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If turning the lights off for an hour for Earth Day last week was your version of a big effort for the environment, may we tempt you with some more low effort ways to make a difference? The delightfully titled “The Lazy Cheapskates Guide to Saving the Planet” offers up a few tips for the well meaning but lazy. I’ve cherry picked the ideas that seemed most practical.

• Make sure the seals around your windows, doors and heating ducts are intact – otherwise you’re wasting power and money on inefficient heating/cooling
• Turn down your water heater (they recommend 120 F which is about 49 C) and always wash your laundry in cold water. Washing in hot water is usually unnecessary, expensive and chews through power.
• Use cruise control when driving (I didn’t know that it’s more fuel efficient, but then my car doesn’t have CC)
• If washing dishes by hand, *don’t* do it under running water. Fill the basin, then wash.
• If you have a dishwasher, make sure you only run it when it’s full, and skip the prewash if possible.

I’d add – hang your laundry out to dry! Dryers chew up power and in our fairly mild climate they’re just not necessary. Get a laundry drying rack for indoors if you don’t want to wave your smalls at the neighbours. Got any other tips for easy greening? Share in comments please.

The Lazy Cheapskates Guide to Saving the Planet [Fivecentnickel.com]