Your home is your own small piece of the urban ecosystem. People consume most of the planet's resources available to them here--water, air, food and energy, as well as resources like wood and petroleum that are manufactured into paper and plastic. They also produce large quantities of waste and hazardous materials such as household chemicals.

Every home has a significant impact on the environment. Every person can diminish that impact while making the home more environmentally friendly. There are hundreds of eco-actions you can take around the home to preserve and protect the urban ecosystem. Some are as simple as turning off the faucet when you brush your teeth.

For those who are more ambitious, you can start with a "green" redesign of your home. Green building incorporates building features that save resources (and money), provide a healthier environment for you and your family, protect the planet and often provide added value to your home in the form of comfort, durability and increased resale value.

'1 IT PAYS TO BE COOL Rating: **** Set your thermostat to 65-68 degrees during the day. Set it to 55 degrees (or off) when sleeping or when out of the house Your heating system can account for half your total home energy costs. For every one degree you reduce your thermostat setting, you can save two to three percent on your heating bill. Consider using programmable thermostats that have earned the ENERGY STAR rating. High quality vapor diaphragm and electronic thermostats save energy in electric heat systems while improving home comfort.
City of Seattle Residential Conservation Programs & Services
Home Energy Magazine Online

'2 BABY IT'S COLD OUTSIDE Rating: **** Make sure your home is well insulated, caulked and weather-stripped The cracks in the average house, when added up, are equivalent to a three foot by three-foot hole in the wall! By sealing up your home's windows, doors and ducts, you'll stay warmer in winter and cooler in summer--and save money on utility bills. Seattle City Light recommends at least R-38 in the attic and R-19 to R-30 in the crawlspace. Wall insulation can be blown into walls to fill the cavity. Insulation contractors can test your home's air-tightness with special "blower doors" and air-seal problem areas as needed.
City of Seattle HomeWise Loan and Grant Program (206) 684-0244 U.S.
EPA Home Improvement Tips

'3 FEEL THE POWER Rating: **** Sign up for Seattle City Light's Green Power program Seattle Green Power helps promote renewable energy in your community. Seattle City Light customers can participate via voluntary payments included in their regular bills to develop new sources of energy such as wind turbine, solar demonstration projects and dairy-waste-to-energy. Join over 4,000 City Light customers currently supporting Green Power.
Seattle City Light's Green Power Program

'4 GREEN INSIDE AND OUT Rating: **** Consider 'green' remodeling When remodeling, install efficient fixtures, toilets and windows, increase insulation levels and upgrade your heating and cooling equipment. Consider recycled content for products like insulation, carpets, gypsum board, and plastic lumber. Improve ventilation for a healthier home environment, and look for less toxic options for paints, glues, and pressed wood products. King County, Snohomish County, the City of Seattle and the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties support residential green building via the Built Green program.
City of Seattle Sustainable Building Resources
Built Green

'5 HEALTHY HEARTH Rating: **** If you are upgrading, remodeling or building new, install a clean-burning natural gas or propane fireplace or stove instead of wood Switching from wood to natural gas or propane fuel is good for the air and your health. Natural gas and propane are more convenient and often cost less. No more wood to haul, ashes to clean out, or spiders or bees hiding in your fuel. Ready to turn in for the evening? Turn it off and breathe easy-no need to wait to close the damper or have a smoldering fire polluting the neighborhood.
Puget Sound Clean Air Agency Indoor Burning Page
Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association

'6 SAVINGS WITH EVERY FLUSH Rating: **** Replace old toilets with a 1.6 gallon low flow toilet Toilets can be one of the biggest water wasters in your home. That's why Washington state law now requires installation of water efficient toilets when replacing or installing a new toilet. But why wait until your old toilet wears out? New toilet technology offers big savings. You can cut your water consumption by nearly 50 percent with toilets that use only 1.6 gallons per flush, compared to older models at 3 gallons per flush. Consult a plumber for quality installation, and dispose of your old unit responsibly. Porcelain toilets can be recycled at Seattle's South Recycling and Disposal Station.
FlushStar List of Water-Efficient Toilets

'7 HAZARDOUS WHEN USED Rating: **** Reduce purchase and use of toxic products. Properly dispose of hazardous waste Improper use, storage or disposal of hazardous products threatens human health and the environment. These include antifreeze, rechargeable batteries, drain openers, hobby chemicals, mercury thermostats and thermometers, toxic cleaners, oil-based paint and paint thinners, pesticides, wood preservatives, adhesives, fluorescent light tubes and propane tanks. Seattle Public Utilities accepts hazardous waste at two facilities: in north and south Seattle. The King County Wastemobile and private sector partners offer many options for the proper disposal of hazardous waste outside Seattle.
Seattle Public Utilities - Acceptable & Unacceptable Hazardous Items
Take It Back Network - For electronics
Local Hazardous Waste Management Program in King County

'8 MAJOR SAVINGS WITH MAJOR APPLIANCES Rating: **** When replacing major appliances, buy the most efficient models You can save hundreds of dollars a year in water and energy costs by switching to more efficient models of appliances like refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, clothes washers, dryers or water heaters. For example, an ENERGY STAR washing machine can reduce water use by up to 40 percent and cut energy use by up to 60 percent. Compare EnergyGuide labels on products to find out how much energy and money they will consume over time. You may be eligible for utility rebates on energy-efficient appliances as well.
Seattle City Light Energy Conservation Helpline (206) 684-3800 ENERGY STAR®

'9 ENERGY SAVINGS ARE ON THE LINE Rating: **** Air-dry your clothes with a clothesline or drying rack when weather allows A clothes dryer is typically one of the top energy consumers in the home, accounting for an average 5 percent of all domestic electricity use and costing about $85 a year to operate. In addition, all that heat and spinning can wreak havoc on your clothes. Drying clothes on a clothesline uses no energy, is gentle on clothes and free! For small loads such as socks and underwear, try a small indoor drying rack.
Seattle City Light Energy Savings Tips

'10 HERE COMES THE SUN Rating: **** Consider installing solar-electric or solar hot water systems Solar hot water systems collect up to 70 percent of the solar energy that reach them, and can be economical over their lives, compared to other water heating systems. Solar electric (PV) systems actually generate electricity. So, if you produce more than you consume, you could actually spin your electric meter backwards! Besides producing clean, renewable power, you also avoid rising energy costs in the future and have, backup power potential.
U.S. Department of Energy
American Solar Energy Society

'11 SMALL FIX, BIG SAVINGS Rating: **** Fix leaking faucets and toilets Slow drips of water can add up quickly. On average 8 percent of all home water use is wasted through leaks. A toilet that "keeps running" after you flush, or a faucet that drips after it is turned off, can waste thousands of gallons of water a year. And if hot water is leaking, energy is wasted as well! Fix leaks as soon as you find them--even a small, silent leak can easily waste $50 per year in water and sewer costs. Most toilet or faucet leaks are relatively easy to identify--and to fix. A leaking toilet loses water from the tank to the bowl without being flushed, so check for that first. A leaking faucet is frequently the result of a bad rubber washer, typically located under the handle.
Saving Water Partnership guide to finding and fixing leaks
Conserving water inside the home

'12 TUNE IT OR LOSE IT Rating: **** Make sure your home heating system is tuned up and running properly, and that air filters are replaced regularly If your furnace hasn't been tuned up in a long time, 30-50 percent of the fuel could be wasted before it even gets past your furnace! That energy wasted contributes to unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions, and higher household energy bills. Make sure your heating system is operating efficiently. As a general rule, gas-heating units should be serviced every two years and oil furnaces each year.
Seattle City Light Home Heating Tip

'13 LATHER UP WITH LESS Rating: **** Install high efficiency showerheads and faucet aerators and fix that leak The bathroom is the room in the house where we use--and waste--the most water. Installing efficient fixtures and finding and fixing leaks in the shower and bath is a great way to reduce water use year-round. Install a showerhead flowing at two and a half gallons per minute (gpm) or less. For bathroom faucets, look for aerators (nozzles) flowing at one gpm as well. A faucet aerator can cut normal faucet flow of three to five gallons of water per minute in half by mixing air with the water as it leaves the tap. Using less hot water saves energy, too - helping cut down on energy and water bills.
Saving Water Partnership Guide to Finding and Fixing Leaks
Saving Water Partnership - Conserving Water in the Bathroom

'14 RECYCLE. IT'S THE LAW Rating: **** Follow the city's new recycle guidelines Effective January 1, 2005, the City of Seattle prohibited recyclables in residential, commercial and self-haul garbage. Paper, cardboard, glass bottles and jars, plastics, aluminum and tin cans and yard debris should be recycled. In 2005, garbage haulers will be tagging containers with significant amounts of recyclables as part of an educational effort. Enforcement, including refusal to pick up garbage cans not in compliance, will begin in 2006.
Seattle Public Utilities - Ban on Recyclables in Garbage City of Seattle - Recyclable Items

'15 GOOD THINGS GO IN SMALL CANS Rating: **** Sign up for micro-can garbage service Many Seattle residents have garbage cans that are larger than absolutely necessary. Examine your garbage needs and select the smallest practical garbage can. Smaller cans will help you remember to recycle and can save money. Remember you can always self-haul to city transfer stations when you generate extra garbage. Also, compost your food scraps and consider using a home trash compactor to reduce volume.
Seattle Public Utilities - Garbage Can Rates

'16 DON'T GET BURNED Rating: **** Burn only clean-burning wood products such as manufactured logs or pellets Manufactured fire logs made for open-hearth fireplaces, such as Duraflame logs, produce up to 70 percent less air pollution than wood. These logs reduce creosote buildup, are virtually bug-proof and easy to light. Logs made of wax and sawdust should not be used in wood stoves or fireplace inserts. 100 percent compressed sawdust logs work best in wood stoves or fireplace inserts.
Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association Wood Alternatives Page
Puget Sound Clean Air Agency Indoor Burning Page

'17 MULTI-FAMILY MAGIC Rating: **** Consider moving to a condominium (condo) Condo living, or any multifamily living arrangement, makes a huge individual contribution to preserving Seattle's urban ecosystem. Condo living saves energy, cuts down on pollution and toxic waste entering the air and water, and saves habitat for urban wildlife. Condo dwellers have easy access to employment sites, retail and entertainment, requiring much less reliance on personal automobile travel. Most condos can include custom interior design, but don't require the general maintenance and yard care inherent in residential home ownership.
Global Footprint Network

'18 OLD, COLD AND WASTEFUL Rating: **** Replace or remove aging and inefficient refrigerators and freezers Older refrigerators and freezers can be huge energy hogs - today's models use less than half the energy of those sold in the 1970s and 1980s. In fact, replacing your old refrigerator alone could result in enough energy savings to pay for the new one! Look for the ENERGY STAR label on new refrigerators and freezers. Be sure to recycle your old model properly to safely remove ozone-depleting materials.
ENERGY STAR Qualified Refrigerators & Freezers
Recycling Appliances in King County

'19 DON'T WASTE YOUR WASTE Rating: **** Compost food waste Composting food scraps reduce waste, saves on your garbage bill, helps grow a healthy, sustainable garden with less water, fertilizer and pesticides, and minimizes environmental impacts. More than 30 percent of Seattle's garbage is food scraps and food-soiled paper! Yard waste collection subscribers can now recycle vegetative waste (orange peels, egg shells, coffee grounds, fruits, vegetables, etc.) in yard waste carts provided by the City of Seattle. Food scraps should be buried in gardens, or composted in "green cone" food digesters. Worm bins are another option for composting food scraps. Remember that meat, fish, poultry, dairy products and pet wastes should not be composted in any system at home.
New Yard Waste Services
Saving Water Partnership - Conserve Outside

'20 GET COZY WITH CLOTHES Rating: **** Turn down the heat and wear warm clothes instead In the end, your home's heating system isn't designed to heat your house, it's supposed to heat you! Keeping your heat on extra warm so you can walk around in light clothing is an expensive habit. Instead, start by keeping in more of your own body heat, with warm shirts, sweaters and socks. Then turn down the heat and enjoy the energy savings while still staying toasty warm!
Seattle City Light Conservation

'21 GET IT FULLY LOADED Rating: *** Wash full loads of dishes and clothes, using cold water for clothes whenever possible Dishwashers, clothes washers and dryers are among the most energy-consuming items in your home. Most of the energy used to power clothes washers goes to heat the water, so cooler water settings can provide savings on heating bills. For dishwashers, use the standard or light wash settings and no-heat drying settings. And wash full loads in your clothes washer to save energy and water.
Seattle City Light - Major Appliances

'22 WASTED ENERGY? MAKE IT A TURN OFF Rating: *** Make sure lights are turned off when they are not needed It's a myth that turning lights on and off wastes energy-- turning lights off when you leave a room saves energy and saves you money. Consider motion sensors, timers or photocells that turn lights off automatically when they are not needed. Dimmer switches can also save energy, installed on lights that only need to be extra bright on occasion.
Seattle City Light - Energy Savings Tip of the Day

'23 CHANGE IS GOOD. CHANGE A LIGHT Rating: *** Install compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) in your home's most frequently used light fixtures The typical family spends more to light their home than they do to run their refrigerator year-round! Energy-efficient lighting uses up to 75 percent less energy than incandescent lights and last up to ten times longer. CFLs are especially beneficial when used for exterior lighting, as exterior lights are usually left on all night (12 hours/day). Compact fluorescent lamps use 1/3 to 1/4 of the energy of incandescent lamps, saving energy while keeping your home and neighborhood safe. Look for the ENERGY STAR when purchasing energy-efficient lighting, and check with your local utility. Many offer rebates and discounts on CFLs throughout the year.
Seattle City Light Residential Lighting
ENERGY STAR Change a Light, Change the World Campaign

'24 GET IT BEFORE IT'S HOT Rating: *** Collect all water wasted while waiting for hot water to reach your faucet or showerhead, and use it to water your plants Forty percent of all water used indoors is used in the bathroom. Much of it goes down the drain while waiting for it to warm up. This water is clean and perfect for watering houseplants and outdoor planters--you'll save time filling up watering cans, and save a lot of water that would otherwise go down the drain.
Conserving Water in the Bathroom

'25 CERTIFY YOUR STOVE Rating: *** If you use a wood stove or fireplace, replace it with an EPA-certified one Uncertified stoves release twice as much air pollution, compared to certified stoves. One old, uncertified stove can release as much fine-particle pollution as more than 1,000 natural gas furnaces for the same heat output. Since 1992, only wood stoves and fireplace inserts that are EPA-certified can be sold and installed in Washington State.
Puget Sound Clean Air Agency Indoor Burning Page
Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association

'26 LEAVE 'EM DIRTY Rating: *** If you have a newer dishwasher, don't rinse dishes before loading Most newer dishwashers don't require pre-rinsing-- check your machine's ability to completely clean dishes without extra effort (and water!) on your part. When buying a new dishwasher, look for ENERGY STAR qualified models-- you'll save energy and water. If possible, avoid washing dishes by hand; automatic dishwashers typically use less water than hand-washing.
Saving Water Partnership - Saving Water in the Kitchen
Find an ENERGY STAR qualified dishwasher

'27 WELL-SEASONED IS BEST Rating: *** If you burn firewood, make sure it has dried, or seasoned, at least six months Wood can seem dry and still contain plenty of water, up to 50 percent. Moisture in wood makes the fire give off more smoke while dry wood can give off 44 percent more heat. To best utilize firewood, split it, stack it loosely in layers in alternating directions, store it at least six inches off the ground and cover it. Store it for at least six months or better yet, one year for 20 percent moisture content. And remember to pay attention to our air quality before lighting a fire. Sign up at www.pscleanair.org to receive an e-mail notification in the event of a burn ban or phone 1-800-595-4341.
Washington State Department of Ecology - Cleaner Wood Burning
Burn Smart, Burn Clean

'28 LEAN, MEAN - AND CLEAN Rating: *** Take shorter showers Shortening your showers by a minute or two can help save up to 1,800 gallons per person each year! Try to shorten your shower time by one minute--this easy step can help save hundreds of gallons of water each year, as well as the energy needed to heat that water. To really make a difference in water use, aim for a five-minute shower.
Seattle Public Utilities - Tips to Use Less Water Around the Home
Saving Water Partnership - Conserving Water in the Bathroom

'29 BECOME AN INSTANT EXPERT Rating: *** Use on-line tools to get personalized results Whether you live in a house, condominium or apartment, the Home Resource Profile will give you customized information about your utility bills. The on-line application takes data directly from your water and electric account and creates a comprehensive picture of your home's resource consumption, along with specific strategies for saving money. You also get to see your billing history, and compare your use to other Seattle households. The Home Resource Profile also uses your responses to a brief survey to suggest strategies for managing garbage, recyclables, water and food waste, and more.
Seattle City Light Energy Conservation

'30 DON'T WATCH YOUR SAVINGS GO DOWN THE DRAIN Rating: *** Turn off the water when brushing your teeth, washing dishes or shaving It may not seem like much, but the water you let run down the drain can add up. After wetting your toothbrush or lathering up, shut off the water until it's time to rinse. You'll reduce water use and, if the water is warm, save energy too.
Seattle Public Utilities - Tips to Use Less Water Around the Home
Saving Water Partnership - Conserving Water in the Bathroom

'31 TURN DOWN THE TANK Rating: *** Turn your water heater down to 120 degrees You can save money and avoid scalding injuries by adjusting the temperature setting on your water heater to 120°F (130° if you have a dishwasher without an internal heater). There are often two thermostats that should be set to the same temperature on electric models, one at the bottom and one about half-way up. Be sure to turn off the power to tank while making any adjustments. Resources Seattle City Light Energy Savings Tips http://www.seattle.gov/light/conserve/tips/cv6tip_25.htm

'32 WRAP IT UP Rating: *** Wrap your water heater in an insulating jacket Put your hand on your water heater. If it feels warm, install an insulating blanket around it, available at hardware stores. The colder its location, the greater the heat loss. You can save energy and reduce green house emissions up to 1,000 lbs/year. On gas water heaters, be sure to keep the insulation away from the drain at the bottom and the flue at the top, and make sure airflow to the burner at the bottom is not obstructed.
Seattle City Light Conservation

'33 CURTAIN CALL Rating: *** Use curtains to help control the temperature Drapes, window shades and blinds can be an effective way to keep your home more comfortable and environmentally sound. A drape can reduce heat lost through a window by one-third. An insulated drape can reduce it by half. Use your drapes actively. Open them on sunny winter days to allow warm sun in; close them on winter nights to retain heat; close them on hot summer days to keep the sun out. Consider adding an insulating lining to your draperies.
Seattle City Light Conservation

'34 LET YOUR COMPUTER SNOOZE Rating: *** Make sure sleep functions are enabled on your computer Many computers with power management systems in place are not operating as efficiently as they could because the systems are not turned on. Enabling these options can save 60-80 percent of the energy that would simply have been wasted. Also be aware that screen savers are not the same as sleep mode and do not save energy. And while enabling power management options is a good start, turning computers and other equipment off when not in use is even better.
Rocky Mountain Institute

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