You will be surprised how easy and affordable green energy is; there are many different things you can do. Read this article for information about using green energy and start getting benefits!
During the heat of summer, wear natural-fiber fabrics instead of turning on the air conditioner. Natural fabrics, such as cotton, allow skin to remain cool by drawing moisture away from skin. Lighter colors also make you feel cooler.
Use solar heating systems to heat all your water in order to save money. Solar water heaters are much more energy efficient than electric or gas-driven water heating systems. Solar systems use the sun’s energy to stabilize water temperature. You may get tax deductions to offset the expense of installing some of this technology.
The government has made grants for investing in renewable energy available to the public. Speak with the government in your area about these programs. Some areas provide rebates for green energy product installation, or provide tax relief as an incentive.
Wear natural fabrics instead of running your air conditioner during summer months. Fabrics like cotton naturally draw moisture away from the skin, allowing it to stay cooler. Wear lighter colors since warmer ones can make you warm and cause you to rely on the A/C.
Start paying attention to your energy consumption. Unplug the charger for your iPod and XBox when they are not in use. Chargers for your electronics, such as an iPod or cell phone, are always using electricity, even when they’re not in use, so unplug them when you can.
Replace and clean furnace filters yearly, and check them monthly. Warm-air registers can also benefit from filters. Register filters will help prevent debris increasing efficiency.
When using a dishwasher to do the dishes, don’t let it run unless it’s all the way full. The dishwasher uses the same energy when full that it uses when empty, but you’ll have to run it less often. When the dishwasher is used, it is also important to use the main energy-saving feature, which air-dries the dishes.
Whenever possible, you should use cold water to wash your clothes. Almost all of the energy used to wash clothes is used to heat the water. As long as your detergent is good, cold water washing can be just as effective as warm water. Only wash when you have a full load of clothes to put in the washer.
When planning the solar system used in the home, use winter sunshine hours to determine what potential energy generation will be. This will prevent any unpleasant surprises during the winter months, while leaving you safely ahead of your needs during the summer. An even better benefit is that you can sell your energy back to the grid in the sunniest of times!
If you aren’t home, use a window covering. This keeps the interior of your home cooler or warmer, depending on the season, and reduces your energy bill. Typically, the south facing windows are the ones that get the most amount of sun due to their location. Use coverings on each of your home’s windows, such as roman shades, dark curtains, or roller shades.
Take advantage of any federal or local rebates that you may be entitled to receive. Sometimes your utility company may offer additional rebates which will help pay for the expense of the systems. In other instances, credit or tax deductions are offered by federal or state governments. These credits and rebates can cut costs greatly when installing green technology in your dwelling.
Install batteries very close to cells when you are putting together a solar energy system. This way, you won’t lose power in the cable. Additionally, the cable cannot shade the cells, which can cause reduction in generation.
Don’t turn up the heat very high. If you find the air a little chilly, put on a sweater or an extra pair of socks. You waste a lot of energy if you put the heat on higher than necessary.
Keep your refrigerator properly maintained. Since the refrigerator is an appliance that consumes a lot of energy, it is important to keep it in top-working order. Make dusting the coils part of your weekly cleaning routine. In addition, be sure your door seal is tight and clean.
Make sure you remind yourself to be on top of being energy efficient and check into your energy bills on a monthly and annual basis to see what the difference is. Simply being conscious of how much you spend on energy will save you a ton. You can make the effort to reduce water and power consumption, and it will likely become a habit.
Storm Doors
Save money and fuel by carpooling for errands as well as work and school. Set up carpooling with other parents to get the kids to soccer practice or band camp. If you are located close to other families, agree to do your grocery shopping at the same time and rotate who drives each week.
In homes with storm doors and windows, air flow is controlled better. Storm doors and windows dramatically reduce the amount of drafts and cold air that get into your home. When homes have windows and doors that are stormed, 45 percent less energy is used, which can decrease electric bills.
A good, old common sense tip for saving energy is turning off the lights as you leave the room. You can actually save a lot of energy if you just take the time to turn off all the lights in your house when you aren’t using them. You will also enjoy a lower power bill, saving you money every month.
Use a laptop computer instead of desktop, which uses much more energy. Laptops use up to 75% less electricity than desktops, especially during non-demanding tasks like surfing the web or word processing. Plus you can take your laptop anywhere.
Spending the extra money on buying green electronics and appliances pays off in the long run. Oftentimes, green technologies are a bit more expensive than their traditional counterpart; however, investing in green electronics and appliances will pay off with savings from decreased energy consumption. A bonus is that you will be helping to protect the environment.
Decide to receive your correspondence through email by opting out of receiving monthly statements. Don’t use paper whenever you can afford to do so. You and the businesses you deal with can both save energy and money by going paperless. An added bonus is that everyone benefits by the protection of our environment.
Installing a programmable thermostat can save you a lot of cash on your utility bills. These thermostats can be programmed with your own preferred settings to regulate the air temperature in your home year-round. In addition to seasonal control, you can also use them to regulate the temperature at certain hours of the day.
A solar oven is an energy efficient way of baking. Common items, such as a heavy cardboard box, some shiny foil and an old window are all that you need. They don’t use any outside energy and can get up to 300 degrees.
There are a number of ways to conserve energy when you do laundry. You can begin by using the setting for moisture control that shuts off the dryer when clothes are dry. Use the high-spin speed to reduce moisture in clothes and thereby shorten drying time. Always make sure that the dryer filters are clean and that there are no clogs in the vent.
LED lights should be used during the next holiday season. Over two billion kilowatt power hours can be saved! The Department of Energy has shown that the United States could conserve over 2 billion kWh of electricity if all households switched light types. That amount of power could run 200,000 homes for one full year. Even if you don’t care about those big numbers, you should care that you can personally save money by going green.
Place your fridge in a cool room to save energy. Keeping them by heating vents or in direct sunlight raises their overall temperature, making them run longer to keep the contents cool inside.
Switch to a low-flow water-saving toilet. Some estimates report that about half of the water consumption in a home is from the toilet. Older models used 5 or more gallons of water to flush; today’s water saving models uses a little over 1.5 gallons per flush. That is a 70 percent water savings.
The higher the demand for green energy alternatives, the lower the cost of the technology. You not only have the right to insist on having access to technology that is environmentally friendly, but the power to make companies listen to your demands. The higher the demand for such products, the more companies will focus on manufacturing green products and lowering the prices on them. If we as consumers band together and buy green products, it will encourage companies to develop more green technologies.
Try bamboo products when buying wood items. It is a green product and is actually a grass; however, it is quite durable and works well even in high traffic areas. It grows quickly and can be made into many products, such as cutting boards or flooring. This saves energy via recycling and manufacturer production.
Making ice on your own helps save a lot of time and energy. Though automatic ice makers may seem convenient, they often break a lot and waste a lot of energy. Another downfall to ice makers is that they can break or leak. Make your own ice and skip the ice maker!
You will save money eventually if you buy green appliances. Green technology appliances can cost a bit more up front, but you will be paid back through lower energy bills for the life of the appliances. The environment will also benefit.
Use rainwater for your toilet and other household items. This will not only reduce your water bill, but help preserve the environment for future generations. The collection of rainwater is very easy. Just place glass jars outside while it is raining, and they are ready for use once they are filled.
Energy Star
You can either make a small change or a huge change to live a greener life. Don’t immediately discount the small do-it-yourself improvements because they can have a big impact and really help you to reduce energy consumption in your home! Start with one small project.
Keep an eye out for Energy Star labels when shopping for energy-efficient appliances. Appliances with an ENERGY STAR designation meet the guidelines of the U.S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency. Some of these products have tax rebates from the government for being green appliances.
A great green energy device is the programmable thermostat. This thermostat will help you control your home’s temperature to get it at the optimal level for the times you are at home and times you are away. It could also be set for a different temperature when you sleep. Some of the newer models available now can be set differently for each day of the week, helping you conserve even more energy.
Lower your water heater temperature to 120 degrees to save energy and money. That can save you almost 10% on your power bill if your family size is 4, and will provide you with a safe and adequate temperature for your hot water.
There are lots of new green energy jobs being created because it’s a very popular business sector these days. Think about working in green energy if you’d like to make a career change. There has been increased demands for solar and wind technicians.
Anyone who wants to cut down the amount of energy they use should make ice themselves. An automatic ice maker uses more energy than just making your ice. It is likely that their seals will have leaks as well. By making ice the old fashioned way, you can save yourself money and energy.
Eco-friendly lighting is something you should consider. Just replacing the light bulbs in your home with CFL bulbs is a great place to start. You can save energy and money without sacrificing light by using these bulbs. Doing something as simple as switching light bulbs can help make your home more environmentally friendly.
There is no reason you shouldn’t be able to use the tips from this article since they are so easy to do. You can have a good piece of mind when you go green, so be sure you do this and enjoy the rewards for years to come.
Aside from reducing your energy consumption through various techniques, you could also generate your own sources of renewable energy. You can help your wallet by saving money and you can help the environment by consuming less energy and becoming independent when it comes to consuming energy. Making your own electricity from renewable sources is a great way to be a more environmentally-friendly consumer.
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