Living a greener life is becoming a popular trend these days, and it’s easy to see why. Using green energy can provide a financial windfall for your bank account and help the environment. Learn how to immediately begin using green energy, simply by reading this article.
When creating lightning outdoors for a garden path or patio, consider using solar-powered lamps. These lamps are cheap and don’t require any power besides sun exposure. This saves you a lot of energy. It also means that you avoid having to go outside and wire up outdoor lights.
Are you lucky enough to own a farm? If you do, or if you are aware of someone that does, you may be able to rent some of the property to a local energy company that will install a type of wind turbine. You and your neighbors will benefit from free energy and this installation will not take a lot of space.
Consider installing a solar water heating system. If you live in a sunny climate, you can use a solar water heater year-round. However, you should still have a traditional water heater as backup for times when the sun won’t come out or if you’re going to be using a lot of hot water.
Rather than using a dryer, dry your clothes outside, as long as the weather permits. The sun can dry clothes quickly without using any power, with the added benefit of making your clothes smell extra-fresh. They will have a much fresher smell than drying them with an appliance will provide. You will also save money on utility bills by doing this.
Get rid of your old tank-style water heater, and replace it with a modern tankless model. While they do require energy to heat the water, they require only a small amount of energy to heat a smaller amount of water. Tankless heaters come in various models that either supply a single faucet or the whole house with hot water.
You can increase the energy efficiency of your home by buying energy saving products. Some green products such as eco-friendly doors, windows, and double-glazed windows can help you save energy and run the home efficiently. By installing these products, your home is sealed tighter, and you use less energy to heat and cool your home.
Use a laptop instead of a desktop computer. Making this switch can reduce your power consumption by up to 75%. This is especially true if you are an Internet addict or do heavy word processing. An added bonus is the portability of a laptop- you can take it anywhere you go!
Keep the heat as low as you can, unless you absolutely have to raise it. If you feel cold, put on a sweater or blanket instead. When your heat is turned to a higher temperature, unnecessary energy is being used too much.
Make reminders for yourself to set new energy efficiency targets, and be sure you examine each utility bill that comes in against last year’s bill to see if gains are being made. The more aware you are of using energy, the easier it is to reduce your energy use. So when you make true conscious efforts to reduce your electrical or water usage you make up a good habit of turning off appliances or lights which in turn helps your bill and the environment.
You can save energy by switching your boiler. Most older boilers weren’t made with energy conservation in mind, but newer ones are often fairly energy efficient. They create less carbon dioxide, something that can greatly be good for anyone’s health, and it also cuts your electricity bill significantly.
Do not forget to turn off anything you do not use, including lights, appliances and electronics. If you make this a habit, your energy bills could be greatly reduced. Consider what you are doing before it is done, and turn those appliances and lights off when you are finished using them.
Solar Panels
If you plan to create a greener home, put solar panels on the roof. The initial cost of installing solar panels may seem significant, but consider the long term saving when calculating the final cost. Once you have the solar panels hooked up to your home’s energy system, your solar energy will be free, and can even earn you money if you sell the surplus to your local energy company.
Check your freezer and refrigerator’s seal frequently. If they are broken, you may be wasting a lot of energy. A broken seal can cause your refrigerator to run unnecessarily, wasting energy and hurting your pocketbook at the same time. In order to see if you need to replace the seal, slide a small piece of paper inside the door, and be sure it doesn’t slide back out easily.
Ceiling Fans
You should always be using your ceiling fans, even in the winter. Switch them to go clockwise and they will help push the warm air down, reducing demands on your heating fixture. It takes a minimal amount of electricity to run ceiling fans, especially when compared to running your furnace.
Those looking to reduce their energy consumption would be wise to make their own ice. Automatic ice makers tend to use more energy than necessary, and they malfunction frequently. Ice makers also have more problems with seals leaking, which makes your refrigerator work harder to stay cool. Make the ice yourself to avoid these issues.
This article should have helped you out with your home. Using greener energy could be useful in a lot of ways and it could make you feel batter about yourself. Use these tips to make sure that the technology you’re using in your home is more green and more efficient.
