As an individual, you can receive a tax credit by purchasing a Hybrid energy efficient vehicle. This vehicle does have to be a brand-new vehicle and cannot be a used car or it will not qualify for the tax credit. The vehicle must be bought on or before December 31, 2010. If you aren’t sure whether or not your vehicle qualifies, you can visit the IRS website and see if your vehicle is listed. The IRS has compiled a list together by year, make, and model as well as the approximate tax credit amount.

In addition, beginning this year, if you purchase an electric vehicle that plugs-in with a rechargeable battery, you may be able to claim up to a $7,500 tax credit. You may also find that you can claim your vehicles sales tax as a deduction on your filing this year on vehicles purchased after February 17, 2009 and before the end of the 2009 year.

As for residential green upgrades, if you purchase $5,000 or more in energy efficient improvements for your home then you can claim up to $1,500 – this is for 2009 and 2010 combined for the tax credit and the purchase cost. Installation charges are not included in this $5,000 but products are – windows, insulation, doors, and even some roofs. You can also claim water heaters as well as cooling and heating systems in addition to much more. As with the vehicle deduction, you can check out the IRS website in regards to the new law to see what qualifies and you can also look for the Energy Star design.

There is another credit that will be claimable through the year 2016 – the residential energy efficient property credit. This credit allows for you to take 30% of the cost of an alternative energy source, such as wind turbines or solar panels, and there is no limit on the amount that you can receive including installation.

Energy efficient home improvements and lifestyle changes can obviously make a big difference when it comes to tax time. It is definitely something to consider as you can claim tax credits, create an energy efficient home and save money for years to come.

If you are a novice at home improvement DIY style then you can become initiated in the ‘do it yourself’ way by initially tackling a small project, one that does not involve a great deal of skill based knowledge. Say, for example, you have just relocated and you are not too impressed with the previous occupant’s color scheme throughout the house – you can start your home improvement career by heading down to your local paint shop, load yourself up with brushes, paint, turpentine and a few ground cover sheets – turn up the music and go crazy on the walls. A painting project is one that does not involve buying or hiring expensive equipment but the end result can be quite spectacular, particularly if you have combined colors well.

If you intend to paint the interior of your home first then it is a good idea to have a family discussion to hear everyone’s suggestion regarding the proposed color scheme. The children’s views are important particularly if you are going to paint their rooms because if you just went ahead and used the colors you like without consulting them it could cause major grief. Just imagine how impressed your sports jock 16-year-old son would react if he came home from practice to find that you had painted his sanctum a mixture of purples and pinks. Remember everyone has an opinion about colors and the object is to reach a consensus together.

The saying goes that ‘a change is as good as a holiday’ and having a freshly painted home certainly makes the rooms feel fresh and revitalised. At the completion of the project you will end up with a great sense of satisfaction and probably a dash of motivation to start you on the road to your next DIY home improvement project.

Easy Ideas For Outside The Home

Other relatively inexpensive home improvement DIY projects can de done to the external areas of the home. You may think that it is time to upgrade your backyard area but don’t actually know what to do. So the best move in this situation is to borrow a few books from your local library or look online at how some of the more elegant and expensive properties have structured their backyards. For instance, you could really add some interesting features like building a fountain or installing some benches around the perimeter of the garden. You may even decide to take on a bigger home improvement DIY project and build your own gazebo in your backyard. If the garden is in need of a general spruce-up then maybe something as simple as clearing away bushes and trees can make a marked difference to the appearance of your backyard.

Give a little thought on what you can do to improve the appearance and features of your home and grounds and then visit your local handyman store or go on line for some advice and guidance to ensure your home improvement DIY project is a roaring success.

Hire Lighting

Lighting of an event can consume a tremendous amount of energy and in some cases where generators are used it can cause a lot of pollution. Simple answer is lighting hire. By hiring your lights you are far more likely to get more powerful and far more efficient lighting units compared to the ones you would have around the house. The efficiency of new units is truly remarkable which makes hiring lighting the green option.

Plastic Tableware

Besides the fact I hate cutting a steak with a plastic butter knife using plastic tableware is a tremendous waste. It may save some time when you are cleaning and avoid breakages but compared to the negatives it is hardly justifiable. They are an unnecessary waste, they look tacky and they are terrible to eat with so go the classy option and use your ceramic tableware.

Have a bin handy

Perhaps its only my own personal experiences but so many functions I go to have no visible bins to dispose of rubbish. Or if they do have a bin it gets completely filled before the meal. When this happens most people will just throw the rubbish away, in your garden, bush or the street. Having a few bins out is not too hard and it makes a big difference.

So there you have it, three simple tips to make your next function a little greener. Preparation and planning can make a huge difference to your hopefully “green” party.