In honor of Earth Day, Business Week devoted it's weekly "Five for the Money" to a few quiet ways to make homes more energy-efficient. The magazine focused it's tips on the ways that homeowners can make smaller investments that over the course of months or years can recoup up-front costs.

Here are a few of their suggestions:

Follow the EnergyStar
A joint program of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Energy Dept., EnergyStar is probably the easiest way to pick out energy-saving appliances. According to the program, a family using approved appliances can save up to a third on its energy bill—complemented by a similar reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

Since the EPA began the program in 1992 with products that included computers and monitors it has expanded to consumer goods ranging from lights to refrigerators. The program aims to endorse products that have equivalent performance to their more wasteful counterparts.

Watch Your Water
Anyone can take shorter showers or run the dishwasher less often, but there are also devices that can help. For one thing, inexpensive flow reducers can reduce a faucet or shower head's output without sacrificing water pressure.

Less known is a device called the Metlund Hot Water D'MAND System put out by Costa Mesa (Calif.)-based Advanced Conservation Technology. The device recirculates water from the hot water pipes to ensure that bathers are never running the faucet waiting for hot water. As with so many tricks in the green arena, the savings are gradual but, Johnston says, real.

Dual flush toilets could also become more common. Available from several manufacturers, they allow users to decide flush intensity depending on their needs. Even with the amount of water expended per flush shrinking in normal toilets, Smith says families will quickly recoup their money with one of these commodes.

For more tips, check out the full article Five Green Fixes for Your Home.