Need an extra $1,500 or so? Whether global warming is real or not, that's about how much consumers would save in a year just by taking little green steps at home.

Experts aren't suggesting anything major such as installing home solar panels, which requires a sizable financial investment upfront. They're talking more like simple "tweaks" to just a few things that consumers buy and the services they use.

Some savings are rather large. Others may mainly impress those most into reducing the amount of natural resources they consume. Here's how they came up with the $1,500 figure:

•Tap into it. For consumers paying $10 a week for bottled water, that works out to $520 a year. A water filter for the tap? About $29.

•Dial it down. Simply switching the washing machine's dial from hot to warm water cuts energy use by 50 percent per load, saving about $63 a year.

•Turn over a new leaf. Many people think green products cost more and do less; however, new, more ecofriendly solutions perform as well as traditional alternatives at comparable cost.

•Banish vampire appliances. Many small appliances and home electronics use electricity even when switched off. By unplugging one not-in-use TV, computer monitor and printer, consumers save more than $70 a year.

•Water, water everywhere. A low-flow showerhead costs less than $20 and can save 750 gallons of water, per person, each month, while reducing a utility bill by $250 a year.

•By degrees. Every degree the thermostat is raised in the summer cuts air conditioning bills by 2 percent. Lowering the temperature by one degree in winter saves 3 percent on heating bills. By installing a programmable thermostat, homeowners are ahead by about $100 a year.

•See the light. Switch from traditional incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent lamps throughout the home for potential savings of up to $100 a year on the electric bill.

•Grandmother knew best. Forgoing the clothes dryer for online outdoor/indoor hanging reaps about $10 monthly.

•Insulate oneself. Boosting attic insulation can reduce heating and cooling energy bills by an average $350 a year. Wrapping an insulating blanket around the water heater can save more than $20 annually.

This story provided by North American Precis Syndicate Inc.