You can protect the environment and reduce energy costs with green energy. Purchasing an electric car is not necessary! Read on for tips on how to make your house energy-efficient.
Think about buying solar water heaters for heating your water. If you live somewhere where you don’t have to be concerned with temperatures that are freezing, you can use a system that circulates water through the solar heater before it gets pumped into your home. If you live in a climate that faces cold winters, also install a traditional heater for your water.
Dressing warmly can help you reduce your energy usage. Lighter sweaters can add 2 more degrees of warmth, while heavy sweaters increase warmth by 4 degrees. The more layers you wear at home, the less energy you will need to use heating your house.
Unless cold temperatures become a real problem, it is better to keep the heat turned down. If it’s a bit chilly, put sweatpants or a sweatshirt on. High levels of heat use too much energy.
Check and manage your watt usage. Try using gadgets like the Kill-A-Watt and the Watt Minder to see what in your home uses too much energy. If you attach the device to the appliances in your home, it will let you know how much energy that appliance uses for different lengths of time. You can get a real idea of what your appliance is costing you and the environment.
There is a lot you can do if you want to save energy. Many of these options will not cost you money, but will instead save you money, like cleaning your furnace filter monthly and turning down your thermostat when you are leaving your home. Setting the temperature on your water heater to 120 degrees will help reduce energy costs, too. Anything you can do will help!
Heat your house with biofuels. Biofuels consist of vegetable or animal fats, wood and oils. If you have a propane furnace a professional may be able to convert your furnace to a bio-fuel furnace. This would change the conversation to around 20-99% biodiesel. Always speak with a professional who will guide you in how to properly use this type of fuel.
Carpool so you can use less fuel. Talk with other parents and try to arrange a carpool schedule so that you all take turns driving your kids to school. Those who live close to friends or family can go grocery shopping together.
Energy Star
Replace aging major appliances with ENERGY STAR appliances. To receive an Energy Star rating from the government, appliances must meet minimum efficiency standards, unlike the non-rated appliances you may currently own. Refrigerators and freezers use about 20 percent less energy, while the energy that washing machines use is cut in half.
Use the microwave instead if you’d like to save energy. Stoves and ovens use a lot more energy than microwaves. So, by microwaving instead, you save a lot of energy.
Replace your toilet with a water-saving model. Some studies show that flushing the toilet accounts for half the water used in a typical home. Older toilets use 5 gallons per flush, whereas new models use less than 2 gallons.
Many people don’t turn off appliances when not using them. If you make this a habit, your energy bills could be greatly reduced. Think in advance about what you need to do, and make it a habit to turn off anything that you are no longer using.
Consider bamboo as an option over wood products. Bamboo serves as a green replacement for wood. Though it is a grass, it has much more strength and durability than many commercial woods. Because it is fast-growing, bamboo resources are easier to replenish than slow-growing trees. This saves energy needed to recycle and produce manufactured products.
A simple way to begin incorporating energy-efficient changes to your home is to get help from your electric company. Many of the utility companies have added website tools that help you review your current energy usage and look for ways to reduce it. You may also be able to find rebates or other programs to help you get energy-efficient light bulbs or appliances.
Eventually, it will pay off to get green appliances and electronics. While they are usually going to be more expensive, green technology products greatly reduce energy usage and, thereby, save money. It also pays off as far as the environment is concerned.
Always maintain modern, energy-efficient windows at home. Some of the benefits you will see include lower electric bills, a more quiet home, less carbon dioxide and a smaller amount of window condensation.
Energy Star
All energy efficient products will include the Energy Star designation and logo. Any appliance that has an ENERGY STAR logo meets guidelines for the U.S. Department of Energy and additionally the EPA You can get a tax rebate from these type of items, as well.
Changing your furnace’s filter, using light bulbs that are energy efficient and using programmable thermostat are simple ways to conserve energy at home. Set forth a good example for the members of your family, and this will teach others to go green as well. Use the tips you just learned immediately to save energy.
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