<h4>Electricity</h4>
Our electric usage is down 14% so far compared to the prior year and down 44% since 2005. Our average usage for 2008 is 285 kWh/month. 
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Here's how we did it:
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1. Replaced our fridge and dishwasher, which both gave out last summer. That made a huge difference.
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2. Switched almost every light to compact fluorescent. Even the incandescents I thought I would miss I don't. For kicks I put little LEDs in the sconces in our bedroom...they glow blue and make the room feel like a spaceship. This was really just for laughs - we have a reading lamp (CFL) that provides the real light when needed.
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3. Window AC only in the home office, set to 75. Previously we had 2 in the bedrooms, but the noise of the condenser drove me nuts anyway, so we axed those.
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4. I'm very careful about the dehumidifier, since it literally triples our daily electricity usage. We do get moisture? in the basement? - and came back to mildew after being away for 3 weeks in the summer, which was nasty - so I definitely run it. But only in damp or humid weather, and then only for a day at a time as needed. Usually a day here and there does the trick.
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5. I line dry all the laundry including sheets, towels, etc. I have a rack that I can take outside in the summer and use indoors in the winter. I haven't used the dryer in years and it's another thing I don't miss. It doesn't take long, it's delightful to get outside in the nice weather, it humidifies the house in the dry winter months, and our clothes last forever. Apparently dryers use 10-15% of domestic energy in the US, so line drying can really make a difference.

<h4>Heating Fuel</h4>
Our oil usage is on pace to drop by about 30-40% this year. Here's how we did it:
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1. Replaced the boiler (very old) with a System 2000 and added indirect ? hot water (our gas-fired hot water heater was also at the end of its life).
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2. This summer we installed a solar hot water system. We got top-of-the-line Viessman panels installed for around $8,000 - and the best part is we didn't front a dime. We got a 0% interest loan subsidized by MassSave that paid for the whole thing. Plus we'll get $3,000 back at tax time. Our loan payment is $90/month for 7 years.
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3. Despite the "conventional wisdom" about nighttime setbacks being ineffective or, worse, counterproductive, we swear by it. We turn the thermostat down to 50 and we're warm as toast all night long. We added a 2nd comforter, which has made all the difference. The upstairs heats up quickly in the morning (set to 60), and we don't even heat the downstairs until dinnertime. Our attire at home usually includes cashmere sweaters -- it's a luxury, but considering what we save on our heating bills, it seems like a worthwhile expense. I buy cashmere at TJMaxx in the spring when it's on clearance - not the best colors or styles, but it's just as soft and warm.

<h4>Travel</h4>
This is a tough one for us since we have no family nearby. We have to get on a plane to see anyone, so we do. We fly 3-4 times a year, and it's just not something we can give up. Max works at home which cuts out a lot of car travel. We're trying to use public transportation and walk/bike more, but honestly I find this a challenge. I've been totally inspired by some of my teammates who bike everywhere, so I keep trying to make small improvements. I do combine trips, which is easy and forces me to be more organized (which saves me time).

<h4>Meat</h4>
We get 10 lbs. of meat each month from a local farm, and this year I committed to not adding to that at the grocery store (e.g., no lunch meat). I've broken that pledge a little, but not much. We love meat, so I serve it frequently, but just in smaller portions with lots of vegetables.

<h4>Waste</h4>
We were already composting, but I've tried to expand our list of what goes in the heap. A neighbor turned me on to composting milk containers - it works surprisingly well, you just have to fish out the thin plastic laminate as you rotate the pile. I've also tried pizza boxes, take-out coffee cups, even a pair of my daughter's pants that were too worn to donate. (I read a book once called Eat More Dirt and the author said it would work!) ? A pair of pants and a pizza box isn't going to save the planet, but I figure it does help some, and it's a fun backyard experiment. Our biggest source of trash by weight is the litter from our 2 indoor cats. We switched to the scoopable kind which has helped. (Well, the nastiness factor went up a few notches, but our trash weighs a lot less.)
