When you first set foot in the renewable energy arena, it can look daunting: different technologies, different approaches, net-zero, net-positive, PV arrays, solar thermal, geothermal, wind power... it's a big subject and can be confusing. So where should you start?

There are some things you can do to save energy and money before you install even the simplest renewable energy system. The three simple steps are to reduce losses, increase efficiency and reduce consumption.

Reduce losses

Unless you're building from scratch, you can save energy and money by plugging the holes in your existing system. Some of those might be literal holes, such as a leaking faucet or a dripping pipe connection. These are often the worst culprits: for example, a faucet that drips once every two seconds can cost you 100 gallons of extra water every month! Make sure you replace washers and tighten joints everywhere you can.

Insulation is another easy way to save money. An existing hot water tank – whether the heating is based on electricity, gas or solar power – holds water that slowly cools. The more insulation you can pack around it, the longer it will hold the heat. The same goes for all your hot water pipes. Insulation is cheap: use as much as is practical.

Increase efficiency

If your appliances that use hot water are old, it's probably worth replacing them. Modern appliances are much more energy efficient than those which are even a few years out of date but if your washing machine or dishwasher were installed last century (that's over ten years ago already), it's worth getting new ones.

Do you use a top-loading clothes washer? Replace it with a front-loader if you can: they use around half as much water, which could save you 10-20 gallons in every wash!

Reduce consumption

Surprisingly, the biggest savings come from the easiest source: changing your behaviour. Of course, that's easy to say. We all know how difficult it can be to change ingrained habits – just ask anyone who has given up smoking or tried a calorie-controlled diet!

The truth is that simple behaviour modification can generate impressive savings. If you have a dishwasher, only use it when it's full; if you wash your dishes by hand, let the dried-on food soak for a while rather than running hot water over it. And don't rinse dishes by running them under the tap: stack them and refill the sink with cold rinsing water (or use the other sink if you have a double). Use cold water, which solidifies grease, with the garbage disposal.

In the bathroom, you can take short showers instead of baths and replace the shower head with a low-flow model.

The biggest and most important change you can make in your behaviour is conscious consumption. Modern society has all but forgotten that there is an energy cost to everything we do and everything we use. Frequently, that cost is covered by utility companies using fossil fuels. By remembering that you're burning limited resources every time you turn on a faucet, switch on