In this economy, every home owner can benefit from being frugal, and using green energy is a great way to accomplish this. Keep reading for a few great ideas on how you can convert the standard technology in your home to greener energy, enjoy greater savings in your out-of-pocket costs, and reduce your impact on the environment.
When building your home, pay attention to its orientation. An ideal home should be protected against overhead sun during the summer and be oriented so that it gets low-angle sun in the winter. This is a good way to save money on your heating bill and will keep your home cool in the summer.
If you are interested in saving energy, utilize the warm summer months to help you dry your clothes. Forgo the use of your dryer, and hang your wet items out in the bright sunlight. Not only will you save energy, but your clothes will smell fresh and feel wonderful.
When doing laundry, try to use cold water. Almost 90 percent of the consumed energy while washing your clothes is spent on heating up the water. Using a quality detergent means it is unnecessary to use hot water. Furthermore, remember to always wash a full load, as this is more energy efficient.
If you have a swimming pool, you can save a lot of money by using solar energy to heat the water. Solar heating systems are not more expensive than other solutions and are easier to maintain. These systems also work for your outdoor hot tub. This is probably the best use of solar power.
Try sealing gaps underneath your doors and windows during the summer and winter. This can prevent the warm or cool air from outside from entering your home, which will help keep your home at a good temperature all year. You could also try putting in rugs to provide more insulation to your floorboards.
Learn the difference between passive and active solar power. Using active power means storing energy for later use, while passive energy is about benefiting from the warmth or light of the sun rays right away. Active solar power requires a lot of involvement in the form of installation, mechanics, and power cells. Passive energy is about using windows and insulation to keep your home warm and well-lit.
Purchase solar lights for your garden and outdoor walkways. These decorative lights are relatively inexpensive, and do not add to your electricity bill. During the day, these lights absorb power from the sun. At night, they light the area with the stored energy. These are a fantastic way to reduce your energy consumption while beautifying your yard.
Buy a solar water heater for your home. Water heaters consume a massive amount of electricity every day, even when not in use. By purchasing a water heater that harnesses energy from the sun you will see an instant reduction in your power bill. Make certain that it is well insulated.
Make use of the natural sunlight for great green energy savings. Install solar tubes in your home which take the light from outdoors and bring it inside so you do not need to use lamps and other lighting sources as often. These are relatively inexpensive and are great for increasing the value of your home.
In a colder climate, make sure you weatherize your windows to be energy efficient. This will not only help you stay much warmer, but it will save you on energy costs. You can have this done for a fee, or you can do it yourself after purchasing the necessary products.
Stay in control of your energy consumption by getting a Bye Bye Standby device. This device is basically a motherboard into which you can plug in all your devices. You will be able to completely turn on and off any device that you are not using through this panel. It also gives you access to information about your power consumption.
Try bamboo products when buying wood items. Bamboo is technically grass and is a “green product”, but it is often much stronger than other available woods. It grows very fast and is being made into a variety of products from flooring to hard wood cutting boards for retail purchase. Using bamboo can help conserve energy when making new products as well as saving on the costs of recycling old products.
Develop the habit of shutting off your computer before you leave your home for several hours and before you go to sleep each day to make your home a greener one. Also, set your computer’s sleep mode to activate when it is idle for five minutes. If you faithfully practice these two simple acts on a daily basis, you can decrease the energy usage of your computer by 85%.
Clean your air filters monthly to see if they either require cleaning or if they need replaced. This can help your unit run more efficiently. You can also purchase a permanent filter that you can wash and re-use. These can save you a lot later and can prevent more waste in the landfills.
A simple and easy way to reduce your energy consumption and make your house greener is to thoroughly clean the lint filter in your dryer each time before you use it. Believe it or not, by doing this easy and simple act, you can slash your dryer’s usage of electricity by as much as 30%!
Green energy might be available to you right now, so make a phone call and see if you can find it. Most electric companies are now offering green energy sources that can meet consumer’s needs. You will likely have the option of switching partially to green energy, or entirely to green energy. You might pay a little more for these options, but you will be doing something great for the environment.
Now you should be well prepared to set about the task of turning your home into a green energy machine! Try some of the tips featured in this article today, to start saving money and feeling better about yourself and how you are preserving the resources of the planet,as well as, keeping it cleaner!
