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Go green to see more green

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Improve the world's ecology and your own economy. It seems homeowners are willing to spend a little more to make green home improvement choices provided the savings add up by cutting costs on their energy bills.

casaGURU-insulation_air barrier-News Canada

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Improving the world's ecology and your own economy may be easier than many people realize. Right now, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation reports that the average Canadian household generates more than 60,000 pounds of CO2 (the most common greenhouse gas) emissions a year.

And while homeowners overwhelmingly agree it's important to reduce their effect on the environment, research by Ipsos Reid found more than three-quarters of respondents would only spend more money to make their homes environmentally friendly if they could make it back in savings.

Fortunately, saving money and reducing greenhouse gases can go hand in hand.

Here's How
Here are five steps from InsulationSmart.com families can take to go green while spending less on energy bills:

Replace 12 75-watt incandescent bulbs with 25-watt compact fluorescent bulbs to reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 1,200 lbs and use up to 75 per cent less electricity.
During the winter, turn down the furnace thermostat 6° to 9° Celsius for eight hours. This will reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions by 240 pounds and save up to 15 per cent of your heating costs.
Replace an old air conditioner, furnace or boiler with an Energy Star model to reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 3,000 pounds and save up to 15 per cent in energy costs.
Replace a refrigerator that's more than seven years old with an Energy Star model to reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 500 pounds and reduce energy use and costs (vs. an older model) by up to 40 per cent.
Install an insulation/air barrier system such as the kind created by Icynene. It will help reduce a home's annual greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 4,000 pounds, if you heat by natural gas and up to 7,000 pounds if you heat with electricity, and save up to 50 per cent in energy costs (based on an average monthly natural gas or electrical bill of $110).

You can find more money-, energy- and environment-saving ideas at www.InsulationSmart.com.