Home improvements that are environmentally friendly are more cost-effective — and more accessible — than ever. When thinking about making your home more eco-sensitive, your options are many: energy- and water-reducing appliances, energy-saving windows, plus sustainable floors and countertops, just to name a few.

So how do you choose? A full-scale green remodel of your home this year may not be realistic. Turns out, that’s OK. If you invest in only one major green upgrade to your home this year, we’ve got the answer.

The big ones: appliances, windows and floors

The best change you can make is to swap out old appliances for Energy Star models, says Jessica Jensen, co-founder of Low Impact Living, a green home-improvement organization based in Los Angeles. Energy Star is a government program that promotes money savings and environmental protection through energy-efficient products and practices.

Among the worst environmental offenders at home are refrigerators, dishwashers and laundry appliances. An Energy Star-rated dishwasher runs about $400 and reduces household water consumption by 1,200 gallons per year, while consuming less energy. An Energy Star refrigerator costs $800-$1,000 and saves 550 KwH (kilowatt hours) of electricity annually. Like the dishwasher, an energy-efficient clothes washer saves on both water and energy. An Energy Star clothes washer costs $650-$750 and saves approximately 5,000 gallons of water per year. (A clothes dryer is actually so environmentally unfriendly that Energy Star doesn’t offer a rated model.)

Many local governments and utility companies offers rebates for energy-efficient appliance upgrades, so your initial investment may be less than you think. And give some thought to what you’ll do with your old appliances. Rather than dumping them in a landfill, check with your city’s bureau of sanitation about appliance recycling options.

Unless you’re building a new home, Jensen doesn’t recommend going to the expense of replacing existing windows — just caulk and seal what you have. Rather than upgrade windows, focus on improving your home’s insulation, which is cheaper and has a higher energy-savings impact.

Take stock of how much insulation is in your attic, recommends David Johnston, green building consultant and author of Green Remodeling: Changing the World One Room at a Time. If you measure less than 12 inches, adding insulation is your next best investment after appliances. For about 40 to 50 cents a square foot, you can increase your home’s efficiency in both heating and cooling.

“Heat rises, so any insulation improvements you can do in the attic are beneficial,” says Johnston. “It’s like going outside on a cold day without a hat.”

If you can avoid it, don’t show floors the door

Comparing appliances and window upgrades to a flooring remodel is a bit like comparing apples to pears, says Jensen. Appliances and windows save energy, while flooring products impact forests and trash production. But, like windows, Jensen suggests not to replace floors unless you absolutely have to.

“The best thing to do from a sustainability perspective is to keep anything you already have,” Jensen recommends. “With an appliance, you can make a material improvement with energy usage. With a floor, all you do is send something to landfill.”

That said, Jensen recognizes that old carpet wears out. So, here’s what to do if you need to replace your flooring.

Seek out sustainably harvested wood products such as bamboo or cork. Both are rapidly growing materials, and bamboo in particular is only a bit more expensive than traditional hardwoods. Other smart flooring options include using reclaimed wood from barn siding or floors from other buildings, the wood from which is resurfaced and resold by lumber acquirers. Avoid carpet, as it wears out quickly and commonly ends up in landfill. “It’s not always obvious what you should do,” Jensen concedes. “If you have anything you can keep, keep it with the exception of appliances.”

Sustainable home-building products may not be at your local chain hardware store. However, green building retail outlets such as Ecohaus in Seattle and Livingreen in Santa Barbara and Culver City, Calif., are beginning to crop up all over the country. Online resources, including Low Impact Living and GreenBuilding can also direct you to contractors in your area skilled at working with sustainable products. And see Energy Star for a comprehensive list of recommended appliances.

 

    Six easy ways to save a little cash and the environment

    Here are some Earth-friendly tips that can be implemented in a weekend (or less) and save money, energy and a whole lot of water:

  • Use a drying rack in place of your clothes dryer whenever possible.
  • Install aerators in sink faucets, which increases pressure coming out of the tap but reduces overall water volume. A low-flow showerhead (about $30) will reduce your water consumption by 2,000 to 3,000 gallons a year.
  • Add an on-demand hot water pump, a handy device that can decrease a family of four’s water use by 22,000 gallons a year. The pump pulls hot water instantly to an upstairs shower or sink — or any faucet far away from the water heater. There’s no need to waste water while you wait for the shower to heat up. The unit costs approximately $250, and can be retrofitted to an existing home by a do-it-yourselfer or plumber.
  • Turn down your water heater to 120 degrees. An insulation blanket ($20) wrapped around your water heater will also prevent energy loss.
  • Don’t over-water your yard (or your driveway or street, for that matter), and never water during the hottest part of the day. Instead of watering daily for a short period of time, set your sprinklers to water 15 minutes every other day.
  • For approximately $100, outfit your house with compact fluorescent or LED lightbulbs. We’ve heard this one before, but it bears repeating. The price is about twice the cost of traditional bulbs, but the investment will pay for itself in a year. What’s more, upgrading to compact fluorescents or LED lighting will reduce your energy consumption by 20 to 30 percent.

    • Sources: David Johnston, Greenbuilding; Jessica M. Jensen, Low Impact Living