You will probably be surprised at how many cheap and easy ways there are to make your home greener.The intent of this article is to provide you the information necessary to implement a green energy system in your home or business.
When you can, wash your laundry in cold water. Almost 90% of the energy you use when you do laundry is due to heating water. Most good quality laundry detergents work just as well in cold water. In addition, remember that a washing machine will be most energy efficient when it is full.
When designing outdoor lighting for your patio or garden path, incorporate solar-powered lamps. These lamps are cheap and don’t require any kind of power source other than exposure to the sun. This will save you a lot of energy! It also means you don’t have to wire up those outdoor lights.
Help to control the air flow in your own home by installing a storm door and storm windows too. Storm doors and windows will reduce the entrance of drafts and cold air. When homes have windows and doors that are stormed, 45 percent less energy is used, which can decrease electric bills.
There are many government incentive programs you can take advantage of renewable energy. Contact local government for more information of programs near you. You can qualify for a free installation of solar power at little to no cost.
Dressing warmly can help you reduce your energy usage. A thin sweater will provide you with two degrees of additional heat, while a heavier item will add four. You don’t need to be cold at home, get yourself some nice warm clothes you can use in your house today!
Be socially responsible, and cut your home energy usage by unplugging your electronic chargers when they are not in use. Chargers for devices like phones, mp3 players, laptops and other devices draw some power when they are plugged in, regardless of whether you are actually charging the device.
Professionals can help to analyze your home and give you tips on making it more green. These professionals can point out inefficient appliances and systems, and they can also help you determine how much it might cost to upgrade them.
It is also recommended to put filters on warm-air registers. This helps keep debris or dirt from getting into heating ducts and reducing efficiency.
Choose to get most of your correspondence via email. Go paperless with any company that has the option. This helps to lower the energy costs of businesses as they communicate, and you can save energy as well. An added bonus is that everyone benefits by the protection of our environment.
Many heating systems can be switched over to run on biodiesel use without needing modifications or biofuel with slight modifications.
Consider using a solar over when you wish to bake. You can make one with easy-to-find items like old windows, boxes, and aluminum foil to reflect light. These types of oven can become very hot with adequate sunlight, and cook some foods without any additional energy source.
Storm Doors
Keep an eye on the wattage you are using. A gadget like Watt Minder or Kill-A-Watt will help you discover which appliances are your prime energy consumers. Plug your appliances into these devices and they can let you know how much energy they use in an hour, a month, or a year. This way, you will know how much that appliance costs you, and you can adjust your usage or settings accordingly.
Storm doors and windows help to better control air flow in the home. Storm doors and windows decrease cold air that get into your home. Homes equipped with storm windows and doors can see an increase their energy efficiency by as much as 45% which also ends up to 45 percent.
Make sure you remind yourself to be on top of being energy efficient and check into your energy bills on a monthly and annual basis to see what the difference is. Be more conscious of energy usage so you can reduce it. Your deliberate efforts to reduce your electricity or water consumption will have a significant impact on your ability to form habits out of turning off lights and shutting down appliances.
One of the best ways that you can go green is by dressing more warmly. A sweater that is light can provide 2 degrees of extra warmth, and a lighter sweater adds 2 degrees. You don’t have to wear a t-shirt and shorts in your home, so save money by putting on a sweater and turning down the heat!
Use LED lights for home and tree decorations at the holidays. A study conducted by the United States If everyone were to switch to LED lights, the country as a whole would save 2 billion kwh per year. That is the equivalent to the power it would take to run 200,000 homes for a year. At least you will be saving money on your power bill.
Learn about the difference between passive and active solar power. Passive power uses the simple sun to generate thermal energy to heat your house or water.
A home heating alternative to be considered is biofuel. These fuels are made up of animal or vegetable fats, oils and wood. If you are currently using propane to heat your home, adjustments can be made to your system that will allow you to switch to using a blend of fuels. Up to 99% can be biodiesel. Schedule a consultation with a professional prior to making the switch to biofuels in your home.
Use LED lights to decorate for the holidays. According to research by the U.S. That amount of power could run 200,000 homes for one whole year. You can save money on your energy bills!
Carpooling is a great way to save energy for transportation needs, even if your trip is to the mall or an after-school event. Parents can trade off driving duties and carpool neighborhood kids to school together. Also, create a joint grocery shopping day with friends or family.
Less Energy
If you need to buy a wooden item, see if it is available in bamboo. Scientifically speaking, bamboo is a grass, but it is just as strong as many woods. Bamboo is an excellent green product. Since bamboo grows quite fast it is one of the best renewable choices you can make. You can find a variety of bamboo products, from floors to furniture to cutting boards for the kitchen. This saves energy on the recycling and production end of manufacturing products.
Get rid of your old appliances that have an Energy Star rating. Energy Star ratings mean that your new appliances are guaranteed to use less energy than previous models. For freezers and refrigerators, the rating guarantees 20 percent less energy used, for dishwashers 40% less energy used, and for washing machines at least 50% less energy used!
Installing solar panels onto your roof is a great way to start making your home a greener one. The initial cost of installing solar panels may seem significant, but consider the long term saving when calculating the final cost. After your panel is installed, you can get solar energy for free and you could also sell a part of the power to electric companies.
A tankless water heater that provides hot water on-demand is a great energy saving device. Traditional water heaters constantly keep a full tank of water hot, wasting energy because they heat water when it isn’t needed.
Purchasing a programmable thermostat is also another great tip to help decrease your energy bill. These thermostats have pre-programmed settings that regulate temperatures in your home in both summer and winter months. They can also be used to schedule your daily heating.
Replace your windows with weather-sealed efficient ones. These windows reduce energy costs, such as reduced spending on energy bills, releases less carbon dioxide, and less condensation on the interior of your windows.
Be responsible about how you use lights to make your home more eco-friendly. When it is brighter outside, in spring and summer, wait until a certain time to turn on lights indoors. Try installing timers and dimmers to control your light usage so that you don’t use lights unnecessarily or turn on brighter lights than you need.
Energy Star
A good green energy tip that will also save you some money is to reduce the temperature to 120 degrees on the water heater. This can save you as much as 10 percent on your monthly power bill for a family of four and will give you adequate and safe hot water temperature.
A simple way to identify appliances that are energy efficient is to see if they have an ENERGY STAR logo. ENERGY STAR appliances meet guidelines from the U.S. Department of Energy and the EPAThese appliances are also often the only ones that can be used for tax rebates.
Demand green energy technologies, and help to lower their cost. All consumers have the power and right to encourage technologies that are environmentally friendly. The more often a product is purchased, the less expensive it becomes to manufacture. You will also encourage businesses to change their practices, and use green technology in the manufacturing process.
This is a good way to reduce your energy consumption and saves you money.
Make your own ice and reduce your energy consumption. Automatic ice makers usually consume excess energy, and they are prone to malfunctions. It is likely that their seals will have leaks as well. If you make your own ice, you won’t have these problems.
If using solar energy to power your whole home is too daunting or expensive a task, attempt to use green energy for some of the house. For example, get panels installed which will only heat hot water, or use panels just to heat your pool.
Buy an energy monitor for your home to monitor the energy you use there. These monitors gather real-time electricity usage numbers and can provide you with an estimate of your power bill. Research has proven that consumers generally cut down on energy consumption if they are able to see the exact costs of running lights, appliances and devices.
Save some money by looking into placing your refrigerator in a part of the house that is usually cooler. Don’t put them in sunlight or by heating vents since this unnecessarily raises the temperature.
Do your bit to ensure that big businesses are encouraged to embrace green energy habits. Awareness is a powerful tool that is under-utilized. If consumers know which corporations choose massive profit over environmentally conscious practices, then they may change their buying habits. By holding companies accountable for their actions, that is the best way to get them to use green energy technology.
The more it is demanded, the more products that will be available at reduced prices. It will also encourages businesses to manufacture their manufacturing practices to maintain profitability.
Not only should you reduce energy use, you should try to produce your own energy. This will decrease energy costs and help to reduce pollution. You have several practical options to help you take this giant step toward changing the balance from energy consumption to energy production.
Turn off the lights when you’re not using them. For example, keep your usage of lights only to night time, and turn them off when you leave a room. Don’t keep porch and cabinet lighting when not in use. This simple step will reduce the amount of energy usage.
Make a list of the appliances you use, and find out how many watts you need for each one of those, before you look into getting solar panels. If the contractor has accurate information about your energy usage, they will be able to give you the most accurate quote, and do so in far less time.
Make companies adopt green energy. Awareness is a powerful tool that is not often utilized. People might avoid dealing with companies which they knew put profits ahead of using green practices.
Use lids on pots and pans when cooking. This prevents the heat you use from escaping, which means you don’t have to turn up your stove the maximum settings. This can save quite a bit of energy in the long run.
The tips laid out here are easy and simple to incorporate into your life, so avoid excuses and don’t let them interfere with your use of this information. Going green will help you sleep better at night, so change your life today and see how much better your feel tomorrow.
Business owners can easily understand the costs associated with providing electricity to the business. Solar arrays can be a great addition to your business plan, while also offering a boost to your marketing strategy by entering the green business arena. Many people prefer to support businesses that have gone green and are committed to helping the environment. With time, you will bring in extra business because people will like to support you and your solar panels.
