Welcome to Green Houston! The Official Website of the City of Houston’s Environmental Council’s Office of Environmental Programming

Welcome to www.greenhoustontx.gov

Most actions, retrofits, or updates are linked to outside resources to provide further information. Just click on a linked action, retrofit, or update to lean more.

Action, Retrofits, & Updates	Benefits
	Pollution Reduction	Water Quality Conservation	Material Reduction	Energy Efficiency
Free / Actions
Shop for your electricity provider
Unplug Electronics When They Are Not In Use
Turn Off the Lights When You Leave a Room
Use Your Computer's Power Down or Sleep Option
Don't Place Lamps or TVs Next to the Thermostat
Use Task Lighting Instead of Lighting an Entire Room
Lower the temperature on your water heater to 120 degrees
Turn Off the Water When You Are Not Using It
Don't Block Vents With Furniture
Use Ceiling Fans to Help Cool Your Home
Wait to Run Your Dishwasher and Washing Machine Until You Have a Full Load
Take Shorter Showers
Compost your kitchen scraps rather than putting them in the trash
Collect fats, oils, and greases and dispose of them properly, not down the drain
Properly dispose of household hazardous waste
Recycle
Stop Junk Mail From Being Sent to You
Use e-Billing and Paperless Statement Options For Your Finances
Take the Home Energy Audit
Low Cost / Retrofit - Update
Replace Incandescent Light Bulbs with CFLs
Weather Strip Your Exterior Doors
Caulk Around Your Windows
Use a Programmable Thermostat
Reduce the Use of Chemical Cleaners By Using Natural Alternatives
Replace Leaking Faucets and Toilets
Install Low-Flow Showerheads and Faucets
Change Air-Conditioning Filters Regularly
Insulate Any Exposed Pipes
Higher Cost / Retrofits - Updates
Buy Clean Renewable Energy
Properly Insulate Your Attic
Use Solar Screens, or White Blinds to Keep Heat Out
Replace Old Appliances With Energy Star Products
Replace Old Toilets With Low-Flow Toilets
Switch to a tank-less water heater
Use Radiant Barrier Paint

This list is by no means exhaustive, but instead are suggestions that will help cut energy consumption, increase air quality, conserve and increase water quality, reduce material that is sent to landfills, and help all of us become more sustainable.

We encourage you to share your success with these actions and updates, or tips of your own, with us. Go to the "Share your Environmental Successes, Comments, or Questions ." box on the home page and click "Contact Us"

To nominate a business that has demonstrated a commitment to the environment send a detailed email to envcomments@cityofhouston.net (self-nomination accepted)

To nominate an individual(s) who has demonstrated a commitment to the environment please log onto www.houstonpowertopeople.com and click on "Hero of the Month" then "Nominate" (no self-nominations).