Many houses have heaters, fireplaces, woodstoves or a combination of all three, yet are still uncomfortably cold inside. Aren’t we smart enough to keep ourselves warm? Even beavers build their dens to stay incredibly toasty and dry, so what’s going on with us? You may have taken one look at your heating bill over the last few months and wondered the same thing.

Spring is finally here and we can use this time to prepare and remodel for next winter. Here are some ways to manage staying warm, saving money and being green (besides wearing that green thrift store sweater you bought for St. Patrick's Day). More...

Your number one green building resource is Build It Green, which offers a Green Product Directory. But we know that these times call for cash, so we've gathered your top money back options to aid your green remodel.


4 Areas to Check
Have you used our Personal Energy Analyzer yet? If you don't own an EcoMetro Guide, you can download it right here. Reducing your water heater temperature, lowering your thermostat (or raising it this summer), and eliminating phantom power suckers can save you money with zero cost up front.

Cash and Tax Incentives
The City of Berkeley gathers all your top East Bay resources on Greening Your Remodel. We found these PG&E rebates:

• Up to $0.2 off each sq ft of reflective cool roof
• Up to $150 per 1000sq ft of attic and wall insulation (Use Energy Star's DIY guide to insulation and sealing)
• Up to $400 for duct sealing
• Up to $75 for clothes washers

If you need help navigating the solar incentives, call the non-profit Community Energy Services Corporation at 510-981-7750 or visit Go Solar California! website.

Home improvements may qualify for up to $1,500 in federal tax rebates, check here.

For rebates by city covering all of the East Bay, look here.

Get a Professional Audit
Call Rising Sun Energy now at 510-665-1501 x10 to reserve a free audit by leaving your name and number. They'll call back in June to schedule a summer appointment where trained youth will install energy and water saving devices for you, and install a clothesline if you have a yard, all for free. Call soon, they fill up quickly! More...

We spotted a hanging pot rack made from a bicycle wheel on Apartment Therapy. Bonus? It spins. The original blog posted detailed DIY instructions.

Image: Flickr/Creative Commons More...

Native plants are a gardeners dream: local, tolerant, and inviting to wildlife.

The California Native Plant Society is an excellent resource. Select a native plant from one of these lists:

• Butterfly Host and Nectar Plants
• East Bay Calochortus
• California's Colorful Calochortuses: An Introduction
• Buckwheats of the Eastern Sierra

If you are fond of a particular type of plant, ask your nursery if there is a similar native variety that you can grow instead.

Resources
California Native Plant Society local chapters

Ask the Gardener at California Gardens: gardener@californiagardens.com

Great California Native Plants from www.bewaterwise.com

Gardening Project #1: Eating From Your Yard More...

Growing your own food has become wildly popular, due in part to food prices rising, a national interest in organic living, and author Michael Pollan suggesting the White House lawn be partially converted into a vegetable garden.

But what’s the harm in a lawn, and how can you get started? More...

Sometimes when a good thing becomes THE hot thing, the ensuing rush by other companies to jump on the bandwagon and produce as many widgets as possible can create big disparities in quality.

Unfortunately, compact fluorescent light bulbs appear to be suffering from a touch of this malady.

Some consumers, eager to save energy and lower their bills, are finding out the compact fluorescent bulbs didn’t last as long as they expected. With constant use, one of these bulbs should last about a year. With normal use, it should last seven to 10 years. But not all manufacturers’ products are living up to that expectation.

Two factors appear to be at play. More...

In my job I attend a lot of community events to share the same energy conservation message THIS SPACE is dedicated to: simple steps can cut your electricity use and keep a few extra bucks in your pocket.

One of the best and easiest options is to switch from incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent bulbs. They use about a third of the electricity and last up to 10 years, which can save as much as $33 in energy costs over the life of the bulb. More...

I think we’re all in agreement that trying to recycle Syrofoam is a pain. With the holiday season coming, there’s bound to be an avalanche of this material surrounding our gifts and arriving at our doorsteps. Not even my huge recycling facility takes that stuff, so I had to dig a little deeper. It seems that polystyrene’s blessings are also a curse. Its light weight and durability make it such a great packaging material, but also give it a low scrap value. Currently in the USA, expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam packaging is being recycled at a rate of only about 10-12% each year. More...

After the trick or treaters have retired and brushed their teeth, your neighborhood continues to be home to little vampires. Chargers, TVs, computers and other electronics on standby suck energy without a purpose, but at a cost. Good Magazine estimates that a plasma TV in active standby costs an average $160 per year. Use Halloween as a reminder to unplug electronics on this list and give copies to neighbors.

Next, we look forward to carving this CFL shaped pumpkin from Ready Made Magazine, an especially important reminder as upcoming Daylight Savings Time means earlier nightfall. Go ecomaniac and light your pumpkin with an LED. (Image: Flickr/oskay) More...

Personal behavior change is so subtle you don’t see it happening, and can forget how far you’ve come. There are thousands of tips for reducing your impact and living the green and good life, but realizing which you are really doing and what that means can be difficult to pin down. Your efforts deserve to be recognized, monitored, and charted over time. We'll even throw in some reader prizes eventually, too!

Here’s how to start your own sustainability journal, which you can use to set goals and to look back on as you change your lifestyle. We'll bring you more features weekly, including printable guides to a home waste audit, travel diary, games for kids and a home energy analyzer, all from our green living guides. I’ll also be doing this all myself, and roping in guests from the EcoMetro staff and friends, so we can both gripe and high-five together. Ready? Read on... More...