Use this page to find actions that your household has completed or plans to complete. Browse the categories on the left to find actions for the Power Saver, Green Leader, or Renewable Star Challenge.

Once you have signed in, you can click Add to My Challenge to add an action to your To Do List, Already Completed to mark an action as complete, or Not Applicable if the action does not apply to you.

Once signed in, you can rate each of the actions you have completed.
The highest rated action appear under the Most Popular Actions category.

ACTIONS

  • 1
    Green leaves denote the number of Green Points earned by completing the action and its relative environmental benefit.
    Hammers denote the relative amount of effort needed to implement the action.
    Dollar signs denote the relative cost of implementing the action.
    Free < $100
    $100-$500 $501-$2000
    > $2000
    A key denotes a renter-friendly action.
    Do not "top off" gas tanks
    You need to be signed in to add and complete actions.
    Add to my challenge Already completed Not applicable

    Make sure not to “top off” your tank because it can result in paying for gasoline that is fed back into the station's tanks when your tank is full. It also leads to more air pollution due to evaporation of excess gas.

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  • 1
    Green leaves denote the number of Green Points earned by completing the action and its relative environmental benefit.
    Hammers denote the relative amount of effort needed to implement the action.
    Dollar signs denote the relative cost of implementing the action.
    Free < $100
    $100-$500 $501-$2000
    > $2000
    A key denotes a renter-friendly action.
    One or more household members live within 15 miles of the workplace
    You need to be signed in to add and complete actions.
    Add to my challenge Already completed Not applicable

    According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average American spends more than 100 hours a year commuting to work. Residents of Maryland have the second longest commute time of all the states, averaging 30.2 minutes.

    Long commutes take more money, energy, and time and generate more air pollution. When choosing a new job or a place to live, make sure to take your commute time into account.

    Apr 23 Stephanie Van

    My commute to work is less than 5 miles

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  • 1
    Green leaves denote the number of Green Points earned by completing the action and its relative environmental benefit.
    Hammers denote the relative amount of effort needed to implement the action. Hammers denote the relative amount of effort needed to implement the action.
    Dollar signs denote the relative cost of implementing the action.
    Free < $100
    $100-$500 $501-$2000
    > $2000
    A key denotes a renter-friendly action.
    Calculate and track your vehicle's gas mileage
    You need to be signed in to add and complete actions.
    Add to my challenge Already completed Not applicable

    Tracking your average miles per gallon (mpg) can alert you to possible problems, such as low tire pressure or dirty filters. It can also motivate you to adopt efficient driving practices. If your vehicle does not automatically calculate your mpg, you can do so by writing down the mileage and gallons of gas purchased each time you refuel. Calculate the miles driven between each refueling and then calculate your mpg using this formula:

    ______ Miles per gallon = ________ Miles driven ÷ ______ Gallons of gas used

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  • 1
    Green leaves denote the number of Green Points earned by completing the action and its relative environmental benefit.
    Hammers denote the relative amount of effort needed to implement the action.
    Dollar signs denote the relative cost of implementing the action.
    Free < $100
    $100-$500 $501-$2000
    > $2000
    A key denotes a renter-friendly action.
    Use fuel efficient driving practices
    You need to be signed in to add and complete actions.
    Add to my challenge Already completed Not applicable

    The way that you drive can make a big difference in the amount of fuel that you consume and emissions you create. Use at least three of the following efficient driving practices to save fuel:

    • Choose routes that have fewer lights and stop signs. Driving on highways is more fuel efficient.
    • Avoid aggressive driving. The constant braking and accelerating can increase your fuel consumption by as much as 40%.
    • Drive steadily and follow posted speed limits. Driving at 55 rather than 65 mph can reduce your fuel consumption by 10-15%.
    • In a manual vehicle, get into top gear quickly without accelerating harder than necessary. In an automatic, ease off of the accelerator once you gain momentum.
    • Reduce your use of air conditioning. Instead try flow-through ventilation or open your windows when driving at low speeds. Driving with windows open at high speeds can actually decrease your fuel efficiency due to increased wind resistance.
    • Run errands in the least amount of trips possible. Keep a list of errands that need to be done and do them during your daily commute or during a single trip.
    • Use cruise control on flat sections of road but not in hilly areas.
    • Remove excess weight, bike racks, and trailers from your vehicle when possible.
    • Try to avoid high-traffic times of the day when planning trips.

    Click for more tips on fuel-efficient driving practices.

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  • 1
    Green leaves denote the number of Green Points earned by completing the action and its relative environmental benefit.
    Hammers denote the relative amount of effort needed to implement the action.
    Dollar signs denote the relative cost of implementing the action.
    Free < $100
    $100-$500 $501-$2000
    > $2000
    A key denotes a renter-friendly action.
    Refrain from idling your car
    You need to be signed in to add and complete actions.
    Add to my challenge Already completed Not applicable

    Allowing your car to idle for more than 10 seconds burns more fuel than stopping and restarting the car. Idling also releases toxic fumes like sulfur oxides, ground-level ozone, and nitrogen oxides which are detrimental to human health. Instead of allowing your car to idle or starting it early to warm it up, shut off your engine when going to a drive-through, waiting for a passenger, or waiting in line at the gas station. Learn more about the effects of idling.

    Feb 22 Susan Chapman

    I own a Prius! (my 2nd one)

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