There has been, and continues to be, much conversation about conserving energy in your home. Conservation is necessary to ensure there are enough resources for our future and the future of the next generations.

When the discussions about energy conservation began, people were overwhelmed and confused – to incorporate energy conservation in homes seemed complicated and expensive. As time passed, costs decreased and families are now able to incorporate energy-saving tools for much less money. Also, we have become more educated about conserving energy; it's becoming a way of life.

Following are 13 steps that you can do to conserve energy, money, and green your home.

1. Unplug, or turn off anything in your house that has a "keep alive", "sleep", or "hibernate" feature when you have finished using it for the day – the savings add up quickly.

2. Install or learn to use a programmable thermostat for heating and cooling.

3. Turn off lights each time you leave a room.

4. Contact your utility company to set up a free assessment of your energy usage and how to use energy more effectively. Utility companies are generally set up to render this service at no cost.

5. Change out standard light bulbs for energy efficient compact fluorescent bulbs that have a longer life. These light bulbs have become more cost efficient – watch for sales or rebates from your utility company. If everyone in the United States replaced all their standard bulbs for compact fluorescent bulbs this would be the equivalent of taking 1,000,000 cars off the road.

6. Determine if your utility company has different rates for using your utilities at different times of day; e.g., on-peak and off-peak hours.

7. Replace appliances with energy star products.

8. Recycle everything you can think of – cans, plastic bottles, wrapping paper, newspapers, magazines, cardboard boxes, etc. If your community does not have a recycling program, contact them to see if one can be started – if not, get creative – recycle anyway.

9. Run dishwasher when the dishwasher is full of dishes versus half full.

10. Buy and use BPA-free water bottles instead of buying water in plastic bottles.

11. Turn off your computers at night versus putting them to sleep.

12. Keep your tires inflated always; you will save money on fuel and go farther per mile.

13. Use cloth napkins during your meals versus paper napkins.

This is a short list of ideas for greening your home. It does not take a lot of extra work or money but it takes living life consciously to determine where you can begin to be conservative. Everything you do will make a difference. If you begin to incorporate the above suggestions, you will make an impact on the life and quality of our planet.