A Little Maintenance Makes a Difference

I've recently begun the process for getting my writing and design studio certified by the city of San Francisco as a "green business." The process starts with an eight page checklist of steps to take to make my premises greener. Within these pages are some things that both homeowners and renters can do to help reduce their footprint:

Ban the draft.

• Add a draft blocker to your door. [different styles;DIY]
• Close the flue on your fireplace when not in use.
• Weatherize your windows.

Lose the leaks.

• A leaky toilet can use 90,000 gallons of water in one month. Seriously! It's not hard to fix a leaky toilet and it ends that annoying noise.
• A leaky faucet is no better.

Tune in, clean up, turn down.

• Do an energy audit on your home to get a handle on where your utility money is going each month.
  
• Clean the vents on your appliances and replace their filters to make them run more efficiently (check your fridge, your water heater, and your washer and dryer).
• Turn down the thermostat and put on a sweater instead. Also turn down the temprature on your water heater (you may need to do some adjusting to find the right level, but there's no reason it needs to be going full blast).
• Add low-flow showerheads, faucets and toilet tanks.