Feeling the pinch when it comes time to pay your monthly bills? Lucky for you there are a few simple steps you can take to cut down your energy costs. With just a few simple and inexpensive products – some of which you probably even already have in your home – you can potentially to knock hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars off your annual energy bill. On top of that, a home that is energy efficient can also dramatically transform how you and your family live by creating a comfortable space that promotes both health and well-being. Watch our video guide above and learn about these 6 smart, simple and affordable home products that will leave you with lower heating bills, a pocket full of cash saved, and a house full of happy inhabitants!

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Post tags: "energy star", draft guard, eco design, eco home, eco home tips, energy saving products, energy star appliances, Energy-Efficient Appliances, go green in your home, great stuff crack sealer, green design, green home tips, insulation, led light bulbs, LEDs, money saving tips, natural insulation, products that help you save energy, programmable thermostat, save energy in your home, save money, save money in your home, sustainable design, Ways to Green Your Kitchen

By now, we hope that most of you know that swapping incandescent bulbs with LED bulbs saves money and energy, but there’s still a lingering misconception that LED bulbs emit a cold, bluish light that is just not as warm or attractive as the old filament-filled bulbs we grew up with. To dispel this fallacy, we sought out a group of people with a critical eye for light bulb color and ambiance – lighting designers on the show floor of the International Contemporary Furniture Fair at New York Design Week. These meticulous designers take light warmth and quality very seriously (that is their job after all), so we couldn’t think of anyone better suited to give an honest opinion about the latest generation of high-tech LED light bulbs. Watch our video above to see how we retrofitted five gorgeous designer lamps with new Philips LED light bulbs – and in the process saved $1,732.86 in energy costs and won over some designer converts to the future of LED lighting.

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Post tags: 12.5 W LED Bulb, cardboard lamp, Christopher Poehlmann, CP Lighting, designer lamps, eco lamps, eco light bulbs, eco lighting design, eco-friendly lighting, energy saving bulbs, energy saving lamps, energy saving light bulbs, Energy Savings, gabriel kakon, gabriel scott, Graypants, green bulbs, green light bulbs, green light fixtures, green lighting, ICFF, icff 2012, inhabitat video, International Contemporary Furniture Fair, jill fehrenbacher, jonathan junker, LED bulbs, led light bulbs, LED lights, LEDs, misewell, Philips, philips bulbs, Philips led bulbs, philips leds, switch to leds, vincent georgeson

If you’ve been feeling the pinch like we have, you’ve probably learned to shop smarter, pack your own lunch, and cut back on the gourmet coffee, but you might still be missing out on big savings if your home hasn’t been optimized for energy efficiency. The good news is that just a few quick and easy DIY upgrades to your home could equate to hundreds or even thousands of dollars a year in savings on your energy bill. Crafting a home energy-optimization strategy sounds more daunting than it is. We’ve rounded up 15 great inexpensive and easy-to-find green home improvement products that will set you on the path towards a lower energy bill and more moolah in the bank – read on to get the inside scoop on all of them.

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Brrrrrrr! The weather’s getting colder (some cities have already seen snow!) and that means that many of us will soon be seeing a big spike on our monthly electricity bills. But it doesn’t have to be that way – there are plenty of simple ways to minimize the amount of energy needed to heat your home and save a bundle of cash doing it. From properly insulating your house to simply dressing for the season, check out our 10 easy tips to cut your home’s energy use – you’ll thank us when you receive your next electricity bill!

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Tucked inside the massive 1,200-page spending bill that’s currently sitting on President Obama’s desk is an agreement that overturns part of the incandescent light bulb ban. The agreement could seriously slow the switch to more energy-efficient lighting. The provision, which Republicans have fought tooth and nail for, stops the Obama administration from spending any money to carry out the new rules, which mandate that all light bulbs use at least 25 percent less energy, effectively eliminating the 100-watt incandescent. The laws were approved with bipartisan support and signed by George W. Bush in 2007.

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Tomorrow Philips will unveil the world’s first LED replacement for the 75-watt incandescent light bulb during the LIGHTFAIR International trade show. The new Philips EnduraLED A21 17-watt light bulb is the first LED equivalent to 75-watt incandescent bulbs, and it will consume 80 percent less energy than its outdated predecessor. The new bulbs last 25 times longer than normal incandescent bulbs, marking another important milestone technological achievement everyday LED residential use. Having been the first company to create a LED to replace the 60-watt incandescent, it’s no surprise that Philips is releasing an even brighter bulb.

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A study by UC Irvine’s Department of Population Health & Disease Prevention has discovered that LED diodes contain unsafe levels of carcinogenic toxins. While LED’s less energy friendly cousin’s, CFLs, contain a measured amount of mercury, LEDs are laden with lead, arsenic and a handful of other chemicals that have been linked to different cancers, neurological damage, kidney disease, hypertension, skin rashes and other serious illnesses. Not only are these chemicals harmful to consumers if the bulbs are mishandled or broken, but extracting those toxins from the earth is a destructive process.

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As we watch the lowly incandescent bulb fade into the dark for more energy efficient alternatives, there is one designer ready to canonize the dying bulb into retro status. Designed by Vienna-based Maciej Chmara, the Sympathy for the Bulb Lamp offers a new place to screw in your CFLs and LED replacements, all with a tongue-in-cheek cutout design referencing the ”classic” lightbulb. Flat-packed within cardboard, this simple wood lamp is easily transportable and can be setup in a snap!

+ Maciej Chmara

via Mocoloco

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