There is such an overwhelming amount of information regarding green energy online so locating reliable information is quite challenging. By way of this article, you can begin to build a solid foundation of knowledge for making your home a green energy environment.
Simply cutting back on the amount of electricity you use on a daily basis can save a lot of energy. Unplug appliances when they’re not in use. Be diligent about switching off the television or lighting if you aren’t using them. This is a simple tip that can help you save money, too.
When creating an outdoor light set up for a garden path or patio, think of solar powered lamps as an option. Not only are these lamps cheap, but they only need power from the sun. Not only does this save energy. You will not have to hook up the lights to an electrical source.
Solar water heaters are a great option and can significantly decrease the cost involved with heating all of the water in your home. Traditional gas and electricity are not that efficient, but solar-powered water heaters glean the sun’s natural energy to maintain even temperatures. Making some of these changes will cost you some money up front, but you can recoup some of these costs with tax deductions for using green energy.
Know the available energy options in your community. Check the cost of running your home using these utilities, taking into consideration any recent legislation regarding energy costs. You may find that natural gas will be better for your home than electric, or that well water is an available alternative to city water.
Solar panels are an easy addition to your home that helps you and your family go green. However, you must consider a few issues before getting started. A big consideration is how much sunlight does your home typically receive? If you live in a shady place, or a location with a cloudy climate, solar isn’t the choice for you.
If you use a dishwasher to clean your dishes, do not run it until it is completely full. You will use just as much water and energy to run a half-empty dishwasher as a full one. When you do run the dishwasher, make sure to use the energy saving setting, which will allow your dishes to air-dry.
Conserve energy by unplugging chargers when you aren’t using them. Charging devices for several common types of electronics, including laptops, cell phones, and MP3 players all draw “phantom power” if you keep them plugged in while they are idle.
Solar energy can heat water for a lesser cost. Consider a solar water heater. There are direct and indirect circulation systems available. Indirect systems are the best option for those who have frozen pipes during the winter.
If you are not using something, turn it off. When an area of the home is not being used, make sure that all TVs, lights and computers are turned off. A power strip should be used for electronics and can be easily turned off when not needed, since the standby mode is still utilizing power.
If you want to save energy on heating and cooling costs, install storm windows and doors. Storm doors and windows dramatically reduce the amount of drafts and cold air that get into your home. Energy efficiency is increased by 45 percent in homes that have stormed doors and windows, which will save a lot of money on electricity.
When planning the solar system used in the home, use winter sunshine hours to determine what potential energy generation will be. That will help you avoid negative surprises in the winter, and it will give you plenty of leeway during the summer. Be sure to get a net-usage plan with the energy company so that you can get money from them when you put the surplus energy onto their grid.
Degrees Warmer
Maintain your refrigerator well. With the fridge being a top energy consumer in the home, maintenance is important for efficiency. Make sure to clean heating coils often. Also, make sure that the seal around the door is clean and tight.
Dress in warm clothes to cut costs! You will feel 2 degrees warmer with a light sweater, and 4 degrees warmer with a heavy one. Add a hat, scarf and gloves for even more warmth. So, to save some money, pick up a nice warm sweater and refrain from dressing scantily.
Trade out your older, tank-style water heater for a tankless model that is more green. Tankless heaters require less energy to heat water, as they only heat it as needed. Tankless heaters come in various models that either supply a single faucet or the whole house with hot water.
Rather than using an energy-hogging desktop computer, switch to a laptop. This could possibly reduce your electrical use by 75 percent, especially if the Internet is used frequently or there is heavy use of word processing software. Laptops are also portable which makes them much more functional and handy in times of need.
If you are really committed to going green, one way to do so is to limit how often you use your electric heater in winter. Instead, start wearing warmer clothing indoors and use a pellet stove or fireplace to keep main living areas heated. An additional benefit to limiting the amount of electrical heaters is that it helps prevent your airways from becoming dry, resulting in better breathing.
Try not to turn the heat up too high in your home, unless it is absolutely necessary for you to do so. If you’re cold, put on a warm sweatshirt and some cozy socks. If you turn the heat up to 75 degrees, you are using a ton of unnecessary energy.
Instead of buying that new desktop computer, purchase a laptop, as desktops use much more electricity. These portable machines will reduce your electrical use by 75% while you do everyday tasks. You can also bring your computer anywhere if you have a laptop.
Use a solar oven when baking. You can make one out of a box, wood, and some foil. 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.
Pay attention to federal and local rebates associated with renewable energy for your house. Sometimes, you will find that a local utility company can give a rebate for the total price of the upgrades. In other instances, credit or tax deductions are offered by federal or state governments. These credits and rebates will ultimately cut your costs of bringing green energy technology to your house.
If you would like to save the environment, remember that it can be done in small steps as well as big ones. You might not have the capacity to invest all of the money to go green immediately, but one can clean furnace filters and adjust the heat at home to be more green. Setting your water heater to 120 F will also be an energy saver. Every small change helps!
If you would like to make your life greener like many people do, there are plenty of steps you can take. You do not have to spend money to help, but you can clean your furnace filters once each month and set your heat to 60 degrees if you are not home. Another way to save energy, and money, is to set the water heater’s temperature at 120 degrees. Each step you take, no matter how small, will count!
A good energy saving tip is to switch your boiler. Older boilers weren’t built to be energy efficient, and they’re costing you an arm and a leg compared to a newer unit. In addition to generating small amounts of carbon dioxide, which benefits your health, they can help to decrease your utility bills.
You can use biofuel to heat your own home. Biofuels contain wood, oil and fat. If you have a propane furnace, sometimes a technician can make modifications to enable you to use a blend of different fuels. The blend you would use could be made up of 20%-99% biodiesel. Professionals should be consulted before any changes are made to your current furnace.
Try a water-saving commode in your bathroom. Up to half of the water that your household uses is when flushing the toilet. The older models of toilets use about 5 gallons every time you flush. A water saving model will only use about 1.6 gallons which means you save close to 70 percent of you water per year.
Carpooling doesn’t have to be just for work. Set up carpooling with other parents to get the kids to soccer practice or band camp. Also, create a joint grocery shopping day with friends or family.
Use automatic motion detection sensors for lighting in your rooms. These sensors automatically turn the lights off in rooms that aren’t being used, which saves energy, and in the long run, lots of money. Don’t forget to install the outdoor sensor lights in your garage, too!
Replace any old major appliances with new Energy Star rated appliances. This is your guarantee that your new appliances will use less energy, and therefore cost you less to run. For freezers and refrigerators, the rating guarantees 20 percent less energy used, 40 percent for dishwashers, and at least 50 percent when it comes to washing machines.
Purchasing a programmable thermostat is also another great tip to help decrease your energy bill. These types of thermostats are already programmed, or preset, to adjust temperatures accordingly for colder and warmer months throughout the year. They can also be programmed for different temperatures based on whether it’s night or day.
Although this may seem like common sense, many people still keep the lights, appliances and electronics on when they are not using them. If a person put this practice into action, he or she would save a huge amount on the electric bill. Always take a few minutes to think before you leave your home and turn off all your appliances.
There are a lot of things you can do to save energy when you wash your laundry. Begin by setting your dryer to automatically turn off when your clothing has become dry. Reduce the drying time for your loads by spinning them on the high-speed setting of your washer. Be sure to clean dryer filters and check for blockages in the dryer vent.
Paying a little more for electronics and appliances that use less energy will pay you back over time. Green technology appliances can cost a bit more up front, but you will be paid back through lower energy bills for the life of the appliances. This will pay off for the environment, too.
Even if it’s impossible to power your entire home with an alternative energy source, see if renewable energy can meet some of your energy needs. A good place to start would be by replacing your hot water heater. Replacing this one appliance can save you a lot of money.
In your high traffic rooms, place automatic light sensors that have motion detection to light the area. These sensors automatically shut off the lights to vacant rooms, which saves both energy and money. If motion sensing lights are working for you indoors, try adding them outdoors and in the garage, as well!
Green Energy
You can save energy by setting your heat to 60 degrees at night or when you aren’t home. 60 degrees is the target temperature at which your heater will be consuming the least energy. You can save money on your utility bills by reducing your energy consumption in this way.
Although researching the many green energy technologies can be a bore, putting the tips that you learned in this article to use in your home will be fun! The preceding tips are all very easy to implement, and cheap, as well. Putting them to use will have you using green energy in no time. Using these tips will benefit both your family and the environment.
Save money on your electric bills by being stingy about light usage. In the months with more sunshine and longer days, try not to turn on lights until it is past a certain hour. Make use of dimmers and sensors to minimize unnecessary light usage.
About The Author
