A lot of people are very interested in living a more green life, but are unaware of how to begin. Several solutions exist to use green energy and protect the environment. Keep reading to find out how you can do your part and make the right choices.
It is important to clean your furnace filter on a regular basis to be sure you are using as little energy as possible heating your home. You should also install filters on any warm-air registers included with your furnace. This will help ensure debris doesn’t enter heating ducts, thereby reducing your efficiency.
Consider solar water heaters to make your home more energy efficient. This option is only applicable in areas that do not reach freezing temperatures. If you live in a warm climate, you can use a system that pumps your water through the solar heater before coming out of your pipes. It’s a good idea to use a supplemental water heater, however, if you cannot count on constant sunshine or if your hot water consumption is high.
Check out all the different resources your community has available for energy. Calculate the expense of using these types of utilities while noting any recent legislation pertaining to energy costs. It can benefit you to use natural gas instead of electricity, for example.
Get rid of your old tank-style water heater, and replace it with a modern tankless model. While heaters that are tankless still need electricity or gas, they will not heat more water than you need, which is what a water tank heater does. You can get a tankless heater that will supply the whole house or one that supplies a single hot-water faucet.
Degrees Warmer
Change up the way you dress in your home and warm yourself up to avoid turning on the heater if possible. You will feel 2 degrees warmer with a light sweater, and 4 degrees warmer with a heavy one. Add a hat, scarf and gloves for even more warmth. It is unnecessary to dress scantily at home, so pick up a sweater and save some money!
One way to participate in the green energy movement is buying products that are specifically designed to save energy. There are many options for green products, such as double-glazed windows or doors that are energy conscious. These products offer much more efficiency to your home. This will reduce both your home’s heating and cooling bills.
Pay attention to local and federal rebates for renewable energy updates on your home. In some situations, your local utility company may provide rebates to offset some of the cost of such upgrades. You may also get state and federal tax deductions for making your home more energy efficient. You can lower the cost of putting green energy into your home by using these credits or rebates.
Before you decide on large energy-saving projects for your home, get a professional evaluation of your existing appliances, windows and insulation and your heating and cooling systems. These consultants will visit your home, assess your energy usage, and provide options at several price points for making smart and economical green upgrades.
Consider using a solar over when you wish to bake. Solar ovens can be created with old windows, boxes, and foil. They require only sunlight to reach a temperature of more than 300 degrees, and they only take a few minutes to construct.
Try and invest in LED lights when you decide to decorate your home for any holiday season. Research was performed by the United States. Department of Energy stated that Americans could collectively reduce their energy consumption by over 2 billion kW/h if they all changed over to LED lights. That’s enough electricity to power 200,000 houses for a whole year. At least you will be saving money on your power bill.
Think about using a carpool for work and other activities in order to reduce the amount of fuel you use. Carpooling with other neighborhood parents to transport children back and forth to school not only saves you time, it sames you money. Join with friends and family to do grocery shopping, visit the mall or even go to the movies.
Try using a toilet that is built to save water. Some estimates show that up to half of all the water used in your home is flushed right down the toilet hole. With the older model of toilets, the amount of water consumed each time they are flushed is 5 gallons; however, the newer, water-saving models consume only 1.6 gallons per flush, which will yield a saving of approximately 70 percent in your annual water consumption.
A good energy product is an on demand water heater. Unlike conventional water heaters, green water heaters are not constantly running, which wastes tons of energy. The on-demand water heater will heat water instantly and save you money on energy.
60 Degrees
Putting the temperature to 60 degrees when you’re sleeping or away from home is a great energy-saving tip. Your home uses the least energy possible when the heat is set to 60 degrees. You will decrease energy used and increase money saved.
The addition of solar panels on your home’s roof is one of the easiest ways to take a step towards green energy. The initial cost of installing solar panels may seem significant, but consider the long term saving when calculating the final cost. Not only will the energy you generate take care of your electric bill, there may even be some left over to sell to your electric company.
As stated above, the demand for green energy is consistently growing as cheap oil is becoming obsolete. With the correct information, it is a lot easier to start incorporating green energy options into your life. Utilize advice found in this article, and you can enjoy a greener life today!
