On a recent trip to the supermarket, my wife brought home a new detergent for the dishwashing machine. We both responded favorably to the “Eco” labeling on the soap, which indicated that it did not include phosphorous.

Increases in phosphorous in waterways can cause harmful algae blooms, so finding an opportunity to cut back can be a good thing. Unfortunately, the good feelings of reducing our impact on the water system faded with each new load of dishes. The soap left a lot of filmy residue, and more importantly failed to remove the food particles we wanted to wash off.

To get them clean, we had to run the dishes through a second cycle, which obviously brings us to the point of THIS SPACE: how to save electricity and keep a few more dollars in your bank account. More...

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 top green building resources are MN Green Star and Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's Residential Building. 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 a Blue Sky 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
We found the most comprehensive information through the Minnesota Energy Challenge, which you can sign up for online. While there aren't currently many rebates, being a part of the challenge will keep you informed when they become available.

Two low cost home improvements are upgrading  appliances and insulating you home. Use Energy Star's DIY guide to insulation and sealing to save yourself money. Calculate your potential Energy Star savings by appliance to determine which are the biggest energy users.

Coupons

• Recycled cotton fiber insulation is available at Natural Built Home. Your coupon will save you $5 off $25.
• Replace old windows with Green Seal certified windows from Renewal by Andersen. Your coupon will save you $60 off per window on 6 or more.

Get a Professional Audit
Xcel energy customers can get a $150 energy audit for just $35. Audits last 2 hours and the price is added to your next bill. Call 1-800-895-4999 to schedule yours. After the audit, improvements on your home may qualify you for a Home Performance Rebate. 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...

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.

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...

An IT friend of mine offered up an energy-saving suggestion the other day that left me slapping my forehead with a Homer Simpson-like “Doh!” for its simplicity. “When you go home for the night are you turning off your computer monitor?” she asked. After a brief moment of puzzlement, I recognized that while I conscientiously shut down my computer each night before heading to my downtown Seattle bus stop, I had not punched the off button on the monitor after it went dark. That left the monitor in sleep mode, but not off – the classic energy vampire. More...

When it comes to water waste, the toilet and clothes washer are the largest water hogs. More...

How many Minnesotans does it take to screw in an energy efficient light bulb? The answer is just one, and the results are big. Each standard bulb you replace with a compact fluorescent light will keep one ton of CO2 out of the atmosphere and last long enough to save you the cost of purchasing 5 old-fashioned light bulbs. More...