Replacing old appliances
The first place you are going to see the biggest difference is going green is with reducing energy and water use. The best way to decrease your electric and water bills is to get rid of those old appliances and start fresh. Now this doesn't mean you have to go out and buy the top of the line for everything. You can spend within a budget and still get appliances that are more energy efficient than the old ones. How do you know if your appliances are old? Well, refrigerators and dishwashers that are more than 10 years old and stoves more than 20 are typically using more energy than they should. Look for the energy star sticker on all your kitchen appliances when you buy them. This is a great way to make your kitchen greener.

Since refrigerators use up the most energy in your kitchen, here are some great things to know:


• Through the door water and ice dispensers and automatic icemakers can increase your electric bill by twenty percent


•  Side by side refrigerators use ten percent more electricity than when the freezer is on the top or bottom.


•  Automatic defrost models can sometimes use up to forty percent more than the manual defrost models.

Lighting
Lighting usually accounts for about five to ten percent of the total amount of electricity used in homes today. Energy efficient lighting can cut down extremely on your electric bill. CFL's or compact fluorescent lights can save almost 75% of the electricity you use in your house. Compact Fluorescent lighting now offers a variety of different lights; cool and warm tones and have different wattages so you're not stuck with that dull office look. Another way to build a green kitchen is to install more windows are even a skylight. This will allow you to use more natural light and use less electricity throughout the day. Natural light can make any kitchen look brighter.

Cabinets and Countertops
Two of the biggest concerns with home owners and going green are the options they have with cabinets and countertops. Some people think that if you go green, you go ugly. Well, this isn't the case anymore. Cabinets are usually made of particle board or some sort of compressed wood product. If you want to go green, then look for materials that are made from wheatboard or strawboard. Countertops are the other concern. Most of the countertops environment impact occurs during the raw material extraction and manufacturing process. Try looking for reclaimed materials as they are more environmentally preferable.

These are only a few of the ways you can start building a green kitchen. You can also go green with your floors, water, and many other parts of your kitchen. Ask around if you want to go green. It can save you money, and keep you healthy.