Green Your Home at Any Price Point

Enlarge Image Image Gallery Delta Pilar Touch-Activated Faucet Photo Courtesy Delta

These savvy water- and energy-saving solutions span the budget spectrum.

Energy 

Clothes DryersElectric clothes dryers use up to 10 percent of your home’s energy. 

• High
Fisher & Paykel AeroSmart Dryer, $879
AeroSmart promises superspeedy drying times and energy savings, and a self-cleaning lint screen. 

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Clothesline, $10 to $175
Choose from thousands of models, including the Cord-O-Clip, a handy device that clips your clothes to the line automatically.  

Power Strips 

Even when they’re not on, your electronics draw electricity if they’re plugged into the wall. You can save up to 10 percent on your electric bill by plugging electronics into power strips you switch off when not in use. 

• High
GreenSwitch, $300 and up
GreenSwitch converts your outlets and wall switches so you can easily turn off electronics and light switches when not in use.

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“Smart” Power Strips, $15 to $30
Smart strips can sense when a device draws power and some turn themselves off automatically. 
P3 International 
WattStopper
BITS Limited 

Programmable ThermostatsThe average household spends more than $2,000 a year on energy bills—nearly half of which goes to heating and cooling. Once set correctly, a programmable thermostat can cut your heating and cooling bills by 20 to 30 percent annually. 

• High
Honeywell Prestige HD 7-Day Programmable Thermostat, $300
Sporting a full-color touch screen, this intelligent model walks you through the setup process. It can control your entire home, and you can program it to run different programs every day.

• Low
Honeywell 5-2 Day Programmable Thermostat, $20 to $50
Without the bells and whistles of its big brother, this model comes preprogrammed with the most common settings to make setup simple.