GREEN IRENE WORKS HER (HIS) MAGIC

I was lucky enough to eavesdrop on my friend K's (of Better Living Through Design) home consultation with Green Irene last month as her Green Irene consultant, Jeff, gave her the full scoop on energy efficiency for her newfound pad.

You can read my full article, "Green Irene: The Footprint Doctor is In" over at Your Daily Thread.

Here are some hot home facts and figures Jeff shared that day:

*Invest a few bucks in a fridge thermometer. It should read between 37 and 40 degrees F, so if it's lower (colder), you can turn your fridge down a notch and save energy as that appliance eats up 8% of your monthly electric bill. (Talking with Jeff convinced me that the next major purchase I make--after a natural mattress--will be an energy-efficient fridge. Most utilities will pick up and recycle your old one for free or may even give you thirty bucks to haul it off!)

*More on the fridge: see if a dollar bill will stick in the door to make sure your suction is working well and trapping cool air as it should.

*15% of your energy use is lighting, so switching to CFLs is a super duper energy saver and the best first place to focus your efforts.

*Using a power strip to cut off phantom power could cut 9-12% off your energy bill.

*20% of home heat loss escapes through leaky, uninsulated windows.

*Electric stoves are more efficient than gas ones.

*If you have a gas stove, make sure the flames are burning blue.

*Set your water heater (until investing in a tankless) at 120 degrees F.

And that's just skimming the surface. If you're not in the complete know about energy, waste, and water for your own home (or apartment), one of Green Irene's consultants will come to your place loaded with facts, figures, worksheets, data, action plans, stats, and helpful advice, all at an H&R Block kind of price.