We are now aware of how important it is to care for the environment. An important option that can help to protect the environment and also reduce your costs is the use of green energy sources for your home. If you wish to utilize green energy within your home, this article can assist you in doing so.
Making small adjustments to the way you use energy every day can ultimately reduce your consumption. When you are not using certain appliances, unplug them until you are ready to use them again. When you are no longer using them, turn off lights and the television. These simple tips can save you money, as well as saving electricity.
Use solar-powered lamps for outdoor lighting. They are not only affordable, but they do not have to be hooked up to any power source, needing only good access to sunlight. This, of course, will save you a lot of money. You also don’t need to hang lights or wires outdoors.
Speak to a technician to find out if your fuel oiled heating can be changed to an alternative fuel, such as biodiesel. A lot of existing systems can change to some bio-diesel utilization without modifications or using any extra parts. Biodiesel is cleaner to burn than petroleum, making it more efficient to use in the wintertime.
Dress in warm clothes to cut costs! Wearing a sweater can make you feel two to four degrees warmer, depending on the thickness of the sweater. You do not have to wear a small amount of clothing at home, so put on a sweater and increase your savings.
Active Solar Power
Understand the difference between passive and active solar power. While active power requires storage cells, passive power doesn’t. Active solar power needs to have cells, mechanical systems, and solar panels installed. Passive solar power, on the other hand, just draws heat from the sun and stores it in your walls for heating purposes.
Don’t turn your heat up too far in the home, unless you need to. If it is a little chilly, simply put on a sweatshirt, and pair of sweatpants. You waste a lot of energy if you put the heat on higher than necessary.
Solar Oven
A solar oven is a great consideration if you are an avid baker. Use common household items to make a solar oven. Put a piece of an old window into a box and place foil inside the box to reflect the sun’s rays. You can reach an oven temperature of 300 degrees or more without using any other source of energy besides the sun. It only takes a few minutes to build a solar oven.
Watch your watt usage. There are devices like Watt Minder or Kill-A-Watt that can monitor your wattage and help you see what is consuming energy. Plug your appliance or gadget into the watt-checking device, and it will tell you how much the unit consumes in energy in one hour, month or year. This will show you the cost of your appliance.
When decorating for the holidays you should forgo traditional lights and get LED lights instead. There are many studies from the U.S. to back this up. Department of Energy stated that Americans could collectively reduce their energy consumption by over 2 billion kW/h if they all changed over to LED lights. That is enough electricity to power 200 thousand homes for a whole year. If nothing else, you can cut down your power bill!
You can use biofuels as home heating fuels. The biofuel is produced using fats, wood and oils. If you have a propane furnace, a professional can usually make changes that allow you to use this blend of fuels. This would be about 20-99 percent biodiesel. However, it is important that you seek professional advice before any attempt is made to utilize this fuel.
Less Energy
Replace old, energy-hogging appliances with new versions that are Energy Star rated. The Energy Star rated appliance is guaranteed to use appreciably less energy than the older non-rated appliance. Appliances like fridges and freezers can use up to 20% less energy, while washing machines can save up to 50%.
The venerable habit of turning of unnecessary lights when leaving a room is still very effective. If you establish a habit of extinguishing your lights, you will be amazed at the amount of energy you can save in the long run. You not only save a lot of energy but you save money, as well.
If you are concerned about the environment then make the right choices and put green energy options to use in your own home. The tips we have provided here can help. The money you save should be enough incentive already!
