Area builders, remodelers, interior designers and real estate agents shared ways to improve energy efficiency -- “acts of green,” as they’re called by Earth Day organizers -- on your own turf. From lighting to heating/air to appliances to accessories, here are their tips for celebrating Earth Day at home:

Heating and air can account for up to 30 percent of your utility bills. Make sure your air filters are clean and Freon is charged to proper levels. These two simple tips go a long way in keeping your energy bills down. -- Curtis Peart, principal, FrontPorch, Atlanta-based residential construction firm and builder of the 2012 HGTV Green Home at Serenbe

Recycling houses is one aspect of a general movement within the industry, which is approaching the point where green building techniques and incorporating environmentally friendlier materials are considered standard operating procedure. The extent to which a house can be “recycled” depends on what a builder-developer is trying to achieve based on the homeowner’s desired outcome.

“As far as adaptive reuse of the house, when we have a client who says they want to tear down a house and build a new one, the first thing we do is look at what’s there and determine whether we can use the footprint,” said Matt Hoots, CEO of SawHorse Inc.

“We ask questions, such as, ‘Can we use the landscaping? How is the foundation dug into the hill? Is there part of the foundation that we can add to?’ ” Hoots said.

From an energy usage perspective, renovating is much greener than tearing a house down, reusing as many parts as possible, and building a new green house on top of it.

“We have the resources and the technology these days to take an existing house and bring it up to current energy code and also make it more energy efficient,” Hoots said.

In renovating a house in Lake Clare, an intown neighborhood between Atlanta and Decatur, the SawHorse crew was able to utilize almost 75 percent of the existing siding by pulling off the original siding, insulating the house, and reinstalling the salvaged material.

“We preserved the look of the house while giving it a freshly renovated look and a new paint job,” said Hoots.

For his son’s school, Hoots constructed a playhouse out of decking material obtained from a client whose deck had collapsed. The playhouse was donated to a charity, which auctioned off the building for a tidy sum.

Experts estimate proper weatherization can cut energy bills 25 percent to 30 percent.

One advantage of bringing in a professional is the chance to assess your home’s energy leakage and how best to correct it.

Weatherization contractor and SawHorse President Matt Hoots does a home energy assessment using a blower door fan test to calculate energy loss.

“We can also find the sources of the leaks that are big or small,” said Hoots, whose company then uses insulation, weather-stripping of doors and windows, air sealing and more energy-efficient HVAC as part of its strategy to prepare a home for winter.

Real estate agent Jennifer Spivey had her Old Fourth Ward condo weatherized by Paul Shellem, owner of HomeSeal Atlanta in Suwanee, which offers a whole house appraisal for $400 to $600.

Spivey’s custom weatherization included duct sealing, boxing can lights and blowing in fiberglass insulation. Spivey’s monthly energy bill has gone down but the biggest change is in her quality of life.

“Our house was always dusty and it gave me allergies,” said Spivey. Sealing leaks, she said, “cut down on the dust by 90 percent. The air quality is better.”

Homeowners and contractors point to air quality and comfort issues as frequent reasons for weatherization.

“What gets these homeowners to move is not necessarily the energy savings or even the money that they’re going to get back and save, but indoor air quality and health,” said Brad Turner, head of weatherization at Southface, a nonprofit devoted to sustainable buildings and communities.

Hoots said he rarely has to market his weatherization service.

“Don’t have to,” he said. “They call us when they are uncomfortable. Comfort trumps energy savings.”

Spivey referred her parents, Patti and James Jeffries of Hampton, to HomeSeal. In addition to some energy-saving improvements made by other contractors, the Jeffrieses had their 2,000-square-foot 1986 ranch weatherized by HomeSeal. The couple saw a 25 percent decrease in their monthly utility bills.

The Jeffries had their duct work sealed, blown-in insulation placed in the attic, their windows and fireplace air sealed and their doors weather-stripped.

“It’s amazing when they build a house they don’t seal it where the brick and wall board come together and you’d be surprised at what comes out of there. And what comes in from outdoors,” said Patti Jeffries.

Like their daughter, the Jeffrieses saw benefits to weatherizing their home beyond lower utility bills.

“I also do not see as many bugs. I had spider problems. You’d walk in the living room and find dead spiders everywhere and there were cobwebs everywhere. But since we’ve sealed everything up, they’re not getting in,” said Patti Jeffries, who recommended that homeowners at least weather strip around windows.

Best of all, the same measures you take to winterize your home and make it more comfortable and energy efficient will also save you money when summer rolls back around.