Using more green energy might seem complicated, but in reality, it can be quite simple. Changes, both small or large, can protect the environment. Use some of the effective tips below to begin the change to green energy in your home.
Shade your windows from the sun to prevent energy usage. Additionally, curtains and blinds can enhance the energy-saving effect you achieve. Doing both these things will decrease your usage of the air conditioning during the summer because your house will be cooler. This means that you will save energy as well as money.
Do your best to consume the least amount of energy possible in your home. Do things like unplug any electronic device that you aren’t using that may still be plugged into an outlet. Many chargers for various electronics continue to draw electricity even if they are not plugged into a device. The energy usage is not as high, but it wastes electricity and adds up to a considerable amount over time.
Do you live on 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 could take advantage of the energy offered and the space requirements are minimal.
Think about buying solar water heaters for heating your water. If you live in an area where freezing temperatures are unlikely, you can purchase systems that circulate water through solar heating systems before pumping it inside for use. However, it’s best to keep a traditional heater for times when you need a lot of heated water, or if the sun does not come out.
If you are aiming to save energy and money, try running the dishwasher only when the load is completely full. Don’t run it with only two or three dishes inside. It will likely surprise you how much you can actually put into your dishwasher when you load it properly. When loading the dishwasher, align the dishes in a way that allows you to fit the maximum number of items inside.
Change up the way you dress in your home and warm yourself up to avoid turning on the heater if possible. Lighter sweaters can add 2 more degrees of warmth, while heavy sweaters increase warmth by 4 degrees. There’s no reason you can’t bundle up in the privacy of your own home, so put on a sweater and cut down your energy bill!
Fans of green energy should limit their use of electric heaters in the winter. Rather, purchase some warmer clothes for your family and use a pellet stove or fireplace to heat up the living areas. Cool air helps sleeping patterns, as well as improving breathing.
Monitor your electricity consumption watt by watt. Use great gadgets such as the Kill-A-Watt or the Watt Minder to find out which fixtures and appliances use up the most energy. Plug the appliance into the device, and it can tell you the amount of energy it uses within an hour, month, or even a year. This lets you know how much it costs to operate an appliance.
When Christmas or other holidays roll around, try LED decorative lights instead of traditional lights to spruce up your home. According to one study done by the DOE, the United States could save more than 2 billion hours of power, simply by having everyone make this change. Department of Energy, LED lights over the holidays could save as much as two billion kilowatts of energy consumption annually. That is enough power to run more than 200,000 homes for one whole year. At a minimum, you will lower your energy bill.
One way to participate in the green energy movement is buying products that are specifically designed to save energy. Look into different green products like eco-friendly doors, double glazed windows, or anything of the sort as they can help reduce the required amount of energy it takes to operate your home. If you use these products extensively, you will see quite a bit of savings on your energy bills.
One of the oldest tips in the book is to make sure that you turn off all electronics and lights when you leave any room to save energy. You would be surprised how much energy you could end up saving over time if you get into the habit of turning off your lights. You also have the added benefit of saving money on your power bill.
Use an on-demand water heater to save energy. Instead of constantly heating water, these newer heaters heat it only as necessary so that you don’t waste energy. The on-demand water heater will heat water instantly and save you money on energy.
The extra money that you may spend will quickly come back to you. Green technologies cost a little more initially, but you will save money on your utility bills, making them a wise investment. The environment will also benefit.
As you can probably see, solar panels can provide many benefits, including energy and cost savings. It is not particularly difficult to “go green” and those new ways of living last a lifetime. Upgrading your home to use green energy is a no-brainer!