Saving The World From Your Home

(NAPSA)-There may be no place like home to help protect the environment. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star Program, our homes produce more greenhouse gas emissions than our cars, making the home a great place to take steps to reduce air pollution and help the environment. Simple changes can save families about a third on their energy bill with similar savings of harmful greenhouse gas emissions.

Last year alone, Energy Star helped American families reduce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of 10 million cars, while saving more than $5 billion on their energy bills, showing that individual actions really can make a difference. By changing to Energy Star, families can stay comfortable, save money, and help ensure a better future.

The EPA offers these suggestions:

• Put your own home to the test. Find out how efficient your home is and what energy efficiency improvements make the most sense for you with EPA's Home Improvement Toolbox. Visit www.energystar.gov and click on "Put your home to the test."
• Be smart at school. While shopping for dorm room items, choose lighting, computers, stereos, TVs, and other products that have earned the Energy Star. They consume less energy than conventional models. A dorm room equipped with these energy-efficient products can save about $130 per year on energy costs and reduce pollution.
• Change a light. A typical household spends about 10 percent of its annual electric bill on lighting-mostly due to inefficient fixtures and bulbs. Replacing a light in your house with an Energy Star-labeled lighting product is an easy way for you to save energy, money, and the environment without sacrificing the quality of lighting in your home. Energy efficient bulbs (CFLs) use up to 75 percent less energy and last up to 10 times longer! If just one room in every home used Energy Star lighting, the change would keep over one trillion pounds of carbon dioxide out of the air.
• Seal it up. Hidden gaps and cracks in a home can add up to as much airflow as having a window open all winter. Save money with Energy Star Home Sealing.
• Give a gift you can feel good about. Make a change for the better this holiday season by choosing energy efficient electronics that have earned the Energy Star. Qualified TVs, VCRs, DVD players, stereo equipment, home audio equipment and telephone products cost about the same as less-efficient products, but use up to 50 percent less energy and help reduce air pollution. That's a gift you can feel good about.

For more information about Energy Star, visit www.energy star.gov or call 1-888-STAR-YES.

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