LEDs (light-emitting diodes) can be used in a variety of light fixtures—from display lighting to task lighting to outdoor lighting. These bulbs produce no heat (so they reduce cooling costs), are unbreakable, last 35 to 50 times longer than conventional bulbs, and save upwards of 75 percent on electricity costs.

Growing your own food requires less energy for transporting it to the store and then transporting it home. A $3 package of tomato seeds can grow $60 worth of tomatoes and cut your gas bill, too.

Plant three trees in optimum shading locations around your home to save between $100 and $250 every year in heating and cooling costs.

Take public transit instead of driving to work and you could cut your transportation costs by $8,000 annually.

Add an insulation wrap to your hot water tank for about $20. This investment will pay for itself in a couple of months, and will then continue to save you money for years to come.

Adjusting the shades on your windows can help to reduce heat transfer. Keep the shades raised during daylight hours in winter months to allow the sun’s heat into your home, and lower the shades during the day in summer months to keep solar heat out. This could cut your heating and cooling bills between $10 and $100 annually depending on your local climate, efficiency of your windows and shades, and direction your home faces.

Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), which use 65 to 80 percent less energy and last 8-10 times longer. CFLs are a bit more expensive up front, but by replacing the five most-used bulbs in your home with CFLs, you will save $60 yearly.

A pool filter pump can be one of the largest users of electrical energy in a home. If you reduce the amount of time you run the pump, you’ll save energy and money.

A front loading washing machine uses less energy for spinning than top-loaders and could save you up to $100 annually in electricity costs. Front-loaders also use less water and less detergent, saving you even more.

ENERGY STAR dishwashers cut energy costs by $30 over other models yearly.

Look for the ENERGY STAR label on a new dehumidifier to save $20/year or $250 over the life of the unit.

Choose an ENERGY STAR washing machine the next time you need to replace your old one to save $145+ every year on utility bills. If your washer is 10+ years old, it’s time to replace.

Use cold water for washing laundry to save up to $63 every year in energy costs.

Choose a television with an energy-saving standby feature (and make sure it’s activated!) to save between $10 and $40 every year in electricity costs.

LCD televisions are generally more efficient than plasma TVs, so choose a more efficient option to save up to $60 every year in power consumption.

If you’re television uses 130 watts, and your cable box 35 watts, and your electricity costs about $0.08 per kWh, one hour of television watching might cost $1.42. Save money by encouraging your kids to have one Green Hour every day away from the television and pocket the energy savings.

Choose an energy efficient television model to save $30+ every year on energy costs.

Install a power strip to completely power-down all electronics, including televisions, computers, monitors, DVDs, VCRs, and set top boxes when they’re not in use. Although it’s difficult to estimate how much this will save one home since it depends on the quantity and efficiency of your electronics and the price of your power, as a nation, this could cut $750 million from our annual electricity bill.

Look for the ENERGY STAR logo on all battery-powered devices you’re considering buying, whether it’s a power tool, a new electronic device, or a household appliance. These will come with battery charging systems that are 35 percent more efficient than standard models.

Choose ENERGY STAR for your entire computer system (monitor, computer, printer, and fax) to save $115 in energy costs over the lifetime of your equipment.

Buy an ENERGY STAR television to save 30 percent in energy costs.

If you’re in the market for a new computer, choose a laptop to save $25 in electricity yearly.

Use your computer’s power management features to ensure it shuts down when not in use to save between $40 and $80 annually in electricity.