Using different energy sources lets you reduce home costs while helping the environment. Read this article for some great tips on going green in your home.
If you plan to purchase lighting for your deck or patio, you should give solar-powered lamps a try. These lamps aren’t costly and do not need additional power sources other than direct sun exposure. This will save a lot of energy. It will also mean you can avoid installing underground wiring.
You can easily get solar panels installed in your home to collect solar energy for your use. However, before you do this, there are a few things that you need to take care of. One thing to factor into your considerations is the amount of sun your house actually gets over the year. If you live in a shady place, or a location with a cloudy climate, solar isn’t the choice for you.
Clean your furnace filters regularly and replace them at least one time a year. Warm-air registers can also benefit from filters. This will keep everything out of the air ducts, keeping your energy efficiency high.
Use window treatments to shade the inside of your home when you aren’t home. Your house will stay cool and you won’t use as much energy this way. Try to close all your window coverings, but it is especially important to cover any south-facing windows. Dark curtains, roller or roman shades can cover windows well.
Try solar water heaters instead of traditional ones. If you live where freezing temperatures aren’t prevalent, you can purchase a system that can circulate water via a solar heater prior to being pumped to your home. Having a conventional heater as a back up if you expect a surge in hot water use can be wise.
If you have a dishwasher, do not turn it on until it is full. It makes use of a fixed amount of energy no matter the amount of dishes it has. Try using the energy-saving air-drying setting on your dishwasher.
Storm Windows
Storm doors and windows help control air flow into a home. This is because storm windows and doors prevent drafts, which means less cold air enters the home. Installing storm windows and doors can increase energy efficiency by up to 45%.
Keep track of how many watts you’re using. 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. Plus an appliance into the gadget and it will tell you how much energy it is using. This can show what your appliance is costing you.
When Christmas or other holidays roll around, try LED decorative lights instead of traditional lights to spruce up your home. According to a report from the U.S. Two billion KWh if everyone made the change, to be exact! That amount of power could run 200,000 homes for one full year. At least, you can save money on your electricity!
Less Energy
Swap your old appliances for newer ones that have an Energy Star rating. To receive an Energy Star rating from the government, appliances must meet minimum efficiency standards, unlike the non-rated appliances you may currently own. For refrigerators and freezers, the rating promises 20% less energy used, for dishwashers 40% less energy used, and for washing machines at least 50% less energy used!
Water-saving toilets can get you started on a greener lifestyle. Toilets account for fifty percent of the water used in a home. A water-saving toilet cuts that by about 70 percent.
Use motion detection sensors on lights in the most popular rooms of your house. They will turn off lights when people aren’t in the room. Remember the lighting outside, too.
60 Degrees
When you are sleeping, or not at home, set your thermostat to 60 degrees to save energy. 60 degrees is the target temperature at which your heater will be consuming the least energy. This helps you minimize the amount of energy that you use and helps you save money as well.
Take the time to weatherize your home to increase its energy efficiency. You can seal ducts, add in insulation, and put in new windows and cooling systems that are energy efficient so that you can reduce the energy it takes to operate your home. You may also see real savings on your energy bill!
Heat each room of your home separately to save money each month. In order to do this, you will need to add a central control to your heating system that will allow you to select the temperature for each room. This is a wonderful solution for larger homes.
Using green energy now means a better future for the planet and future generations. As you have seen, it does not take a great deal of effort to go green, so start using the tips from this article to make your home more sustainable and efficient.