Keeping a home that is green is a great way to ensure the environment is protected, while also helping to lower your own energy costs. Purchasing an electric car is not necessary for this to occur. Read this article for some simple ways to make your home more energy efficient on any budget.
Reduce your energy consumption by unplugging anything that is not in use, especially battery chargers. Many chargers for various electronics continue to draw electricity even if they are not plugged into a device. The energy usage is not as high, but it wastes electricity and adds up to a considerable amount over time.
Are you the owner of a farm? If you do happen to own some farmland, try renting some of the land to a power company that specializes in wind energy solutions. This will provide you with free energy with only a small space investment.
Use windows covering for when you’re not home. The result will be a cooler house because the window’s admit less heat. Pay particular attention to covering the windows on the south side of your house. They typically admit the most sun. Dark curtains, roller or roman shades can cover windows well.
Keep your refrigerator well maintained. Because refrigerators use so much energy, it really pays to keep them working as efficiently as possible. Make sure to clean heating coils often. Check the door seal for dirt, debris and leaks.
Storm Doors
Storm doors and windows help control air flow into a home. Storm doors and windows lessen the amount of cold air drafts that come in. If you use storm doors or windows, you can save at least 45 percent on your electricity bills.
Replace a water heater that is tank-style, with a model that is green and has no tank. Although tankless heaters require electricity or gas to heat water, they only do this on the amount you need as opposed to storing it in a large tank that is kept hot all the time. There are tankless heaters that can supply just one single faucet with water that is hot, but there are also models which supply the whole home.
Unless cold temperatures become a real problem, it is better to keep the heat turned down. If you’re chilly, add a layer of clothing, such as a sweatshirt and some sweatpants. When you keep the heat unnecessarily high you use far more energy than you need to–and that is expensive!
There is a lot you can do to change your lifestyle and live in a more sustainable and environmentally friendly world. Simply cleaning filters in the furnace and setting temperatures lower can help! Cutting your water heater temperature down to 120 degrees is another way to conserve energy and see smaller utility bills. Each step you take, no matter how small, will count!
Billion Kilowatt
LED lights should be used during the next holiday season. Over two billion kilowatt power hours can be saved! One study conducted by the Department of Energy found that if everyone in the U.S. switched to these lights, more than two billion kilowatt hours worth of power would be saved. This amount could actually power around 200,000 homes for a whole year. If nothing else, you can cut down your power bill!
A home heating alternative to be considered is biofuel. Biofuels are usually composed of vegetable fats, animal fats, wood and oil. You can hire a professional to adjust your propane furnace to be capable of using any type of fuel you desire. Most furnaces use between 20 to 99% bio-diesel fuels. Make sure you consult an energy professional before using biofuels in your home.
Try using a carpool if you want to reduce fuel consumption. Talk with other parents and try to arrange a carpool schedule so that you all take turns driving your kids to school. If you are located close to other families, agree to do your grocery shopping at the same time and rotate who drives each week.
A few examples of energy efficient changes you can make at home are changing your furnace’s filter on schedule, installing CFL bulbs and using a programmable thermostat. Once other people see how easy going green is, they will want to go green too. Use the advice you’ve learned here and start saving money and the planet today!
