We all know that turning off light switches, using solar power and replacing windows are great ways to save energy and help the planet, right?

The fact is, that’s not always true. If you’re not careful, your efforts to go green can actually wind up using more energy than not. If you’re really concerned about the environment, you won’t just buy “green” products to ease your conscience. You’ll watch out for these pitfalls:

1. Turning off the lights. Yes, turning off an incandescent light saves energy. However, the same is not true for CFL bulbs. When you turn them on and off, you shorten their life. In addition, it’s actually cheaper to leave the CFL light on if you’ll be out of the room for 15 minutes or less. Still, CFLs are the way to go. They use about a fourth of the electricity of regular bulbs, and release less mercury too.
2. Buy products that claim to be “green” or “eco friendly.” While the FTC is cracking down on products that claim to be green, and while manufacturers are improving their labels, make sure you know whether a product is really green or not. A label will placate your conscience, but it won’t save the planet.
3. Use solar power. For a single-family dwelling, it almost never makes sense to jump on the solar bandwagon. There are so many other things – from tightening up your ductwork to improving your insulation to upgrading appliances – that will make more of a difference. Even with state tax credits and federal discounts, solar power is still prohibitive in many places.
4. Build a new home. Building a new home isn’t necessarily greener than buying an older home. The fact is that new homes tend to be bigger and have more complex architecture, and they use about as much energy as homes built ten years ago.
5. Buy carbon offsets. The fact of the matter is that carbon offsets are just a way for you to alleviate your conscience. There’s no universal standard involved in verifying offsets, and it’s an area the FTC has yet to spend too much time investigating. There’s also not a way to guarantee you can become neutral. If you’ve done everything else you can to reduce your footprint, consider donating to consumer education causes rather than to carbon offsets. While not all carbon offsets are scams, the industry seems to be prone at the moment to those just seeking to make a fortune at the expense of your conscience.

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