When you go green you don’t have to hurt your wallet, and it doesn’t take a lot of time either. Simply making a few changes to your home can cut electricity costs, and offer numerous benefits to the environment. This article will show you how to benefit from using green energy.
Consider installing solar powered lamps for outdoor lighting. Not only are these lamps cheap, but they only need power from the sun. They also save energy. It means you don’t have to wire up outdoor lights.
Do your best to keep your windows shaded from any sunlight. Adding some window coverings can also help. By doing these things, you’ll lower the amount you need to run your air conditioner in the summer, as your home will already be cooler. Not only will you save energy, but you will also save money.
Save on the use of electricity in your home, and become a better consumer of energy by unplugging your electronic devices and gadgets when they are not in use. Chargers for devices like phones, music players, computers and others use small amounts of power any time they are in an outlet, even if you aren’t charging anything.
Washing Machine
Wash your clothes in cold water whenever possible. Having heated water in your washer can use up to nine-tenths of the energy required to run a washing machine. If your detergent is of good quality, you should have no problems using cold water. In addition, remember that a washing machine will be most energy efficient when it is full.
If you heat your home with fuel oil, inquire about switching over to biodiesel. Many systems allow a switch to biodiesel or biofuel with slight modifications. Biodiesel will burn cleaner than petroleum, which helps to protect the environment.
Think about heating your water with solar water heaters. If you live in a sunny climate, you can use a solar water heater year-round. If you live in a climate that faces cold winters, also install a traditional heater for your water.
Keep your refrigerator well maintained. Since refrigerators are one of the high-consumption appliances, it’s crucial that you keep it running efficiently. Clean the dust off of the heating coils on a regular basis. Also ensure that the rubber seals around the doors are clean and making tight contact.
Degrees Warmer
If you’d like to be more environmentally friendly and cut down on your energy costs, try wearing warmer clothing. Even just a lightweight sweater keeps you two degrees warmer, and a heavyweight sweater will keep you four degrees warmer. You don’t need to be cold at home, get yourself some nice warm clothes you can use in your house today!
Instead of buying that new desktop computer, purchase a laptop, as desktops use much more electricity. You will find yourself shaving 75 percent off of the amount of electricity used for computer usage, especially if you go on the internet often. Since laptops are portable, you can use them anywhere.
Pay attention to any federal or local rebates offered for making alternative-energy updates to your home. Sometimes, the local electric company will provide rebates to cover the cost of upgrading. In some cases, there could be credits or tax deductions either from the federal or state government. These rebates and credits can substantially reduce the cost of installing green energy technology in your home.
Hire experts to check your plumbing and heating systems before investing a lot of money in installing new, greener systems. They will let you know how much you can save by upgrading to more efficient appliances and systems, and also give you a good idea of how much it will cost.
Solar Oven
Think about baking with a solar oven. A solar oven is very easy to make. All you need is a window, a piece of foil and a sturdy box. These ovens can be quickly assembled, and reach 300 degrees in temperature simply using the sun.
Use LED lights on the holidays to save electricity. LED’s have been shown to save a significant amount of energy. We could save at least a couple billion kilowatt hours if each person would make this change. That much electricity could power at least 200,000 home for a whole year. But for your own part, this is a great way to cut that power bill down.
To cut back on your fuel usage, consider carpooling for more than just work. Ask other parents in the neighborhood if they are interested in carpooling for their children and trade days with them. Plan your shopping days to correspond with those of your friends. That way you can share a vehicle and the costs of fuel.
A good, old common sense tip for saving energy is turning off the lights as you leave the room. You would be surprised how much energy you could end up saving over time if you get into the habit of turning off your lights. In addition, you will save money on your utility bill.
Everyone can enjoy the benefits of going green. Green energy not only protects the environment, but also saves money.
