With the wealth of information available on green energy, it can seem daunting to find exactly what you are looking for, as well as what solutions will work in your home. Using this article will start you out on the road to a greener home.
Use a solar-solar powered system to heat water. Heating your water with natural gas or electricity is inefficient. However, solar water is inexpensive and more efficient. While a few of the upgrades are costlier up front, they might be eligible for tax deductions or green energy tax credits.
You can save electricity by unplugging chargers when they are not in use. Even if you are not charging your laptop, cell phone or mp3 player, just having it plugged in uses energy.
Are you living on a farm? If you have a farm or know the owner of a farm, you may be able to rent some land to a utility company for installing a wind turbine. This will provide you with free energy with only a small space investment.
Take the time to clean or replace your furnace every season. Monthly checks will assure your furnace never has to work hard. Install filters for your warm-air registers, too. These filters keep debris or toys from entering the duct-work, which could reduce the efficiency of your HVAC system.
Instead of using the dryer, dry your laundry outdoors when weather permits. The smell of clothes dried in the fresh air cannot be topped. It is a fresher smell than you would get from the dryer. You will also have lower utility bills.
When not being used, turn things off. When you leave an area take the time to turn off lights, televisions, stereos, computers, and other electrical items you are not going to be using. When you can, plug your electronics into a power strip and when you are not using it, turn it off. Energy is still being used when something is in standby mode.
Storm doors and windows help control air flow into a home. Storm’s windows and doors cut down on the cold air that drafts can let in. You can increase the energy efficiency in your house by up to 45 percent with stormed windows and doors.
Choose a laptop instead of a desktop PC to save energy. Laptops use only about one quarter of the power consumption of a full desktop, and is ideal for those that use their computer for surfing the Internet or word processing. Since laptops are portable, you can use them anywhere.
Write yourself reminders to stay on top of new energy efficiency goals, and check every utility bill against the previous year’s to see if you are making gains. When you’re more conscious of the energy you consume you can help to reduce costs in all areas of your life. You can make the effort to reduce water and power consumption, and it will likely become a habit.
It can seem daunting to sort through the multitudes of ideas online; however, the tips you have learned here are a great place to start. They’re all super easy and affordable ways to make simple changes in your own home and life, in order to start taking advantage of green energy. Both your family and the environment will benefit from these changes.
