There has been a lot of talk lately in households about greening. If you had to choose a buzzword for 2009 it would be "green". As people react to the financial hardships they’re all of a sudden facing, they’re looking for ways to make their home greener and conserve money at the same time. One of the most obvious, conserving energy.

Here are some ideas to get you greener and conserving energy:

Replace your old incandescent light bulbs with ones better at conserving energy
Incandescent lamps have historically been the most common form of lighting used in residential homes due to their low cost. Incandescent sources, however, are relatively inefficient in their conversion of electrical energy to visible light. The inefficiency translates to higher cost. Simply replacing incandescence with more energy efficient fluorescent or LED bulbs will make a huge difference.

The US Department of Energy reports that we spend, on average, 5- to 10 percent of our electric bills on lighting alone. In some regions of the U.S. this amount can be as high as 25 percent.

Lighting manufacturers have spent a lot of time designing decorative fixtures that utilize these new, more energy-conserving bulbs. “In the past, so called ‘green’ products and lighting fixtures were not known for performing well, but we’ve invested a lot of time in creating fixtures that are both aesthetically pleasing and more energy efficient,” says Colleen Visage, senior product manager for Progress Lighting.

Similar work has been underway at Savoy House Lighting of Braselton, Ga., where they have developed an entire line of outdoor fixtures called Dark Sky that use Energy Star- rated compact florescent bulbs. “It’s extremely important with all the Congressional standards coming out that every manufacturer go in this direction,” says Kelle Hollenback, the company’s national sales manager. “Green is the wave of the future."

Use light controls
Lighting controls help at conserving energy --- green your home --- by either reducing operating time or light output.

Photocells, which turn lights on and off in response to natural light levels, occupancy sensors which activate when a person walks into the room, vacancy sensors and motion sensors all save energy by reducing the operating time. Dimmers, current limiters, auto day lighting controls and EMCS (Energy Management Control Systems) save energy by reducing the light output and input power.

Use low voltage lighting
Installing low voltage lights in areas where minimal lighting is needed is another option to consider. “Low voltage is an energy conserving light source and can be installed with a dimming control,” says Jody De Vine of Sea Gull Lighting Products, Inc. “Low Voltage under cabinet lighting, for instance, delivers the right light to enhance kitchen tasks, yet when dimmed can help set a mood for entertaining.”

Stop Wasting Energy
Get into the habit of turning things off when you leave a room. Not just lights, but fans, television sets, radios, etc. Not using what you don’t need will make a big impact on your energy conservation plan.

Find and eliminate “phantom loads,” items that use energy even when they are turned off.

Prime examples include TV sets, DVD players, cell phone chargers and the like. Usually these devices will use a small trickle of energy either to allow them to be switched on for rapid use, or to retain memory. To curb these loads, you can attach them all to inexpensive switched power strips and turn them off for real when they’re not doing useful work for you.

Replace older appliances with energy conserving ones

As they break down, replace older appliances with energy conserving ones that will require less energy to get the same work done. Look for appliances that have the Energy Star rating, meaning they have met rigorous government requirements regarding energy efficiency.