Be “green” from now on and protect the environment by reducing the energy consumption in your home, saving some money on the bills while doing this as well. Unless you’re a billionaire you definitely want to save as much money as you can. Here are 5 ways in which you can reduce the electricity consumption in your home to pitch in the fight to protect our beloved planet.

1. Unplug

By unplugging your electronic devices after you are done with using them, you save about 10% of your home’s energy consumption. In addition, by unplugging them you protect them from getting fried in case of a power fluctuation. For example, after the phone finishes charging you should unplug the charger from the socket, or if you are done with using the computer, unplug both the computer and the screen.

2. Use energy efficient appliances

To recognize an energy efficient device or appliance, look for the Energy Star label on it. Energy Star is a voluntary program sponsored by D.O.E. and E.P.A. that identifies and labels all energy efficient products. Energy efficient appliances include dishwashers, freezers, refrigerators, computers, dryers, and more. Such an appliance or device can go as much as to consume half of what a typical model would, reducing energy consumption considerably, and saving you a lot of money by doing so.

3. Turn on the ceiling fan

Use the ceiling fans in your advantage, and reduce your energy consumption by doing this. When it’s summer simply set the ceiling fans to spin counter-clockwise, pulling the hot air to the ceiling, keeping it away from the living space, and during winter just reverse the setting and the hot air will blow down, making the heating more efficient.

4. Energy efficient light bulbs

As soon as the evening sets in, all lights are turned on. Therefore, finding a method to make lighting more energy efficient is important. To have “green” lighting, simply replace all your incandescent lights with energy-efficient compact fluorescent lights. Beside consuming 60% less than the incandescent light bulbs, they have a bigger life span as well. To be more precise, an energy-efficient compact fluorescent light bulb lasts 10 times longer than an incandescent light bulb.

5. Close your doors and windows

During winter when you turn on your central heating, if you don’t make sure that all the doors and windows are shut, you waste a lot of heat. This goes for the hot summer days as well, because you will have your air conditioner consuming more than it’s needed if you don’t close the doors and windows. In summer, it’s a good idea to not only close the windows, but pull the shades as well. Around 40% of the heat comes from the fact that the sun is invading your home through them anyway, so deny it entrance to keep cool and consume as less energy as possible.