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At Home

What You Can Do to Live Sustainably at Home

At HomeIt starts with you. Your decisions at home have the power to protect or endanger Albuquerque's environment.

3 Things You Can Do:

  1. Buy clean, renewable power like wind power through PNM's Sky Blue program.
  2. Recycle at home.
  3. Replace your lightbulbs with compact fluorescents.

Sustainability - Take Action Motivated to do more?

Here's a full list of actions you can take to promote a sustainable life in Albuquerque:

Action Benefits


Energy Supply
Air Quality
Greenhouse Gas
Emission Reduction
Waste Reduction Water Supply
and Quality
Land and Wildlife
Protection
Buy clean, renewable power like wind power provided by PNM through the Sky Blue program. Sustainability -- Alternative Energy Sustainability - Air
Sustainability - Global Warming


Recycle at home. Learn about Albuquerque's Recycling Program >>
Sustainability -- Alternative Energy Sustainability - Air Sustainability - Global Warming Sustainability - Waste Reduction Sustainability - Water Sustainability - Land and Wildlife
Replace your standard lightbulbs with compact fluorescent lightbulbs, which use 1/4 the energy and last much longer. Learn more >>
Learn about how to dispose of your fluorescent bulbs.

Sustainability - Air

Sustainability - Waste Reduction


Set your thermostat to 65 degrees during the day and 55 at night. Sustainability -- Alternative Energy Sustainability - Air
Sustainability - Global Warming


Instead of turning up the heater, put on more warm clothing.
Sustainability -- Alternative Energy Sustainability - Air
Sustainability - Global Warming


Replace your old appliances with energy- and water-efficient appliances that have Energy Star labels. Read more >>
Take advantage of the City's rebate on high-efficiency washing machines.
Sustainability -- Alternative Energy Sustainability - Air Sustainability - Global Warming
Sustainability - Water
Replace your wood-burning fireplace or stove with one that burns natural gas or propane.
Sustainability - Air
Sustainability - Global Warming


Replace your old toilets with low-flow toilets and get the City rebate. A 1.6 gallon low-flow toilet could cut your indoor water use by as much as 20%!



Sustainability - Water

Repair leaking faucets and toilets as soon as you notice them. A faucet drip or invisible leak in the toilet will waste up to 15 gallons of water a day - that's 105 gallons a week, which adds up to 5,475 gallons a year!



Sustainability - Water

Remodel your home using "green" techniques and technologies. The Build Green NM initiative has a list of green builders in your area. Learn more about building green>>
Sustainability -- Alternative Energy Sustainability - Air
Sustainability - Global Warming
Sustainability - Waste Reduction
Sustainability - Water
Sustainability - Land and Wildlife
Install low-flow showerheads and faucets. Low-flow showerheads deliver 2.5 gallons of water per minute or less. Older showerheads use 5 to 7 gallons per minute. Older faucets use between 3 and 7 gallons per minute. Low-flow faucet aerators use no more than 1.5 gallons of water per minute. The aerators can be attached to most existing faucets.



Sustainability - Water

Wait to run your dishwasher and washing machine until you have a full load. Sustainability -- Alternative Energy
Sustainability - Air
Sustainability - Global Warming
Sustainability - Water

Turn off lights when you leave a room.
Sustainability -- Alternative Energy




Switch to a tankless water heater. Your water will be heated as you use it rather than keeping a tank of hot water, and you won't waste so much waiting for the hot water to reach your tap.
Sustainability -- Alternative Energy Sustainability - Air
Sustainability - Global Warming
Sustainability - Water

Use a bucket to collect water while you're waiting for the hot water to reach your faucet. Instead of letting it go down the drain, use it to water your plants!



Sustainability - Water

Take shorter showers. Showers account for 2/3 of all water heating costs. Sustainability -- Alternative Energy


Sustainability - Water

Turn off the water while you are brushing your teeth, rinsing dishes, or shaving. This can save 3 to 7 gallons of water per minute!



Sustainability - Water

Wrap your water heater in an insulating blanket.
Sustainability -- Alternative Energy Sustainability - Air
Sustainability - Global Warming


Compost your kitchen scraps rather than putting them in the garbage.

Sustainability - Air

Sustainability - Waste Reduction

Sustainability - Land and Wildlife
Lower the temperature on your hot water tank to 120 degrees.
Sustainability -- Alternative Energy Sustainability - Air
Sustainability - Global Warming


Add storm windows, weather stripping, and caulk to your windows to reduce heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer. Learn more >>
Sustainability -- Alternative Energy Sustainability - Air
Sustainability - Global Warming


Use your computer's "power down" or "sleep" function. Learn more >>
Sustainability -- Alternative Energy Sustainability - Air
Sustainability - Global Warming


Install a solar or wind energy collector at your home. Learn more >>
Sustainability -- Alternative Energy Sustainability - Air
Sustainability - Global Warming

Sustainability - Land and Wildlife
Properly insulate your home to reduce heat loss and heat gain. Learn more >>
Sustainability -- Alternative Energy Sustainability - Air
Sustainability - Global Warming


Unplug electronics when you're not using them. Even when electronic devices are turned off, they use energy. Sustainability -- Alternative Energy Sustainability - Air
Sustainability - Global Warming


Reduce your use of chemical cleaners at home. Try using natural alternatives like lemon juice and borax. Learn more >>



Sustainability - Waste Reduction
Sustainability - Water
Sustainability - Land and Wildlife
Follow City guidelines when disposing of household hazardous materials like furniture polish, nailpolish remover, and paint.



Sustainability - Waste Reduction
Sustainability - Water
Sustainability - Land and Wildlife
Lightbulbs

Change Your Lightbulbs!

Join millions of people across America in the One Billion Bulbs project!

You can easily reduce your energy use by replacing your incandescent lightbulbs with compact fluorescent lightbulbs, which look like corkscrews. Learn more >>

Learn more


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