Reconfiguring your home to use less energy is easier than it has ever been before. Without a lot of effort, you may be able to use less energy and save yourself some money. Continue on for some great ideas on how you can go about doing this.
Do your best to keep your windows shaded from any sunlight. Do this by installing blinds or curtains. By utilizing these ideas, you will drop your AC costs dramatically as your house remains cooler during the summer. Energy and money are both saved this way.
Instead of using your air conditioner in the summer, try to wear fabrics that are natural. Natural fabrics, such as cotton, remove moisture from skin so that you stay cool. Also, choose lighter colors. Darker colors absorb heat, which makes you feel warmer, meaning you’ll set your thermostat lower.
Check your furnace and air conditioning filters monthly. Clean or replace them as needed. Installing the filters in warm-air registers is also a great idea. Doing so will prevent debris in heating ducts and it reduces energy.
Wash clothes with cold water, as much as you can. When you heat up water, you consume much more energy as opposed to using colder water. Using a quality detergent means it is unnecessary to use hot water. Additionally, it is more energy-efficient if you are washing full loads instead of small ones.
Discover all the different sources of energy in your community. Be sure to look at the legislation and incentives available for using green utilities. You might find savings by switching from electric to natural gas for heating, or to well water from city water.
Turn off appliances if you are not using them. When you exit a room, be sure that everything has been fully turned off. Use power strips for your electronics, and make sure to turn it of when you are not using it. If it is in standby it’s still wasting power.
Storm Doors
In homes with storm doors and windows, air flow is controlled better. Storm doors and windows lessen the amount of cold air drafts that come in. Installing storm windows and doors can increase energy efficiency by up to 45%.
Get rid of your old water heater and put in a green, tankless one. While they do require energy to heat the water, they require only a small amount of energy to heat a smaller amount of water. Tankless heaters come in various models that either supply a single faucet or the whole house with hot water.
Choose a laptop instead of a desktop PC to save energy. Making this switch can reduce your power consumption by up to 75%. This is especially true if you are an Internet addict or do heavy word processing. Additionally, you can carry a laptop with you, so it’s possible to use it wherever you want.
Professionals can help to analyze your home and give you tips on making it more green. They can tell you if your appliances are running efficiently, and if there are changes you can make. They may also be able to offer estimates as to what it would cost to replace or upgrade your existing systems.
Energy Costs
Have your friends and business associates contact you via email rather than snail mail. Specifically, go paperless whenever you can. This not only helps businesses you communicate with save on energy costs, but it also helps you save on energy costs as well. Not only that, it is also great for the environment too.
If you would like to save the environment, remember that it can be done in small steps as well as big ones. Perhaps you don’t have money to spend on making your home more green, but it is possible to start by maintaining smaller things, like clean filters and regulated temperatures. Keep the water heater temperature around 120 degrees and save energy costs. Even the smallest amount of effort can help.
A good energy saving tip at home when cooking is to always use a microwave when possible. Ovens and stoves use lots more energy to prepare food than microwaves. If you can cook things in the microwave instead, do it! This will help save a lot of energy.
If you are not in a room, do not keep the lights on. Turning off the lights will save a surprising amount of energy. An additional advantage is lower electric bills.
It will pay off over time if you spend more on green efficient products in the future. Although green technology is a bit more expensive, it quickly pays for itself in lower bills. It will also make a big difference for the environment.
Solar panels can be used to help make your home green. There is of course an initial investment that is not cheap, however, long term use and the resulting savings, will far outweigh the up-front cost. Once you have the panels installed solar energy then becomes free, and with any excess power you gather you can potentially sell that to electric companies.
Energy Efficient
Weatherizing your home is a great way to make it energy efficient. 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 love the financial benefits that these simple changes can bring!
Look for ways to include the tips discussed here in your own home. You will save much on energy costs, and you will also reduce your carbon footprint on the environment. Keep working at it a little at a time, and ultimately your home is going to be the greenest in your neighborhood!