Finding ways to make you home more energy efficient

So you want to go green part one / part two.

From energy efficient light bulbs to heaters almost anything you have in your house can be made to save more electricity. Depending on your personal budget and goals there are various options that might work for your going green needs.

Your kitchen is the largest energy resource of your house. If your goal is to remodel than one of the best tips to offer is when shopping for new kitchen appliances make sure you pick energy star rated appliances. This will really help cut down that big black hole of wasted energy you call your kitchen.

Other products you might look at would be solar tubs to bring in the natural light for outside. The newer solar tubs can replace conventional light fixtures and still have a light bulb inside for night hours. This can be a do-it-yourself project that can be done over the weekend if you have a few similar tools. If your budget is smaller and little changes are what you're looking for then consider changing out you light bulbs to florescent. They might be a bit more money at first but they will last longer as well as save money. Add in light dimmers and it will save you even more, plus give your home a warmer feel. I personally installed a few light dimmers in my house a few months ago and I love how it gives everything a soft feel. I can't imagine living without them.

Heating a cooling of your home can be the largest monthly expense you have. If you have the money in your budget you might consider changing to an energy star rated heating and cooling system, but this can get costly depending on your needs. Geothermal systems can run over 30,000 dollars and are better for new construction not remolding. Inexpensive fixes could be installing on demand water heaters so you don't keep your water heater running all day. Electronic programmable thermostats are another cheap way to save money and can be installed by you with a bit of knowledge. If your remolding take a look at installing radiant heating for the floor as well as insulations that is environmentally friendly.

I hope the simple tips will help you in your goal to go green. Please feel free to add any tips and advice you have below.