Energy experts say Americans waste the most energy of any other country! Bigger homes, bigger cars, you get the picture. The good news is that in this down economy there are easy ways to go green, and save energy!

• Each degree you turn down the heat saves 3 percent of heating costs, while each degree you raise the temperature of your air conditioner saves 3-4 percent of cooling costs.
• It’s summer stop cooking with your oven! Instead, cook with a slow cooker or a toaster oven (or even a solar oven!) to reduce electrical use from kitchen appliances. Or even better, fire up the grill outside.
• Switch to a laptop instead of using a desktop computer and cut three-quarters off your electrical use. Turn off the laptop at the end of the day.
• Switch to cold water washing and save 80 percent on energy used for laundry and save an estimated $60 a year.
• Stop using heat-producing halogen lamps (they can also be fire hazards).
  Install occupancy or motion sensors on outdoor lights.
• Switch to compact fluorescent from regular incandescent bulbs and use 60 percent less energy per bulb.
• Keep your tires inflated to improve gas mileage by 3 percent.

Going green doesn’t mean you have to follow every single tip, but experts say if you can follow some of them you’ll notice a difference in your energy bills!