Leading a greener lifestyle doesn’t mean spending a lot more time and money. Making some changes to the home can lower electricity bills and benefit the environment. Read this article to learn how to use green energy to your advantage, while making long lasting impacts on the environment.
Cutting back on your daily electricity usage can save lots of energy over time. If you have appliances that are not in use, keep them unplugged until you need them. Always turn off the television and lights when you are not using them. This simple tip can save you a lot of money.
When designing outdoor lighting for your patio or garden path, consider solar-powered lamps. These inexpensive lamps require no external power source and can run entirely on solar power. This not only reduces energy costs, You also don’t need to hang lights or wires outdoors.
Shading your windows from direct sunlight can help you use less energy. You can also try putting blinds or curtains in. When you do these things, you then make your house cooler and reduce the amount of air conditioning you use during the summer. You can save money and energy throughout the summer.
The government has set up several incentive programs to help consumers switch to renewable energy sources. Contact your local government for more information of programs near you. You may qualify for a free installation or a tax deduction.
If green energy is a concept which you embrace, minimize the use of electrical heaters during the winter months. Instead, start wearing warmer clothing indoors and use a pellet stove or fireplace to keep main living areas heated. Cooler air is better for sleeping anyway, because it prevents airways from becoming dry.
Desktop computers require a lot of energy, so why not opt for a laptop? You can actually save up to 75% on your electrical usage, especially if you use your computer all the time. Because laptops are portable, you can also enjoy the convenience of taking your computer anywhere.
Watch your watt usage. 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 will make you realize what a given appliance costs you over the long run.
Keep written track to remind yourself of your green energy goals, and look for progress in your energy consumption by comparing current bills to the previous year’s. Just being conscious of the energy that you use will help you reduce them significantly. 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.
Switch to a low-flow water-saving toilet. Some estimates show that toilets account for 50 percent of the water use in a home. A traditional toilet uses about five gallons of water each time it is flushed, compared to a water-conserving toilet, which uses just 1.6 gallons. This is a 70% water savings.
Consider replacing your wooden products with bamboo when buying new. Bamboo is technically grass, yet it is a lot stronger than a most of the wood you’ll find. It is very easy to grow and is becoming more widely available. Retail outlets are selling many bamboo products, from flooring to cutting boards. This saves energy needed to recycle and produce manufactured products.
Paying a little more for electronics and appliances that use less energy will pay you back over time. Energy savings, coupled with monetary savings, will make the investment worthwhile over the longer term. You will also enjoy knowing that you are having a positive impact on the environment.
Don’t neglect your ceiling fans in the winter. Run fans clockwise to help circulate warm air throughout the house and reduce the need to use external heaters. It takes less energy to power the fan than it does your furnace.
Do not use bottle water. Bottled water usually is just filtered tap water, and a lot of energy is used in the bottling process. If you don’t trust tap water in the community, buy a reusable bottle with a filter.
Energy Consumption
Purchase and use a monitor for your home’s energy consumption. It will measure your use of electricity and help you estimate your power bill. Research shows that people are likely to reduce energy consumption if they know how much the bill will be.
You can take easy steps such as using energy saving light bulbs to start a green life. A few small, do-it-yourself projects can have a great impact on the amount of energy you save and the money that will be saved as well! Choose just one project at a time, and take positive steps toward a greener home.
One green energy device you can use is a programmable thermostat. Programmable thermostats can regulate temperature for you so you can control the temperature when you are asleep or not at home; this way, your units do not cool and heat for nothing. More advanced models feature the ability to control energy with different on and off times for each day.
Green Energy
Get a green job — plenty of new jobs are being created in the growing “green energy” employment sector. If you are looking to change careers, or your children ask what type of job they should take after college, give the green energy sector a look. Seek out information on new jobs relating to green energy, like a wind or solar technician.
Although not everyone believes that global warming is a threat, anyone can benefit from using green energy in the home. Simple changes, like turning off the overhead lights when leaving a room, can add up to huge utility bill savings.
