Options such as sun, water or wind are great producers of energy without negative impacts to the environment. They also offer cost effective solutions for your home. If you desire for your home to be more green when it comes to energy consumption, keep reading to find helpful tips and advice on how you can start doing that today.
When designing outdoor lighting for your patio or garden path, consider solar-powered lamps. Solar lamps are relatively inexpensive and can save you a great deal on wiring and electricity expenses. This will save significant energy. It means that there is no need to run wires outside to hook up lights.
Shade your windows from excessive amounts of sunlight to improve the energy efficiency of your home. Do this by installing blinds or curtains. Since this will make your house cooler, you will use the air conditioner less. You will save money and energy at the same time.
Unplug your chargers when they aren’t being used to charge your devices. Chargers for cell phones, mp3 players, laptops and other devices draw some power when they are plugged in, regardless of whether you are actually charging the device.
A good way to save money is to only turn on your dishwasher when you have a full load ready to go. Don’t run it with only two or three dishes inside. With a little effort, you will be amazed by how much you can fit in one load. Line up the same types of dishes, such as plates and cups so you are filling it completely.
Try to turn off things you are not using. So, make sure you turn things off like the computer, TV, or lights when you leave a room. Use a power strip for your home electronics, and turn it off when you aren’t using the equipment. If something is left in standby mode, it is still wasting power.
If you are considering the installation of home solar energy, make sure you are aware of how much energy you will receive during the winter months. That will help you avoid negative surprises in the winter, and it will give you plenty of leeway during the summer. Also, if you make use of the net usage plan from your electric company, you will get returns from your utility company for generating energy during summer.
Try to communicate more via email. To put it more simply, use paper as little as you can. This kills two birds with one stone: you save energy and encourage businesses with whom you correspond to do so, as well. You also help others by protecting the environment as well.
Try not putting the temperature up too much, as it may be unnecessary. If you are feeling cold, add a layer of clothing instead of reaching for the thermostat. This saves you from using energy that would be required to sustain heat at that high level.
Keep up with your watt usage. Devices like Watt Minder and Kill-A-Watt can help you determine the highest energy-usage culprits in your home. By plugging any device into this gadget, it will tell you how much energy it consumes. You can then use this information to find out how much the appliance really costs to run.
An on-demand (tankless) water heater is very green. Traditional water heaters run constantly, wasting energy because they heat water when it isn’t needed. The water heaters that heat on-demand only heat water that is immediatly needed and save a lot on energy costs.
It might seem like common sense, but a lot of people don’t turn off their lights, machines and other electronics when they are not being used. If everyone did this, a lot of energy and money could be saved. Before doing something, be sure to remember to turn these things off.
When purchasing wood items, consider getting products that are crafted from bamboo. Bamboo is very green and strong and is technically considered a grass. Because it is fast-growing, bamboo resources are easier to replenish than slow-growing trees. This saves energy via recycling and manufacturer production.
Start making your house more green by talking to your local electric company. Utility companies provide some powerful tools online to measure and control your electricity usage. You may want to see if some of their programs can provide you with energy-efficient light bulbs and appliances.
If possible, switch the old windows in your home with newer, energy-efficient ones. These have many benefits, such as reduced spending on energy bills, a quieter home, and less condensation on the interior of your windows.
Environmentally Friendly
The higher the demand for green energy alternatives, the lower the cost of the technology. As a consumer you have the right and the power to demand environmentally friendly technologies. The more you request them, the more products that will be available at reduced prices. An additional benefit to demanding green products is that it encourages manufacturers to develop new environmentally friendly practices.
Buy a monitor for to see where you use most of your energy in the home. Devices like these give you real-time data and show you exactly how much energy you are using, and what your costs are. This is important because the more aware you are of how much your energy use is costing you, the more likely you are to cut back your use of electricity.
By using green energy today you are saving money and the planet. As you can see from this article, being green does not mean that things have to cost a lot or be complicated. You can have an environmentally friendly house today.
