By Amy Hoak, MarketWatch
Last update: 3:32 p.m. EST Feb. 24, 2008
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CHICAGO (MarketWatch) -- Consumers are bombarded these days with a multitude of suggestions to make their lives "greener." For many of them, changes start at home.
That's not a bad idea: The government estimates that the energy Americans use just to run their homes makes up 21% of total energy use throughout the country. And that statistic doesn't even touch on the other environmental issues that can be addressed in a home, including water conservation and indoor air quality.
In an effort to make homes friendlier to the environment and cleaner to the people who live in them, manufacturers have been busy refining their home products. At the recent International Builders' Show, green products -- from paint to appliances -- were everywhere.
"When you go shopping now, it's not even a buzzword anymore -- it's expected," said Calli Schmidt, a spokeswoman for the National Association of Home Builders, referring to the "green" labeling of products.
Despite the many substantial investments that can make a home greener, smaller incremental changes often do count, Schmidt said.
For example, the federal Energy Star program claims that the country would save $600 million in energy costs annually -- or enough to light 3 million homes for a year -- if every household in the United States changed one light bulb to an Energy Star compact fluorescent light bulb. Properly insulating a home is another way to increase its energy efficiency.
But those interested in doing more might consider upgrading their homes with these five products. Some are new and some are just beginning to gain in popularity: