It is that time of year again when many of us think about ways we can improve our lives and make lists of resolutions we are determined to make happen in the new year. These New Year’s resolutions are often aimed at improving our health, losing weight, spending more time with family or saving money.
If you would like to come up with a list of changes you can make and set goals that are good for the environment and good for you, here are six eco-friendly New Year’s resolutions that can lower your environmental impact and your utility bills.
6 Eco-Friendly New Year’s Resolutions
1. Get an Energy Audit
There are several options available for energy audits; however, a good place to start is with a free energy audit from San Diego Gas & Electric. If you choose to go further with this project, you can always pay an energy consultant to come out and give you more energy-saving ideas, but you might be surprised at how much energy and money you can save after getting a free audit.
You can watch a video and learn more on the San Diego Gas & Electric website, or you can call (800) 411-7343 to schedule an in-home audit with a Customer Energy Specialist.
Once you have received energy conservation recommendations for your home, check out the Home Energy Renovation Opportunity (HERO) program to see if your projects might be eligible for this special financing option.
For additional ways to conserve energy and save money on your energy bill, check out these previous posts:
How to Reduce Energy Usage in Your Backyard
Your Guide to HERO Program Financing for Energy Efficient Improvements
Top 7 Ways to Reduce Your Pool’s Energy Use
Apps that Can Reduce Your Home Energy Usage
Top 10 Ways to Save Energy at Home
2. Install a Rain Barrel
City of San Diego residential water customers are eligible to receive a $1.00 per gallon rebate for rainwater storage systems of up to 400 gallons. This means you could install multiple rain barrels and connect them together to save even more water, or you could install a single rain barrel that meets the 45-gallon storage capacity minimum.
To learn more about this rebate and the requirements for your rainwater storage system to qualify, visit the City of San Diego website.
Here are additional resources regarding using rain barrels to catch and store rainwater:
How to Use Water from Rain Barrels: Tips + Ideas
San Diego Rain Barrel Rebates
How to Harvest Rainwater Using Rain Barrels
3. Set up indoor and outdoor recycling systems.
Most Californians probably already have an indoor recycling bin that they can empty into the blue recycling bin most San Diegans have outside. This is a great start and is a great way to encourage your friends and family to recycle as much as possible.
The problem is, most homeowners stop here and often do not also put a recycling bin in or near their outdoor entertaining areas. Therefore, when hosting guests in outdoor spaces, there may be no obvious spot for disposing of bottles and cans. This could lead to recyclables ending up in the landfill. You can avoid this by simply placing a recycling bin on or near your patio.
If you prefer taking your cans, plastic bottles and glass bottles to a recycling center, you may want to set out a three-bin recycling system (inside and outside) to save you from having to sort your recyclables before turning them in.
4. Invest in a pool cover.
Covering your pool when not in use significantly reduces evaporation. This, in turn, lowers your pools environmental impact by conserving water and reducing energy used to heat the pool. Therefore, with this single investment, you can save both water and energy. In fact, you can save so much water and energy that you should almost immediately see a reduction in your utility bills.
As an example, while it only takes one Btu to heat one pound of water one degree, every pound of 80-degree water that evaporates off removes 1,048 Btu of heat (energy.gov). Further, while the amount of water lost through evaporation varies greatly depending on the size of the pool and weather conditions, you can expect to lose somewhere between one-half inch and two inches of water every week to evaporation.
If you would like to learn about other ways you can make your pool a bit eco-friendlier, check out Top 7 Ways to Reduce Your Pool’s Energy Use.
5. Get a WaterSmart Checkup.
The San Diego County Water Authority offers free WaterSmart Checkups to homeowners, rental property owners and commercial property owners. There are a variety of checkups available to suite your particular property, and each is provided by a certified irrigation professional who provides property-specific, water-saving recommendations. For owners of single-family homes, this includes recommendations for saving water both inside and outside of your home.
There is no obligation to complete the recommendations once you receive them, so you can take your time implementing the suggestions based on your lifestyle and budget.
To learn more or apply for a free checkup, visit the WaterSmart Checkup website.
6. Replace your lawn with hardscapes, artificial grass or native plants.
Residential lawns contribute significantly to a household’s water consumption. Because of this, one of the quickest and easiest ways to save water and lower your water bill is to stop watering your lawn. If you are concerned about the appearance of your landscaping, you may want to go a step farther to remove your lawn and replace it with a low- or no-water option.
Options to consider include replacing it with low-water, drought-tolerant, native plants, installing an artificial grass lawn or expanding your outdoor living space with a paving stone patio. Any of these options will help you save water and can make your yard more attractive and more functional.
To learn more about these options for saving water, here are some previous posts that might be of interest:
13 Succulents that Are Native to San Diego
Can I Add Year-Round Color to My Garden Using California Native Plants?
Alternatives to Grass in Your Backyard: TOP Lawn Replacement Options
10 Places Homeowners Use Artificial Grass & Why
Increase Your Property Value with a Paving Stone Makeover
Further Reading
If you need a little more inspiration for making your list of eco-friendly New Year’s resolutions, check out some of our previous New Year’s posts:
9 Landscaping New Year’s Resolutions
New Year’s Resolutions for Homeowners: 2015 Edition
20 Water-Saving New Year’s Resolutions
10 Home and Garden Resolutions for the New Year
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