Switching to green sounds onerous, but it’s easier than you think. Whenever making small changes, you help the environment. Use some of the effective tips below to begin the change to green energy in your home.
If you’re designing any kind of outdoor lighting, you may want to think about installing solar-powered lamps. They are inexpensive and don’t require electricity. This not only reduces energy costs, It also means you don’t need hard wired outdoor lights.
People can get government grants to invest in some renewable energies. Get in touch with your local government to find out what kind of programs exist in your area. You may qualify for a free installation or a tax deduction.
Check monthly to determine if your furnace’s filters need cleaning and replace them yearly. Install filters for your warm-air registers, too. This helps keep debris (or Hot Wheels cars) from getting into heating ducts and reducing efficiency.
If your home is heated with fuel oil, ask a technician if you can switch to biodiesel. Some systems do not need any modifications in order to use biodiesels. Biodiesel burns cleaner and more efficiently than conventional petroleum, reducing your home’s environmental impact during the winter.
Consider switching to solar-powered water heaters for your home. If you happen to live in a climate where freezing water isn’t going to affect you then you might want to invest into a system that circulates water through your solar heater before it is pumped into your home. Yet make sure that you also have a regular water heater as well just in case the sun decides to not come out for awhile.
Don’t run your dishwasher if it is less than totally full. Dishwashers consume a similar amount of water and electricity regardless of whether it contains one dish or 20. When you run a dishwasher, use the ‘energy-saver’ setting so dishes can air-dry.
It’s important to maintain your refrigerator properly. Refrigerators use a large amount of electricity, and keeping it in good condition ensures this energy footprint is as low as it can be. Make sure to clean heating coils often. Check the door seal for dirt, debris and leaks.
Do some research and learn about passive and active solar powers. Active power is stored for use at a later time, passive does not require expensive cells to store the power. Active systems are what you would normally think of when you think of solar–PV cells, mechanical parts, and storage devices. Passive systems simply use the sun’s energy to heat your house or water.
Make use of energy-efficient products to save both money and energy. Certain green items, such as eco-friendly windows and doors and double glazed windows, cut down on energy you need to keep your home going efficiently. With these products, cooling and heating costs are decreased.
Look for rebates at the local and federal levels for updating your home to renewable energy sources. Ask your utility company if they offer rebates for green energy upgrades. Other times, you may be eligible for credits or tax deductions from the federal or state government. Rebates and tax credits can make it a lot cheaper to upgrade your home, to make it more energy efficient.
You can use bio-fuels to heat your house. Biofuels consist of vegetable or animal fats, wood and oils. Typically, if your furnace uses propane, professionals can easily provide changes so you use these fuels. That would be around 20-99% biodiesel. Before you try to use this kind of fuel inside your house, just make sure you speak to a professional.
5 Gallons
Replace your old toilet with a water-saving one. Toilets account for fifty percent of the water used in a home. Older models of toilets can have a capacity of 5 gallons. That is 5 gallons of wasted water per flush. New water saving models use closer to a gallon and a half of water per flush. This can save 70 percent of the water you used previously.
Consider bamboo items when making a wood purchase. Scientifically speaking, bamboo is a grass, but it is just as strong as many woods. Bamboo is an excellent green product. It grows fast and is made for several products like furniture or flooring. This saves energy on both the production and reclamation ends of the manufacturing process.
Energy efficient appliances will feature the bright Energy Star sticker. If your appliance has an ENERGY STAR logo, then it falls within the guidelines set by both the U.S. Energy Department and those of the EPA. Some of these products have tax rebates from the government for being green appliances.
In your most active rooms, you should put motion detection lights. These sensors will automatically turn off the lights of rooms that are currently not in use, saving on energy and, in turn, a lot of money! Don’t forget to use this with outdoor lighting!
A good way to save on energy is to set your heat to 60 degrees while you aren’t home, or at night when you’re asleep. Keeping your home at this low temperature means very little energy is used. You can save money on your utility bills by reducing your energy consumption in this way.
Switching to green energy isn’t a hard process. As stated in the article, several green options are easy and affordable. Now that you have read the article, begin to incorporate what you have learned into your life. You do not have to put in much effort to see great results.
