During hot summer months, many utility companies promote the idea of using major appliances at night. These are things like your washing machine, dryer and dishwasher. The reasoning? The electrical grid is running at peak mode during the day due to the demands of air conditioning units. When you add the electricity usage of major appliances on top of that, it can lead to electrical blackouts. But doing household chores like washing clothes and dishes at night also comes with a savings. In addition to utility companies charging less for power at night, your home won’t be as impacted by the heat your appliances give off when in use. At night, the air is cooler and your home is, too, so you won’t feel the heat as much.

Many communities now accept plastics for recycling that are marked with symbols ranging from No. 1 to No. 7. In the past, it was usually just No. 1 and No. 2 (milk jugs and detergent bottles), but all sorts are now recyclable, depending on your curbside program. Beyond plastic food packaging, there are other items that are on that recyclable list, including plastic CD cases, drinking cups, food takeout containers and egg cartons. As always, they should be clean and clearly marked for recycling, and you need to be sure your community takes all recyclable plastics before placing them in the bin.

Every drop counts when it comes to saving water, so try these tips to conserve some H2O at home. If you run the faucet until you get cool water, capture the running water in another glass instead of letting it run down the drain; put it in the fridge so it’s ready for a cool drink later in the day. Never defrost food using running water; this is a major waste of resources -- especially when the microwave defrost setting or your refrigerator can also safely and quickly do the trick. And when doing laundry, match your water level to your load size; the manual should tell you how to adjust your machine for the perfect water level.