If you want to be more environmentally friendly in your everyday life, there are plenty of steps you can take to get there. Here are five ways you can go green.

1. Change Your Light Bulbs

You may be surprised to learn that incandescent light bulbs are the most commonly used in the U.S., but they're not the most environmentally friendly or efficient. In fact, these bulbs only convert about 10% of energy into light, while the other 90% is lost as heat. This causes your air conditioning to work harder to keep your home's temperature down, which increases your energy bill. 

Consider switching to LED bulbs, which use 80% less energy and can last for up to 50,000 hours, as opposed to incandescent bulbs' short life of only 1,000 hours. LED bulbs also don't emit a significant amount of heat, so you can be confident that your home will remain cool.

2. Install Solar Panels

Solar panels function by absorbing energy emitted from sunlight in order to generate a flow of electricity. Not only can solar panels protect the environment, but they can also reduce your energy bills, decrease your carbon footprint, improve your home's value and allow you to earn tax credits. 

You can even add a solar battery to your solar panel system, which saves excess energy from your panels and uses it to power your home at night or in case of emergency. Installing a solar power system is a worthwhile investment that can save both the environment and your wallet.

3. Seal Your Home

If you find that your utility bills are higher in the winter, it could be because of cold air entering your home through various cracks and gaps, therefore causing your heat to work harder to keep your home warm. Insulation is an affordable and highly effective method to prevent air from entering your home, and it's environmentally friendly due to the green materials it's constructed with. There are various types of insulation to choose from:

• blanket

• concrete block

• foam board

• reflective

• loose-fill

• rigid fiber

Whichever type of insulation you choose, you can be confident that it'll block cold air from entering your home and triggering your heating system to work overtime.

4. Use Dual-Flush Toilets

Did you know that toilets account for approximately 30% of an average home's water consumption, or that toilets can use as much as six gallons of water per flush? Considering these statistics, it's no wonder that the average American family uses thousands of gallons of water a year. The good news is that you can easily reduce your water consumption by installing dual-flush toilets.

Dual-flush toilets come with two flush options. While the solid waste option uses about 1.6 gallons per flush, the liquid waste option only uses 0.8 gallons. Therefore, dual-flush toilets can reduce your water usage by up to 80%, which is equivalent to approximately 4,000 gallons a year. As an additional benefit, dual-flush toilets tend to clog less frequently than normal toilets, which can save you both time and headaches.

5. Unplug Unused Appliances

Your appliances are never truly "off" even if you've shut down the power. This is called a phantom load, which is electricity that your devices use even when they're off. Unplugging appliances that aren't being used can help you save a lot of money on your electrical bills. You can also install a smart power strip, which shuts down power to devices that have entered standby mode.

Going green doesn't have to be difficult if you start with small steps. Following these five tips can help you protect the environment while also saving some extra cash each month.