Using different energy sources lets you reduce home costs while helping the environment. For those who seek to make green energy changes within your home, read on and gather some great knowledge that will help you make those changes and reap the rewards.

Outdoors, solar-powered lights are very convenient for patios and garden paths. These lamps are very cheap, as they require no external power source, just the sun. This, of course, will save you a lot of money. It also means that you avoid having to go outside and wire up outdoor lights.

Research different types of energy sources which may be available in your area. Determine which energy source is cheapest for your home. Don’t forget to account for any government incentives that might be in effect. It may be beneficial to switch from electric heat to natural gas heat, or from city water to well water, for example.

On hot, summer days, hang your clothes outside. Your clothing will have a great smell from the sun. The smell of sun-dried clothes is much nicer than clothing tumbled in a dryer. You can save a significant amount on your utility bills, too, because the dryer uses energy and heats up the air, causing the air conditioner to run more often.

One way to be environmentally friendly is to only run the dishwasher when it is completely full. Don’t run it when there are a low number of dishes present. With a little effort, you will be amazed by how much you can fit in one load. Properly place your dishes in it so you can fit as many as possible.

When you are not using something, turn it off. Make sure that all lights are off when you exit a room, and also consider switching off the power for your television set, computer and stereo. Power strips are handy, because you can turn a number of devices off with the flip of one switch.

Active Power

Learn the difference between passive and active solar power. While active power requires storage cells, passive power doesn’t. To use active power it requires mechanical systems, solar panels and cells. While when you use passive they use the thermal energy from the sun in order to store energy inside the walls of your house and heat your household with it.

Find out about federal and local rebates for updates about renewable energy for your home. Local utility companies often offer rebates for upgrades. If this is not possible, you can find out if upgrades can be used as tax deductions. You may also be able to get credits from the government, either state or federal. Credits and rebates will make it easier to afford green technology.

Choose to get most of your correspondence via email. Going paperless can help the environment in many ways. Reducing your consumption of paper saves energy on production costs, along with the costs of shredding documents in your home. An added bonus is that everyone benefits by the protection of our environment.

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. By being conscious of how you use energy, you can help significantly reduce the amount of energy you consume. If you are specifically focusing on reducing your electricity and water consumption, then you are going to be more conscious of lights left on, or dripping taps.

Energy Star

Get appliances that have an Energy Star rating. Energy Star appliances are guaranteed to use less energy than those made previously. The amount of energy saved varies by appliances; you can save a lot of energy on your washing machine, refrigerator and dishwasher use if you switch to Energy Star appliances.

An on-demand heater for water is a smart device for green energy. The old-fashioned water heaters run constantly, even running when not needed and that wastes energy. Water heaters that use on-demand, will heat water instantly when needed, which ends up saving you a lot in energy costs.

Overpaying initially for green technology eventually pays for itself. Using energy efficient gadgets and appliances will save you money on your energy bill, which adds up from month to month to equal greater savings for you. A bonus is that you will be helping to protect the environment.

One way to make your home use less energy is to weatherize it. 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. That’s not the only benefit; you’ll also have a lower power bill.

Did you know that you can save on energy and money while doing laundry? For example use the moisture sensor on your dryer; once the laundry is dry the dryer will automatically shut off. Use the high-spin speed to reduce moisture in clothes and thereby shorten drying time. Dryer lint filters should be cleaned prior to use.

Have your frozen foods thawing in the refrigerator if you want to save energy. This is not only a safer way in which food can be thawed, the cold air coming from the frozen food would help cool your refrigerator, reducing its energy consumption.

Starting to use green energy means that you will save yourself money today, and save the planet tomorrow. As this article has shown, it is not necessarily difficult or expensive to go green. Use the tips you’ve read here to make your home greener and more efficient today.