You don’t have to spend a lot of time or money to use green energy. In a few simple steps, you can reduce your energy use and help improve the environment. Keep reading to discover how green energy can be used for your advantage, as well as making a permanent positive impact on the environment.
Natural Fabrics
Wear natural fabrics in the summertime instead of cranking up the air conditioner. By wearing natural fabrics, such as cotton, you will keep moisture away from your skin and help it stay cooler. Light colors help you to feel cooler than darker or warmer colors.
Furnace filters should be replaced annually, and check them monthly for cleanliness. Also install filters on air registers. Having filters prevents debris from building up inside your heating ducts, which would hinder the energy efficiency of your heating system.
Solar water heaters are a great option for your home. If you live in a place with normally warm temperatures, try installing a system that uses a solar heater. You should still retain traditional water heaters for backup when the sun doesn’t show, or if you use a lot of heated water.
During the summer months, hang your clothes outside instead of drying them in the dryer. Your clothing will have a great smell from the sun. Laundry will smell fresher and cleaner, much more so than when they were in the dryer. As well, you save quite a bit on monthly utility costs.
Calculate potential energy generation during the planning of buying home solar systems. You will avoid unpleasant surprises during winter, and you will also ensure your energy needs are met in summer. If you have a net usage program you will get money returned to you from your utility company for energy generated by you.
If you want to save energy on heating and cooling costs, install storm windows and doors. Storm doors and windows lessen the amount of cold air drafts that come in. You can increase the energy efficiency in your house by up to 45 percent with stormed windows and doors.
If you’d like to be more environmentally friendly and cut down on your energy costs, try wearing warmer clothing. Sweaters of varying thickness can offer more warmth, from two to four degrees depending on its weight. 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!
Explore the possibility of using a solar-powered oven for some of your baking needs. A solar oven is very easy to make. All you need is a window, a piece of foil and a sturdy box. Solar ovens can get hotter than 300 degrees, and doesn’t use any energy source besides the sun, so you are reducing your carbon footprint and saving money.
Pay attention to the watts used in your home. If you do not know the formula to figure out the energy each appliance uses, there are tools like a Kill-A-Watt that can give you the information instantly. All you need to do is plug the item in question into the device to find out how much energy it uses in an hour. You can get a real idea of what your appliance is costing you and the environment.
A tankless water heater that heats water on-demand is a great energy saving device. The older models are constantly running, which ends up wasting energy. Using an on-demand water heater is a great way to save both energy and money.
Even though appliances that are energy efficient cost more than those that are not, they are worth it because they will save you money over the long term. Although green technology is a bit more expensive, it quickly pays for itself in lower bills. It also pays off in the future for the environment.
Try setting your heat at 61 degrees or less when you aren’t home, or when you have retired for the night. At 60 degrees, your home uses far less energy than keeping the temperature higher. The resulting effect is energy usage cuts and money saved.
Heat rooms separately. One way to do this is to purchase a floor heater that has a main control that will let you monitor individual areas, and allow you to choose the temperature in each area. This is a great idea for large homes.
Check your freezer and fridge seals to avoid wasting any energy. A broken seal can cause your refrigerator to run unnecessarily, wasting energy and hurting your pocketbook at the same time. To see whether your seal needs replacing, insert a sheet of paper in your door and make sure that it does not slide out easily.
To save on electricity costs and usage, be stingy about light usage. During months that are brighter, do not have lights on after a particular time. Install dimmers so you can reduce the amount of light being used. It is also a good idea to use sensors or timers to make sure that excess lights are not left burning after a room is empty.
There are many ways you can conserve energy while doing laundry. Start by using the moisture control setting that turns the dryer off when laundry is dry. You can also reduce drying time buy using the high-speed spin cycle on your washer. Be certain that you use clean filters for your dryer and also check for a blockage in dryer vents.
A great tip to help save some energy is to make sure that your fridge and freezer are in a cool location. Keep them away from sunlight and heating vents, since this can increase the temperature and make them run longer.
Going green doesn’t have to mean massive home renovations. Even using energy-efficient light bulbs is a great way to get started. Don’t immediately discount the small do-it-yourself improvements because they can have a big impact and really help you to reduce energy consumption in your home! Pick one small project and pretty soon, you’ll be on the path towards being green!
While people may have different opinions about global warming, green energy can benefit anyone. The main benefit is that it can make a real change in the amount of money spent on bills.