Options such as sun, water or wind are great producers of energy without negative impacts to the environment. They also offer cost effective solutions for your home. If you desire for your home to be more green when it comes to energy consumption, keep reading to find helpful tips and advice on how you can start doing that today.
Use a solar-solar powered system to heat water. This is also a very efficient way to heat water and keep it at the proper temperature. In the United States there are many tax deductions for energy efficient green products.
Replace or clean your furnace filter at least once every 90 days, and check it once per month for build-up. It is also a good idea to install filters on warm-air registers. Register filters will help prevent debris increasing efficiency.
Washing Clothes
Try to use cold water for washing clothes. The vast majority of the energy you use for washing clothes is needed to heat the water. If you are using good quality washing detergent, cold water is effective. Additionally, do not run the washer until it is full so as to maximize your energy use.
When not using things, turn them off. When an area of the home is not being used, make sure that all TVs, lights and computers are turned off. When you can, plug your electronics into a power strip and when you are not using it, turn it off. Energy is still being used when something is in standby mode.
You can obtain hot water for a cheap cost with solar energy. Consider a solar water heater. You may pick between a direct or indirect circulation system. Indirect systems are the best if you have frozen pipes during the winter.
Electric heaters should only be used when necessary in order to be more green. Use a fireplace in place of the heater and wear warm layers of clothing. Cooler air is better for sleeping anyway, because it prevents airways from becoming dry.
Instead of buying that new desktop computer, purchase a laptop, as desktops use much more electricity. You can save a ton of electricity by using a laptop. Both the Internet and most word processing software packages use a lot of energy on desktop computers, so getting a laptop can really save money if you use these features. Since laptops are portable, you can use them anywhere.
Green Energy
Take advantage of any federal or local rebates that you may be entitled to receive. Ask your utility company if they offer rebates for green energy upgrades. In other instances, credit or tax deductions are offered by federal or state governments. You’ll find that these discounts can effectively reduce the price of adding green energy alternatives into your home.
Try to communicate to people as much as possible through email rather than traditional means. Live a paperless lifestyle whenever possible. You and the businesses you deal with can both save energy and money by going paperless. Not to mention, it protects the environment for everyone.
Closely monitor how many watts you are using. Try using gadgets like the Kill-A-Watt and the Watt Minder to see what in your home uses too much energy. Plug your appliances in to these devices to find out what amount of energy is required each year, month or hour to run it. With that information, you will be able to calculate how much that appliance costs to operate.
Create written reminders of your goals regarding energy efficiency, and compare your utility bills to those of the previous year to determine whether you are making positive steps. Just thinking more about your energy usage will help you to change habits that lead you to over-use energy. For instance, should you consciously decide to decrease your electricity or water use, you are also likelier to turn off appliances or unused lights.
When you begin to save energy through greener methods, you save money today and the planet as well. As this article shows, going green isn’t all that difficult and costly. Put this excellent advice to use and build a more environmentally friendly and efficient home today.