The variety of green energy options are staggering, yet easily done in a cost-effective way. The tips in this article will give you the information necessary to implement a green energy system in your home or business.
Saving energy and money is as simple as closing your curtains. Installing blinds and curtains will also help. If you do these things, you will cut your use of air conditioning throughout the warm months, as your home will be a bit cooler. You will save both money and energy in the process.
Replace or clean your furnace filter at least once every 90 days, and check it once per month for build-up. Adding filters to your warm-air registers is not a bad idea, either. This will help keep debris from clogging up heating ducts and becoming inoperable.
Check out all the different resources your community has available for energy. Compare the costs of operating your home using several of these utilities, making sure to take into consideration any legislation with regard to energy costs that has recently been passed. For example, it may be cheaper for you to heat your home with natural gas as opposed to electricity, or use well water instead of city water.
When implementing a solar energy system, put the batteries as close to the cells as possible. Power can be lost over long cables so this will lessen the impact. Additionally, the cable cannot shade the cells, which can cause reduction in generation.
Opt out of snail mail where possible, and choose to get bills and notices by email. In other words, choose to go paperless in any way you can. This kills two birds with one stone: you save energy and encourage businesses with whom you correspond to do so, as well. This protects the environment, too.
A solar oven can be an easy and free way to bake. You can make one with easy-to-find items like old windows, boxes, and aluminum foil to reflect light. The temperature in these ovens can heat up to 300 degrees, they can be put together in a few minutes, and the only energy they use is the sun.
Keep an eye on the wattage you are using. You can do this by using Kill-A-Watt or Watt Minder gadgets. These will help you find where your energy is being consumed. All you have to do is plug the appliance directly into the device so that it can calculate how much energy is being used per hour, month, or year. With that information, you will be able to calculate how much that appliance costs to operate.
Save money and fuel by carpooling for errands as well as work and school. IF you’ve got kids, create a carpool system with other parents in the neighborhood. 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 great way to save energy is to switch your boiler. Old boilers were created without considering energy consumption, and new boilers are more efficient. They produce much less carbon dioxide that benefits you, and they cut down on energy costs.
Turn off lights when you exit a room. This is a tried-and-true energy saving trick. Shutting off your lights when you leave a room is a simple act, but it will surprise you by the amount of energy it saves. In addition, you will save money on your utility bill.
An on-demand hot water heater is a good way to stay green. Water heaters that are old-fashioned will constantly run, which in turn heats water when not needed, and this ends up wasting lots of energy. You’ll get hot water whenever you need it without having to wait for it to heat up. You’ll also save a lot of energy.
Lower your thermostat several degrees to save energy when you are away, or when you are going to be asleep. 60 degrees uses the smallest amount of possible energy. This helps you minimize the amount of energy that you use and helps you save money as well.
Energy Efficient
To help make your home more energy efficient you should weatherize your home. Weatherization involves retrofitting the heating and cooling systems for energy efficiency, upgrading the insulation, sealing ducts, and installing energy-efficient windows. All of these things make your home more energy efficient. You will also help reduce the cost of your energy bill in the process.
There are many ways you can conserve energy while doing laundry. Use the setting on your dryer that will turn it off when clothes are dry. Use the high-spin speed to reduce moisture in clothes and thereby shorten drying time. Always make sure that the dryer filters are clean and that there are no clogs in the vent.
Thawing frozen foods in your refrigerator is a good way to conserve energy. This is a safe way to that food, but also decreases your fridges temperature. This means less energy is needed.
Making ice on your own helps save a lot of time and energy. Automatic ice maker use lots of extra energy and usually break down. Also, their seals tend to leak, which could increase your freezer’s temperature. You can avoid these troubles by simple making your own ice.
Don’t drink bottled water. Bottled water uses some other city’s tap water; in addition, bottling water wastes lots of energy. You can purchase a water bottle, then add a filter to your tap water and save yourself a lot of time and money in the long run.
If you are not using the lights, turn them off. Turn off the lights when you leave the room, and only use lights that are necessary. You should also avoid using cabinet lighting or a porch light unless absolutely necessary. This reduces the amount of energy your home uses.
Because this article offers easy tips, don’t excuse yourself from using green energy. Taking the time to green your energy will give you peace of mind, so make the changes today to enjoy the rewards, tomorrow!