3 Low Cost/high Value Green Home Solutions

I love low tech/high value green solutions. Why spend more money than you must to conserve energy and lower your bills? This is the single biggest mistake I see clients make. They spend more money than they need to on lighting, water and electricity. So here are my 3 favorite low cost/low tech/high value items for use in your home. I'm leaving out the obvious ones like CFL's and low-flow showerheads. With that, here are 3 simple, boring solutions, each with an immediate payback.

Solar LED Rocks

You can buy these for about $10/rock online or at any home goods store. They sit outside all day and then stay on all night. You can put them on walkways, around doorways, etc. We have them in our backyard on the way to my daughter's swing-set. With these rocks, you don't need to keep many lights on (if any) at night, thus reducing your electricity bills substantially. They also are much brighter than you would think and stay on for a long time.

Toilet Tank Bank

The toilet tank bank sure isn't sexy but it will give you an immediate return on your money. With it you save .8 gallons of water per flush. For a house with 2 toilets, used 4 times a day, it saves 2336 gallons a year. Cost? Under 2 bucks. Installation instructions: 1. Fill with water. 2. Put in toilet talk. Time to install? About 2 minutes. This works even if you have a low-flow toilet. Another great low tech solution that gives you an immediate return on your money.

Sink Aerators

This one is my personal favorite. It's super low-tech and can make a big difference in your water bills. Sink aerators cost less than a latte ($1.50) and can reduce your water consumption by 50%. Put these on every faucet in your house and you will see results on your next water bill. Plus, you will barely notice the difference in water pressure from your faucet. Total install time- about 5 minutes.

Boring solutions that save you money

These solutions aren't sexy and aren't going to win any high-tech awards but they will do three important things: 1. Save you money almost immediately. 2. Reduce your resource consumption. 3. Reduce your impact on the planet.

Even if these three things only save you a few hundred dollars a year, right now that's a pretty good deal. Plus, do you really want to spend more money than you have to on toilet water, outdoor night lighting and hand washing water?