One thing remains certain, the power crisis is not going to diminish or disappear. With our world’s growth in green power efficiency, many of yesteryears appliances are becoming quickly obsolete. As people, we do need to look to our future and realize that a sound investment today will ensure the health of both our pockets and environment in the future. Though many energy-efficient appliances are popping up, a lot of people still own ones which are anything but. In no particular order, here are 10 of the most inefficient appliances you can possibly own.1: Refrigerators. These are some of the most inefficient appliances to ever be invented. Sure, they keep your food cold and make pretty little ice cubes, but they eat away at your electricity bill like no other appliance in your house. You can make a switch to a more energy-efficient fridge, but that still may not do the trick. A good tip to remember is to not buy a bigger fridge than you need.

2: Electric Dryers. Clothes dryers are the number 2 largest consumer of household energy among appliances. Surprising to most people, gas dryers are available and around 80% cheaper to run. Switching to gas is something that may well be worth it, especially if you have a large family which has to dry a lot of clothes.

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Over the past two decades, solar energy has really caught on. The prices for home solar panels have dropped over 80% and anyone in the world can use them. It provides free energy by harnessing the power of the Sun. Even if the Sun isn’t shining; the solar panels collect and store its energy. You can have free energy everyday and really save a bundle on the high price of living. Solar panels are available the world over, you don’t have to live in sunny California or near a desert for them to work.

I found that I could live “green” and not only help the planet by doing my part to reduce global warming, but also save a ton of money by proving free and clean energy to my entire family. I’m a huge advocate of solar energy and believe that the Sun can provide energy to the entire world, for free, and most importantly, clean. The Sun powers our entire planet. It feeds plants with its powers and holds us in orbit. It’s the most powerful thing in our entire solar system. No wonder some of the ancient people worshipped this glowing giant; they knew exactly what it was, a life force.

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With the serious threat of global warming increasing, people are mixed on how to feel. Some rush to save the planet; doing everything they can to stop their usage of fossil fuel consumption. And some dismiss global warming as nothing but a theory, refusing to admit its existence. Regardless of your personal feelings about the potential crisis, energy costs are still at an all time high, with no high-water mark set yet. Every day across the globe, people are doing more to save energy in their homes. They’re drastically cutting back on energy consumption, both for the planet, and for their pockets.

Many people consider making these changes while their home is being constructed. More and more people are building energy-efficient homes across the globe. The demand for energy efficiency is surging due to the rapid rise of energy costs. Consumers understand this and are turning to home builders and architects for advisement.

How to incorporate energy efficiencies into your new homes construction:

Make sure you get solar panels for your home. This will be your homes main energy source. There’s no more paying your town or city’s outrageous bill. The sunlight on your solar panels will provide all the energy you will need to run all of your appliances.

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There are plenty of things you can do at home to save on energy. There is really no effort involved at all, just some basic memory skills and the will to make the change. Saving energy is very cost efficient and the little things you can do all add up and equal a big change. Ten ways you can save on energy at home without even trying: 

1. Lighting
   We’ve all heard it before, “Turn that light off when you leave the room!” Just remember to do so can save big bucks per year. Open more shades and blinds in your home during the day. If you like to read or need to for a job, set up in a lighter colored room where light is reflected off walls. Make sure your lamps aren’t around thermostats. It can confuse them to cut off during the winter, and make your air conditioner come on. Dusting your lights will increase output, if you haven’t dusted them regularly; you’ll notice and change and can switch to a lower wattage bulb. If your light fixture has multiple sockets, only hook up one bulb.

2. Laundry
   Always wash your clothes in cold water. Using hot water forces your water heater to cut on. By properly treating your clothes before washed, you can save a lot of money per year by having that heater stay off. If you’re using a dryer, don’t over dry your clothes. It takes a lot of energy to power clothes dryers, leaving your clothes in just 5 minutes longer than needed can really add up over time. And if it’s not raining out, forget the dryer all together. Get out there and hang your clothes on the line if you can.

3. Washing dishes
   If you have a dishwasher, don’t pre-rinse your dishes. Just scrape your plate off. Pre-rinsing dishes wastes over 20 gallons of water per day. The dish detergent if formulated to get your dishes clean. Let the machine handle it.

4. Computers
   Don’t leave your computer and the monitor on, keep them in sleep mode. Doing so only uses 20% of the power. This adds up over the course of a year.

5. Heating
   Inside of an insulated house, you’re not going to freeze to death. You can cut the heat down while you sleep or are out of the house. This slight decrease in energy output can save up to 30% of your heating costs per year.

6. Air conditioning
   This is the same as the heating. Air conditioners use up a lot of energy. When you’re sleeping, you can have them turned off completely and open a window, or at least turn them down quite a bit.

7. Alternate heating and cooling
   Fans or open windows can help to cool your home on hot days. The fresh air may even make you feel better on top of saving money per year. Opening the shades or blinds lets the sunlight in, the Sun is a powerful thing, it can help heat your home.

8. Oven vs. the microwave
   If you invest in some good microwave-safe dishes and containers, you can save a nice chunk of change per year. The microwave only uses 20% of the power that an oven does. Also, using your oven in the winter will help to heat your house. But using your oven in the summer will make your air conditioner have to work harder.

9. Refrigeration
   Make sure you have a proper seal when you close your fridge or freezer door. Also, brush off the coils of your refrigerator. By doing this, the motor doesn’t have to run as long or as often.

10. Entertainment
    Try some family time for a few hours a night. Playing games and just having conversation without the TV, radio, computers, phones (which need constant charging) can save you considerable money per month. Try reading a book sometimes. There’s nothing wrong with a little peace and quiet.