Green energy from the sun, wind, and water has a huge positive impact on your utility bills and the planet. If you’d like to make the energy that you use to power your house’s technology a little bit greener, just keep on reading. You’ll find some excellent suggestions on how you can get started.
If you are trying to conserve energy in the summer, be sure to keep your shades drawn to block out the sun. You could also try putting in curtains or blinds. When you do these things, you then make your house cooler and reduce the amount of air conditioning you use during the summer. You will save energy and money.
There are grants that can help you invest in green energy. Get in touch with your local government to find out what kind of programs exist in your area. You may qualify to have wind or solar power installed at no cost to you. At a minimum they may allow you to deduct the charges from your taxes.
Clothes should always be washed in cold water, if possible. Almost 90 percent of energy consumed by washing machines is used when heating the water. Provided you are using the right laundry detergent, you will not see a cleanliness difference by washing in cold water. In addition, remember that a washing machine will be most energy efficient when it is full.
Are you the owner of a farm? If you have one, an energy company may be interested in renting a portion of the property to install a wind turbine. Your home and the surrounding residences will get some free power. Don’t worry, wind turbines don’t take up a lot of room.
Speak to a technician to find out if your fuel oiled heating can be changed to an alternative fuel, such as biodiesel. There are many systems that can switch to biodiesel with needing significant modification. Biodiesel burns more cleanly and will improve your carbon footprint.
Check monthly to determine if your furnace’s filters need cleaning and replace them yearly. Also, put filters on vents that dispense warm air. Doing so will prevent debris in heating ducts and it reduces energy.
Research different sources of green energy available to your community. Find out what the cost of using these utilities to run your home would be. Switching from electricity to gas, or from your city water supply to a well, may save you money.
When away from home, cover the windows. This keeps the interior of your home cooler or warmer, depending on the season, and reduces your energy bill. Generally, the south-facing windows get the most sun because of their position. Dark, lined curtains, roman shades or roller shades may be something to consider using on your windows.
If you want to save money and energy, only run your dishwasher when it is completely full of dishes. Don’t run it with only two or three dishes inside. Pack your dishwasher full, and you may be surprised at the amount it can hold. Strategically load your dishwasher so that you fit in as many dishes as possible.
Don’t leave appliances that aren’t in use, on. When you leave a room, take the time to turn off lights, the tv or the computer. Try using a power strip so you can turn off all of your electronics at once, instead of letting power be wasted in standby mode.
Keep your refrigerator in good condition. With the fridge being a top energy consumer in the home, maintenance is important for efficiency. Make sure you clean out any dust from around heating coils. You also want to make sure the door seal is tight and clean.
When you calculate the solar panel needs of your home, figure out the hours of sun you get in the winter. This will guarantee that you will have energy no matter what the weather brings, and it will result in a surplus during the summer. You can actually get money back from your utility company for any energy your generate if you’re on the net usage plan.
Replace your water heater and get a tankless model. While tankless heaters still require gas or electricity to heat your water, they only heat the amount of water you need, rather than keeping a large tank hot around the clock. You can purchase a tankless heater for a faucet or your whole home.
Active Solar Power
Use a laptop instead of a desktop computer. You can reduce your energy use by three-quarters if you use the internet a lot or do a lot of word processing. Another benefit of the laptop is that it’s portable, so it can be used anywhere.
Spend time in order to learn the difference between passive and active solar power. Passive solar power is power on demand and does not require cells for power storage. Active solar power has plenty of power storing ability so you will have energy ready anytime you may need it. Active power uses solar panels, cells and mechanical systems. Passive power uses the sun for thermal energy in the home.
If you are not sure about making improvements to your home, hire professionals that can look over your systems and offer you ideas of what you can do to make your home more green. They can provide an estimate of how much money inefficient appliances and systems are costing you, and they can tell you what upgrading or replacing such systems will cost.
Save energy by buying products that conserve energy. There are a variety of products, including eco-friendly doors and double-glazed windows that will make your home run far more efficiently. Using this type of product will cut down on heating and cooling energy costs.
It might be a good idea to leave yourself notes to remind you to conserve energy when ever you can. Check the power bill each month to see the gains you have made. Increasing your consciousness of your energy consumption can help you cut back. For instance, reducing your electricity or water usage will get you into the habit of turning off appliance and lights when not used.
Find out about federal and local rebates for updates about renewable energy for your home. Ask your utility company if they offer rebates for green energy upgrades. Also look into tax deductions offered by the government that may apply to your green energy technology. All of these rebates will add up, potentially covering the cost of your renovation!
Carpooling is a great way to save energy for transportation needs, even if your trip is to the mall or an after-school event. If you have children, you can have a neighborhood carpool and switch with the other parents every day. If you are located close to other families, agree to do your grocery shopping at the same time and rotate who drives each week.
If you aren’t sold on making a large green energy investment at home, then bring in a professional heating expert or plumber to take a look at your existing systems. They should be able to inform you about extra expenses you are paying for inefficient appliances, as well as the amount it would cost to upgrade to newer, energy-efficient models.
Do not forget the most basic ways to save energy, such as turning off the lights you don’t need. Get yourself into the habif of always turning lights off and you can save a lot of energy. You also will be saving money when it comes to your power bill.
You can use bio-fuels to heat your house. These fuels are comprised of vegetable or animal fats, wood and oils. You can find a professional to change your furnace if it is propane so that it can heat with the blend of fuels. The blend you would use could be made up of 20%-99% biodiesel. Make sure you consult an energy professional before using biofuels in your home.
Try using a toilet that is built to save water. Toilets account for fifty percent of the water used in a home. Older toilets use 5 gallons per flush, whereas new models use less than 2 gallons.
Switch out an old boiler. A lot of the older boilers weren’t made to conserve energy, yet newer ones were made to keep this in mind. Newer boilers help by producing less carbon dioxide as well as cut down the cost of your energy bill.
Bamboo is a wonderful option to consider in your home. Bamboo is a strong and durable option for flooring, cutting boards and furniture. It is very easy to grow and is becoming more widely available. Retail outlets are selling many bamboo products, from flooring to cutting boards. This saves energy via recycling and manufacturer production.
Buy energy-efficient windows and replace your old ones. Windows with a better seal will reduce your energy bills, keep road noise out of your house, and limit window condensation.
You will save money eventually if you buy green appliances. Though the newer technologies are often much more expensive than standard items, the up-front investment will often save tons later in the form of lower energy bills. It also results in long-lasting environmental benefits.
Energy Star
Add solar panels to the roof for an immediately greener, and more energy efficient, home. While solar panels are a bit of an investment, they save a ton of money in the long run. After the panels are in, because the energy is from the sun, it is essentially free. Moreover, some utility companies buy the solar power back from you when there is excess!
Search for an Energy Star logo when shopping for appliances in order to find the most energy-efficient ones. ENERGY STAR appliances are designed to follow guidelines from the U.S. Department of Energy and additionally the EPA Products that meet ENERGY STAR criteria are usually eligible for some form of tax rebate.
If you want to save on your heat bill, you can start by heating the rooms separately. You can implement a floor-heating solution that has a main board. This will give you the ability to control each room, and select the desired temperatures. So if you have a larger home then this is a great solution to keeping it warm while saving energy at the same time.
Not only does green energy save you money, but it’s gentler on earth as well. As you can see from this article, being green does not mean that things have to cost a lot or be complicated. You can have an environmentally friendly house today.
While solar energy may not be a whole-house option for your home, consider a partial solar set-up that can offset part of your utility consumption. For example, you can use a solar water heater.
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