You've been meaning to conserve more energy and inch off the power grid, but you're tired after work, starting the process takes time and research, and, really, how much energy does that tiny TiVo box use? (You'd be surprised.) In a world marked by dwindling energy resources and a climate of militarized tension over where the next generation of energy is coming from, we can no longer afford to wait. The time has come to take baby steps toward bringing renewable energy home. Herewith, a grid to help you get off the grid:

Secure Your Fortress

Insulate: An obvious but important step, insulating keeps the heat in and the cold out. The cost of buying insulation is offset in your heat bill savings.

Get a sun shield (radiant barrier) in your attic: Barriers improve air-conditioning efficiency by up to 12 percent by deflecting up to 97 percent of the sun's radiant heat. Barriers are under $100 and require only a scissors and a staple gun for installation.

Wrap your water heater: Water heaters run 24/7, which means they gobble up energy 24/7. Add a water heater blanket, a very cheap purchase at any home store, if you don't have a newer model with insulation already built in. This could save you up to 9 percent in water heating costs.

Hang curtains with a valance: Curtains act as insulation, but without a valance can create convective currents when the air between the curtain and glass cools down. As the cooler air drops, valuable warm air gets sucked into the top of the curtain and starts the process again. A valance helps stop this hot-air vacuum effect.

Take Your Temperature and Know Your Watts

Get a programmable thermostat: Programmable thermostats are more exact than manual ones and can be set to adjust the temperature in your home for different times of day; this saves both on-grid energy and your mental energy -- you'll never again go on vacation and find yourself worrying about where you leftthe thermostat dial.

Assess your energy use: New devices like the Kill-A-Watt hook up to any electrical appliance and let you know exactly how much energy you're using. You might be surprised where big leaks lie in wait.

Rethink How You Illuminate

It's all about the bulbs: Switch out your incandescent lightbulbs for compact fluorescent ones. Compact fluorescent bulbs use up to 75 percent less energy than the average incandescent and will last as much as 10 times longer.