Less is More

While the rich and famous may be able to afford expensive solar panel installations or hyperefficient $2 million homes, even those of us with (much) less money can make a dent in the amount of energy we consume. What follows is a small list of steps almost every one of us can and should take to reduce our energy use. Our particular motivation - to walk more lightly on the earth, to live more frugally, or to direct more money to humanitarian organizations rather than large utility companies - isn’t as important as is making some change. While up-front costs for some of these steps can seem daunting, your investment will be recouped in later energy savings.

Putting the heating and cooling of your house aside for a moment, the next two biggest energy hogs in the average U.S. household are lights and the refrigerator.

Lights. The first real step for many of us is to change our mindset: Turn lights off as you leave a room. No exceptions. Never leave a room lit when you aren’t in it. That’s simple and free.