Are you confused about how to save money on your energy bills and be more environmentally conscious? Does it just seem too hard or expensive for you to try? Don’t think about the past; read this article and change your home to how you’d really like it.
By cutting back on electricity use, you will save quite a bit of money. When you are not using certain appliances, unplug them until you are ready to use them again. When you are no longer using them, turn off lights and the television. This simple tip can save you a lot of money.
Try solar water heaters instead of traditional ones. Best for locations with a warmer climate, a solar water heater uses the sun’s energy to heat water that circulates through it. It’s a good idea to use a supplemental water heater, however, if you cannot count on constant sunshine or if your hot water consumption is high.
Lower the heating costs of your water, hot tubs and pools by changing over to a heating system that is run by solar power. Solar water heaters tap into the abundant and free energy offered by the sun. Water heated by other methods, like natural gas, propane, or electricity, is not an efficient method. Many of these improvements will cost you a bit up front, but the cost savings and tax deductions will usually more than offset that cost.
Find out what energy options your community has available. Be sure to look at the legislation and incentives available for using green utilities. You might find that you could save money by switching from an electric furnace to a natural gas one, for instance, or from using municipal water to your own well water.
Consume energy more wisely by unplugging your device chargers when they are not in use. Whether you are charging your device or not, chargers for laptops, mp3 players, cellphones and other electronics keep drawing electrical power as long as they stay plugged in.
Turn off electrical items when you’re not using them. Turn off lights, televisions and computers if you leave a room and have no plans to return. 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 use fuel to heat your home, ask a professional about using biodiesel instead. Some systems can easily be changed to biodiesel without having to make major modifications or installing extra parts. Bio-diesel is more efficient and burns cleaner than conventional petroleum, which in turn, reduces the environmental impact from your home during the winter.
When you have a solar energy system installed, ensure that the batteries that hold the power are situated in close proximity to the cells. This prevents energy from dissipating in a long cable. It also reduces shading of the solar shells. Shading reduces solar panel energy generation.
Find out more about the different energy solutions in your community. Determine which energy source is cheapest for your home. Don’t forget to account for any government incentives that might be in effect. For example, it might be wise to use natural gas instead of electric heat or water from the well rather than city water.
When a home has stormed windows and doors, air flows better. Storm windows and doors prevent cold air drafts filtering into openings. Storm doors and windows can increase a home’s energy efficiency by up to 45%, which can have great impacts on utility bills.
When not being used, turn things off. Upon leaving a particular room, remember to turn of the lights, television, computer or even the entertainment center. Get a power strip so you can turn off all of your electronics at the same time, rather than letting energy get wasted in standby mode.
If you’d like to be more environmentally friendly and cut down on your energy costs, try wearing warmer clothing. A thin sweater will provide you with two degrees of additional heat, while a heavier item will add four. There is no need to be fashionable while at home watching TV, so put on some layers and put some money back in your pocket!
Find out more about active and passive forms of solar power. Active solar power is stored so it can be used later, but passive doesn’t need pricey solar panel cells to store power. Active solar power requires a lot of involvement in the form of installation, mechanics, and power cells. While passive is simply using the sun to store thermal energy inside your walls to heat your home with.
Try to get your mail, like bills, sent to you through email. This will help you use less paper and help the planet. This will save the businesses you deal with a great deal on energy costs and mailing expenses. You also help others by protecting the environment as well.
Use e-mail over snail mail as much as possible. Don’t use paper whenever you can afford to do so. Not only will the business save on the cost of paper, but you will be saving energy from the production of that paper as well. You also help others by protecting the environment as well.
Keep track of how many watts you’re using. Choose an energy monitor like the Kill-A-Watt or the Watt Minder to help you determine which devices and appliances consume the most energy. Plus an appliance into the gadget and it will tell you how much energy it is using. You can learn how much your appliances are costing you.
Don’t turn your heat up too far in the home, unless you need to. If you are cold, put on sweatpants and a sweatshirt. If you turn the heat up to 75 degrees, you are using a ton of unnecessary energy.
Use biofuels as a heat source. These fuels use fats, wood or oil to create energy. If you have a propane furnace, you may be able to have a professional retrofit your furnace to work with biofuel blend. These changes would let you use biofuels is between 20 percent and 90 percent of the fuel used in the furnace. Talk to a pro before using this fuel inside your house.
Keep an eye on the wattage you are using. Choose an energy monitor like the Kill-A-Watt or the Watt Minder to help you determine which devices and appliances consume the most energy. You can plug in various devices into these devices and see how much energy that item uses for periods of time including a hour, month, and even a year. This lets you know how much it costs to operate an appliance.
Think about using a carpool for work and other activities in order to reduce the amount of fuel you use. Carpooling with other neighborhood parents to transport children back and forth to school not only saves you time, it sames you money. If you have family or friends close to you, you could also plan your grocery trips together and share the driving responsibilities.
Use LED lights to decorate for the holidays instead of traditional strand lights. There are many studies from the U.S. to back this up. The U.S. would be able to save Two billion kilo watt hours of energy if everyone did this change. That amount of power could run 200,000 homes for one full year. But for your own part, this is a great way to cut that power bill down.
Less Energy
Try using a carpool if you want to reduce fuel consumption. Carpooling with other neighborhood parents to transport children back and forth to school not only saves you time, it sames you money. You can also schedule grocery shopping and other errands with friends that live near you.
Swap your old appliances for newer ones that have an Energy Star rating. This is your guarantee that your new appliances will use less energy, and therefore cost you less to run. Refrigerators and freezers use 20% less energy and dishwashers use 40% less. Energy Star rated washing machines save at least 50% of the energy used by the older styles and also save a lot of water.
Purchasing a new boiler can be a good way to save energy. Boilers that are more than a few years old were not made to conserve energy, while many modern boilers are quite efficient. Newer models have multiple benefits; not only can they lower your energy bills, but they often create a lower amount of carbon dioxide, which can will be lot better for your family’s health.
Install a water-saving toilet. Up to 50% of your home’s water is used by the toilets in your home. Five gallons is the typical amount used by older models, while low-flow toilets consume about 1.6 gallons per flush.
Water heaters take up a lot of energy, so simply by lowering the temperature to around 120 degrees can save a lot of money. A standard family can save a lot on their bill, up to 10 percent monthly and still have enough hot water to use.
It may be common sense, but most people do not turn off machines, lights, and other equipment when not in use. Most people could probably save a ton on utility bills by getting in this habit. Before doing something, be sure to remember to turn these things off.
Create a high demand for green energy and you will help lower the price. You not only have the right to insist on having access to technology that is environmentally friendly, but the power to make companies listen to your demands. The more you and others purchase these products, they more that they will be produced and prices will be lowered. It also works to encourage companies to change their practices.
Weatherizing your home is a great way to make it energy efficient. You can reduce the energy usage of your home by installing energy efficient doors and windows, sealing ducts, replacing faulty heat and air conditioners and adding insulation to your home. You will also enjoy a decreased energy bill.
Home energy monitors are a wise investment that will help you keep track of how energy is used in your home. Monitoring devices measure your electricity use as you use it, so they can give you an idea of how much you will spend on power service for the month. Research has shown that if consumers see an immediate cost to their activities, they have a higher likelihood of cutting back on their energy usage.
Save money on your heating bill by heating every room separately. Get a system that heats the house from underneath the floors. This will let you monitor each area of your home, and control the temperature in each room. If you live in a larger home, this is an effective solution.
Green energy is huge right now, and it is one of the few sectors that is actually creating jobs. If you want to change careers or are giving advice to kids, consider this sector. Find more about these jobs like wind or solar technicians.
So how do you go about altering things at home so that green energy can be put to good use? The information contained here shows you where to start, so it’s all up to you now. You’ll be surprised by the results you see.
Flip off your light switches! For instance, use as little light as possible at night, and don’t leave lights on when you leave the room. Porch lights are almost a tradition for some people, but keep them off unless they are actually necessary. This will cut down on the amount of energy you use.
About The Author
