Making your home more eco-friendly doesn’t have to break the bank. In fact, many fix-ups are cheap and simple to do and cost less than dinner and a movie. Here are nine inexpensive (or free!) ways to green your home.

Eco Tip #1: Reduce your phantom load

When you turn off your television, it’s not using any power, right? Wrong. In fact, some TVs — and many other plugged-in electric devices — use power even when they’re turned off. About five to 10 per cent of a home’s electricity consumption is used for this “phantom load” according to Natural Resources Canada. To reduce this waste, plug multiple devices into a power bar, and use the bar’s master switch to cut and restore power. This works particularly well for chargers for cell phones and electronic devices, which are common phantom load draws. For entertainment systems, use a “smart strip” that shuts off power to some devices while leaving others, such as a personal video recorder, powered on. And when you’re looking to buy appliances and electronics, look for EnergyStar products, which use less electricity in standby mode.

Eco Tip #2: Use a programmable thermostat

In the summer, turning up the thermostat on your air conditioner when you leave the house is a simple but effective way to reduce your energy consumption. Set it at 25°C or higher: each degree below 26°C raises energy consumption by about three to five per cent, according to Natural Resources Canada. Similarly, in winter months, turning down your thermostat in the evening will save electricity and money. For every degree you lower your thermostat for a minimum of eight hours, you save up to two per cent on your heating bill, according to SaskEnergy. No matter what the season, a programmable thermostat is a handy and inexpensive way to stay on top of your energy bills. Some start at just $40.

Eco Tip #3: Monitor your energy

Individual energy monitors, also known as wattmeters, help you measure how much electricity your appliances or other electric devices are using. Want to know just how much power that old freezer in the basement uses on an hourly, daily, monthly or even yearly basis? Plug the monitor into the wall and then plug the freezer into the monitor. The LCD screen displays energy consumption by the kilowatt-hour. Energy monitors vary in price, but some can be found for as little as $25. Some libraries even carry home energy monitors for you to sign out.