Home Builders Association of Chester and Delaware Counties

Saving the Planet Starts at Home

One of the most local ways to save the planet is to use energy and natural resources in your home wisely. Here is a list of simple, everyday activities that you can do in the home to help make our earth a healthier and happier place.

  • When buying a new home, seek out models built using voluntary energy efficiency programs. These homes feature state-of-the-art elements that protect the environment, conserve energy, and in some cases, guarantee home buyers a reduced utility bill or utility rebates. Some home builders and lenders even offer energy efficiency mortgages that qualify home buyers for a 15 to 20 percent larger mortgage.
  • Keep the refrigerator door shut. Only open it to take food in and out. Close the door while you're filling ice cube trays and while you're unpacking groceries.
  • Save energy in the bathroom. Turn off the water when you aren't using it. Take short showers instead of baths. Brush your teeth with the water off.
  • Lower the heat. By turning the heat down just a few degrees, Americans could save more than 500,000 barrels of oil a day. If you're chilly, put on a sweater instead of turning up the heat.
  • Turn the air conditioning thermostat up or off. Save valuable energy by keeping the air conditioning above 75 degrees in your house.
  • Fix leaky pipes and faucets. One tiny leak can waste up to 50 gallons of water a day.
  • Start a tree-planting program. Trees provide energy-conserving shade, help clean our air and water and provide habitat for wildlife.
  • Reuse glass containers, paper bags, gift boxes, plastic bags, cloth diapers and rechargeable batteries.
  • Recycle newspapers, aluminum cans, one and two coded plastics, glass and toys. Recycling doesn't just help our planet, it helps make the earth a prettier and healthier place by saving trees. You can help by taking your used books, magazines and comic books to a hospital, and your bundled newspapers to a recycling center. If each of us recycled just one newspaper a week, we could save 25 billion trees every year.