A lot of the heating and cooling energy you are paying for each month could be going right out the window.  Whether you live in a warm climate or a cool climate, insulated drapes, curtains, or window blinds can help you save energy and reduce power bills by providing a barrier that reduces drafts, and blocks hot sunlight in the summer months.

And, no, insulated drapes don’t have to look like the ones your grandma bought in 1972!  Insulated window treatments are widely-accepted as a green living necessity, and are available in lots of modern styles.

These tab-top drapes come in several shades, and are insulated on the back side with a 100% acrylic lining.  They come in several sizes, up to 160″ x 84″.  Matching valances are optional.  I found the insulated curtains at Plow and Hearth.

Electric blankets are a great way to save energy,sleep toasty, and reduce heating bills in the cooler months.  By keeping your bed warm, there is no need to heat the rest of your home to room temperature during the overnight hours. Any electric blanket uses only a fraction of the energy of your home’s furnace, but if you want to save even more energy, select the most energy-efficient electric blanket you can find.

The electric blanket above uses only 25V of electricity, compared to the 120V used by most other electric blankets.  There’s a pre-warm feature that lets you quickly “preheat” your bed at the highest setting, before the blanket automatically switches back to its regular setting.  There is also an automatic 10 hour timer which will turn the blanket off if you forget.

The Safe & Warm electric blanket is available at Frontgate in twin, king, and queen sizes.  King and queen sizes have dual controls in case you and your sleep-mate differ when it comes to sleeping temps.

Always follow the safety recommendations included with your electric blankets.  Here are more electric blanket safety tips.

Are there vampires sucking the energy right out of your home?  There probably are, and the problem is not one that can be fixed with a handful of garlic.  Vampire power refers to the energy your home appliances, computers, and other gadgets consume when you aren’t even using them.  According to the U.S. Department of Energy, 75% of the power consumed in the U.S. is used when electronics and appliances are turned off.

Here are some likely spots to look for wasted, ‘vampire’ power:

• Televisions
• Rechargeable power tools
• Coffee pots
• Rechargeable vacuum cleaners
• Cordless phones
• Baby monitors
• Stereo systems

If you want to rid your home of vampires, conserve energy, and save a buck, simply unplug anything you aren’t actively using.  If this seems like an inconvenience, plug as many of your home electronics as possible into power strips.  Then you can cut the power to multiple items with just one switch.  Source:  What’s Wasting Energy in Your Home Right Now.

If all this talk about vampires has you thinking about Halloween costumes, the vampire costume above is available at Webhats.

A study mentioned on the U.K.’s Money News website this week provides evidence that some folks are turning to green living measures purely for financial reasons.  According to the British study by Norwich and Peterborough, 69% of people are more likely to install energy-efficient devices such as kitchen appliances and turn to alternative energy sources than they were one year ago.

What about you?  Are the constant pressures of high gas prices, and soaring energy bills causing you to adopt greener habits and look for energy-saving home products? Whether it’s for economic reasons or otherwise, going green is always a good idea.

Here are a few quick energy saving tips for saving money and living green:

• Set your washing machine to cold water wash.
• Buy an insulated blanket for your water heater.
• Avoid running your dishwasher until it’s full.
• Change your furnace filter monthly.
• Buy a reduced-flow shower head.
• Shut the water off when you brush your teeth.
• Stick to weekly or bi-weekly shopping trips to avoid wasting fuel on multiple trips to the store.

One of the latest advancements in energy-efficient kitchen appliances is induction range. Induction cooktops and kitchen ranges use magnetic friction to deliver heat, through coils, to the cookware you are using. During induction cooking, the ceramic surface of the range stays cool, and that nearly all, (85-90%), of the energy generated is used for the cooking process.

The countertop induction range shown above has a ceramic top and all-stainless enclosure. It includes 100 cooking levels, a timer, and built-in safety features. As with all induction ranges, it must be used with cookware made from ferrous (magnetic) metals, such as steel, iron, or nickel. For more information about the Vollrath countertop induction range, visit the WEBstaurant Store. Com.

Did you know that 80-90% of the energy used to do laundry is for heating the water? It’s true- switching your washing machine to cold can save you some cash, and reduce your impact on the environment. Here are a few of the advantages of setting your washer to cold water wash.

• Environmental Benefits: According to Ideal Bite, switching to cold water wash means you’ll keep more than 1,200 pounds of CO2 out of the air.
• Save Clothes: Clothes washed in cold water fade less, and last longer than clothes that aren’t. Extending the life of your clothing means you’ll buy less, save money, and reduce landfill waste.
• Save Energy: Save around $60 a year in energy costs by switching to cold water wash.

Don’t you find it amazing that some of the most signifficant changes we can make towards a greener lifestyle are also the simplest? Here’s a long list of simple green living tips.

Whether you use a dishwasher, or you do your dishes the old-fashioned way, there are a few things you can do to conserve energy and save water in your home.

Dishwashers:  If you use a dishwasher, you can save water by scraping your dishes rather than rinsing them before you put them in the dishwasher .  If your dishwasher has a heat dry option, turn it off to save energy, and allow you dishes to air dry.  Also, wait until you have a full load of dishes before running your dishwasher.  Your dishwasher uses the same amount of energy and water regardless of the load size, so make sure you’re getting your money’s worth.  Choose a phosphate-free dishwasher detergent to reduce pollution. Need a new one?  Here’s help for selecting a  green dishwasher.

Kitchen Sink:  If you do your dishes in the kitchen sink, fill one side with soapy water, then one side with rinse water, and rinse by dipping the soapy dishes into the water on the rinsing side.  Avoid letting the water run the entire time you are doing dishes.   You can also install a sink aerater on your kitchen faucet for conserving water. Phosphate free dish soap for doing dishes by hand is widely available.

Source:  Care 2 Make a Difference

Of all household appliances, refrigerators are near the top of the list when it comes to energy consumption. If you’re looking for a green refrigerator to help you save energy, consider the following tips:

Read the Labels: A great first step in selecting green household appliances, refrigerators included, is to narrow down your search by reading the energy consumption labels on the appliances. By doing so, you’ll quickly be able to determine which appliances are the most energy-efficient.

Don’t Buy More than You Need: Larger refrigerators require more energy than smaller ones. Buying a large refrigerator when a small one is sufficient, results in wasted energy due to continuously cooling space that you simply don’t need. On the flip side, if your family currently requires two refrigerators, you might want to consider upgrading to a single, but large, energy-efficient refrigerator, because one large refrigerator requires less energy than two smaller ones.

Style: When it comes to saving energy, the greenest refrigerators are typically top or bottom freezer models. However, you should always pay attention to energy saver appliance labels as manufacturers are continuously developing new styles of green appliances which consume less energy than their predecessors.

There is a common misconception that living green is always expensive. While some green household products do cost more than traditional products, there are many things you can do to save energy, reduce household waste, and live greener for less than $10. Here are just a few:

Install a sink water aerator: Available for just a few dollars, these household gadgets attach to your kitchen or bathroom water faucet, and will help you conserve water in your home.

Put up a clothes line: Get back to basics and line dry your clothes. For less than $10 you can buy clothes pins and the rope you need to make a brand new clothesline. Not only will you save energy by not using your clothes dryer, you’ll be surprised how fresh your clothes smell.

Make your own cleaner: You can easily mix your own homemade household cleaners with basic, low-cost ingredients such as baking soda, citrus fruits, and vinegar. Cost $3-$7.

Buy a plant: For a few bucks, a single house plant can help improve the air quality in your home.

Ditch the paper towels: Buy a package of washcloths or make your own from old clothing, and you’ll be reducing household waste and saving trees. Cost: $5-$10, and maybe nothing if you make your own.

Unplug!: Pull the plug on household electronics such as televisions and computers whenever you can. As always, this energy-saving technique is absolutely free!

For a typical family of 4, laundry is truly a never-ending chore. And, with more than 40 gallons of water and a cup of laundry detergent consumed with every load, laundry takes its toll on the environment too. In fact, if you’re looking for ways to save water and conserve energy, then adding green appliances to your laundry room is a great place to start.

The Staber model HXW2304 is an energy-efficient washing machine that uses 67% less water per load, 50% less energy, and 75% less detergent. It works using a patented horizontal axis agitation process, and it’s the only top loading washer in the U.S. of its kind. The unique design of this water conserving washing machine eliminates the middle agitator bar found in traditional washing machines, so you can fit up to twice as much laundry inside.

In addition to the environmental benefits such as conserving water and saving energy, adding an eco-friendly washing machine to your green home can help you save a few dollars too. Staber Industries, Inc. estimates that this model saves consumers an average of $300 per year.