Get Started With Your Green Energy Plan Today
A great way to make sure the environment is protected, while slashing energy costs, is to use green energy in your home. Buying an electric car is not going to be needed! Read on for tips on how to make your house energy-efficient.
Solar water heating is a great way to decrease the expense of heating water used for showers and swimming pools. Solar water heaters tap into the abundant and free energy offered by the sun. Water heated by other methods, like natural gas, propane, or electricity, is not an efficient method. These upgrades may cost more, but qualify for tax deductions, too.
You can cut your energy consumption by a lot if you just cut back on the electricity you use. For example, when an appliance is not in use unplug it. Always turn off the television and lights when you are not using them. This is an excellent way of saving yourself some money.
Wear natural fabrics instead of always using the air conditioning during summer. Natural fibers like cotton can absorb moisture from your skin, helping you feel cooler. Lighter colors also make you feel cooler.
Solar water heating is a great way to decrease the expense of heating water used for showers and swimming pools. Solar water heaters use solar energy in an efficient way to heat your water. By doing certain upgrades to your home, you can often earn extra incentives and even cut backs on your energy bill.
You can get a grant from the government to help you invest into some renewable energy. Check with the local government and see what programs are available to you. You may qualify for free wind or solar installation, or you may find that you can deduct some of your expenses on your taxes.
Solar panels are easy to install. There are a few things to consider before installing them. A big consideration is how much sunlight does your home typically receive? If you home is under a lot of shade, or in an area where you do not have a lot of sunny days, the power gained from your solar unit will not be very significant.
It is important to clean your furnace filter on a regular basis to be sure you are using as little energy as possible heating your home. It’s a good call to add filters to warm air registers. These filters keep debris or toys from entering the duct-work, which could reduce the efficiency of your HVAC system.
Convert your home into a more efficient place by investing into energy saving products. There are a variety of products, including eco-friendly doors and double-glazed windows that will make your home run far more efficiently. By installing these products, your home is sealed tighter, and you use less energy to heat and cool your home.
Speak to a technician to find out if your fuel oiled heating can be changed to an alternative fuel, such as biodiesel. A lot of times this can be done with minimal modifications to your existing system. Biodiesel can assist you in cutting your environmental impact when it is cold, because it burns more efficiently and cleaner than petroleum.
Green Energy
Use drapes or curtains in your windows for when you are not home. This cools the house and cuts energy costs. South facing windows will receive the most sun, and therefore heat. Dark, lined curtains, roman shades or roller shades may be something to consider using on your windows.
Take advantage of any federal or local rebates that you may be entitled to receive. Your local utility company may be offering green energy rebates to apply updates. Also, you will find that you can get a tax deduction or a credit from the federal or state government. You can lower the cost of putting green energy into your home by using these credits or rebates.
If you use a dishwasher to clean your dishes, do not run it until it is completely full. The energy used is the same whether you are washing a small load of dishes, or one that is larger. Try using the energy-saving air-drying setting on your dishwasher.
Opt for emails over paper whenever possible; get on no-mail lists for catalogs and junk mail. So, try your best to be as paperless as you possibly can. Reducing your consumption of paper saves energy on production costs, along with the costs of shredding documents in your home. This benefits everyone in society along with your own business.
Storm doors and windows help control air flow into a home. Storm windows and storm doors reduce the amount of cold air entering the home in the form of drafts. When homes have windows and doors that are stormed, 45 percent less energy is used, which can decrease electric bills.
One way to help reduce energy consumption is to develop an energy savings plan. You should compare your goals with your utility bills to ensure you are staying on track. Be more conscious of energy usage so you can reduce it. Your deliberate efforts to reduce your electricity or water consumption will have a significant impact on your ability to form habits out of turning off lights and shutting down appliances.
If you want to “go green” and do your part to help save the environment, you have a lot of options. You may not be able to spend a lot of money going green, but you can start by cleaning furnace filters each month and setting heat at 60 degrees when not at home. Another way to save energy, and money, is to set the water heater’s temperature at 120 degrees. Each little bit makes a difference!
A few examples of energy efficient changes you can make at home are changing your furnace’s filter on schedule, installing CFL bulbs and using a programmable thermostat. When your friends and family see you going green, they’ll be inspired and want to go green too. Keep these tips in mind and use them.
Use LED holiday lights to help with green energy use. LED’s have been shown to save a significant amount of energy. Department of Energy stated that Americans could collectively reduce their energy consumption by over 2 billion kW/h if they all changed over to LED lights. That amount of power is enough to supply 200,000 homes with electricity for a whole year. You can at least look forward to saving money on your energy bills!
