What can green energy do for you? Green energy can help save you money as you help save the environment. What are some things that you can do to help? Keep reading for some easy secrets that will assist you in doing your part.
Lower heating costs with solar heating systems for your pools or hot tubs. Solar water heaters use the sun’s energy to heat water resulting in energy savings. Some of these upgrades, while more expensive up-front, may qualify for green energy tax deductions.
Clean your furnace filters regularly and replace them at least one time a year. Also install filters on air registers. Having filters prevents debris from building up inside your heating ducts, which would hinder the energy efficiency of your heating system.
Cover your windows if you’re not going to be home. This keeps your house cool and your energy costs down when you’re not there. Try to close all your window coverings, but it is especially important to cover any south-facing windows. Use coverings on each of your home’s windows, such as roman shades, dark curtains, or roller shades.
Try drying your laundry outside in the sun whenever possible, rather than using a dryer. The sun will dry your clothing for free and the summer breeze will leave it smelling amazing. They will smell a lot fresher than being dried in the drier. This will save you a ton on your utility bills, leaving you extra money to turn your air conditioning on instead.
If you have a dishwasher, do not turn it on until it is full. Dishwashers do not allow for minimizing water or power consumption. It is the same, full or not. When you do run the dishwasher, make sure to use the energy saving setting, which will allow your dishes to air-dry.
Use electric heating sparingly in the winter. Dress more warmly when around the house. Wear slippers and a heavy top, and light up your fireplace or pellet stove for increased warmth at low cost. This is good for your health as well as your electric bill. Breathing cooler air at night helps keep your respiratory system healthy; you’ll avoid drying out your airways.
One way to participate in the green energy movement is buying products that are specifically designed to save energy. Installing efficient windows and doors, window coverings, and insulation are just some of the ways to save big. If you use these products extensively, you will see quite a bit of savings on your energy bills.
Turn the heat down in your house. If it is a little chilly, simply put on a sweatshirt, and pair of sweatpants. Turning the heat all the way up will use a lot of unneeded energy.
Monitor how many watts you’re using. A gadget like Watt Minder or Kill-A-Watt will help you discover which appliances are your prime energy consumers. Plug your appliances in to these devices to find out what amount of energy is required each year, month or hour to run it. This lets you know how much it costs to operate an appliance.
If you, like many other people, wish to lead a greener life in order to help save our environment, there are many things you can start doing now. 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. Reducing the water heater temperature to 120 degrees can save money too. Little things like this add up!
When you put up lights during the holidays, avoid the normal light strands and hang LED lights instead. Research has shown that in the United States alone, more than two billion kilowatt hours worth of power could be saved if everyone made this transition. Department of Energy, LED lights over the holidays could save as much as two billion kilowatts of energy consumption annually. That’s enough to power a quarter of a million houses for a year! If nothing else, you can cut down your power bill!
Heat your house with biofuels. Biofuels consist of vegetable or animal fats, wood and oils. If you have a propane furnace, sometimes a technician can make modifications to enable you to use a blend of different fuels. That is roughly 20 to 99 percent biodiesel. Because this is a significant alteration, talk with a professional about the substitution before attempting to make any changes on your own.
Make use of the microwave when possible to cut down on energy usage. Ovens use much more energy than the microwave for cooking. So, whenever you can “nuke” something in the microwave, take advantage of it and tremendously cut down the energy output.
Use weatherizing techniques to improve the energy efficiency rating of your home. Seal the ducts, add insulation and install energy-efficient windows, and you will consume much less energy. The lower energy use will also reduce your energy bill!
You can save energy while doing your laundry in several ways. Employ the use of the dryer’s moisture control setting to turn the dryer off once the clothes are dry. The high-spin feature can work to reduce the amount of moisture in the laundry, thus limiting drying time. Make sure you clean out the filters in the dryer and check for any blockages in the vent.
Have your frozen foods thawing in the refrigerator if you want to save energy. You will find that this is one of the safest options for thawing your meats, and you will also help to cool the other foods in your refrigerator by allowing your frozen products to release cold air as they thaw.
Put your refrigerator and freezer units in a low-temperature location in your home so that they stay cool with less energy. Keeping them by heating vents or in direct sunlight raises their overall temperature, making them run longer to keep the contents cool inside.
Everyone talks about green energy, but not many are actually using it. You should now be brimming with ideas on how green energy can be implemented into your home in a cost effective manner.