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I recently read a very interesting piece in the March 17th issue of Newsweek entitled “Not Just for Tree Huggers” (I know, I’m way behind in my reading). It talked about the housing market and how although the market itself is down, green homes were still hot commodities.

While I am sure most recent grads aren’t looking to buy or build a home at this point in our lives, there was a lot of useful information in the article. It’s also good to know that being eco-friendly is becoming a more attractive option in housing construction, as it is a great way to reduce both costs and wasted resources long-term. When the time comes to start looking at potentially getting your own home, going green could be something to consider.

photo credit: taberandrew

Here were some of the highlights of the article that you can implement in your current housing situation, or ask your landlord to look into.

- Installing low-voltage lights, which use less energy their normal-volted counterparts. This type of lighting can be installed both inside and outside the building.
- Couple those low voltage fixtures with fluorescent light bulbs, which last longer up to 10 times longer and use 2/3 less energy than a standard incandescent bulb.
- Using a ceiling fan to circulate air throughout the house, especially in large common areas keeps your home cooler and can be a much cheaper replacement for using your A/C unit.
- Maximize the windows you have, and let in as much natural light as possible. Not only does it reduce your reliance on artificial lighting, it doesn’t make your house feel like a cavern anymore!
- Low-flow faucets – especially in the kitchen sink – utilize less water and still will get your dishes just as clean. As for going low-flow in the shower, if you haven’t seen this Seinfeld episode, well, tread carefully. I’ll stick to shorter, high-flow showers myself.
- Installing Energy Star appliances that are certified to use less energy.
- Recycling: This can be as simple as returning cans & bottles (for a cash refund where applicable) or restoring and renovating older furniture instead of buying new.
- Specialized windows that reflect heat, keeping the house warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.

Not all of these options are necessarily cheap, or ones you should be implementing yourselves – especially if you are renting – but all are relatively easy ways to save some money and energy in your home by increasing efficiency.

For those social-networking addicts among us, you can even use the “I Am Green” Facebook application to display to your friends how environmentally friendly (and money conscious!) you are.

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