give off oxygen, they also clean up the air we breathe by filtering pollutants. And, if strategically planted in a place to block sunlight, a tree can also reduce your home’s cooling costs.
• SHOP WITH REUSABLE BAGS. Grocery chains, like Publix and Winn-Dixie, offer customers the opportunity to purchase reusable bags oftentimes made from recycled materials. No surprise, these bags have drastically reduced number of paper and plastic bags needed at check-out.
• REDUCE PAPER WASTE. Do your part to reduce household paper waste. When possible, use cloth napkins and wipes, and limit your use of paper plates and cups. Be sure to unsubscribe from unsolicited mail as well.