Going green benefits your home and the environment. Simple home modifications can help you save money on electricity and become more energy efficient. Read the following tips to learn how you can use less energy at home.
If you plan to purchase lighting for your deck or patio, you should give solar-powered lamps a try. These lamps are inexpensive and do not require any kind of power source other than exposure to the sun. This doesn’t merely save energy. It also means you do not to have string up those outdoor lights.
Do your best to keep your windows shaded from any sunlight. Another suggestion for window treatments is installing curtains or blinds. Since this will make your house cooler, you will use the air conditioner less. You will save energy and money.
Clean filters or replace them to ensure your furnace is appropriating at prime efficiency. Warm-air registers should also have filters installed on them. This helps keep debris (or Hot Wheels cars) from getting into heating ducts and reducing efficiency.
Turn off electrical items whenever you aren’t using them. When you exit a room, be sure to turn off any unused electronics or lights. Put all of your entertainment electronics on a power strip you can turn off, as this will stop appliances from going into a power draining stand-by mode.
Swap out your tank water heater for a tankless type. Although they still use gas or electricity, they only heat on demand rather than maintaining an entire tank of hot water at all times. There are tankless heaters designed to not only provide one area with hot water, but also to heat entire houses.
Use a laptop for your computing needs rather than a power hungry desktop. This can cut up to 75% of your electrical use, especially if you are frequently on the Internet or using word processing software. Laptops are also portable which makes them much more functional and handy in times of need.
Look for federal and local rebates that apply to renewable energy at home. In some cases, the local utility company will offer rebates for the cost of the upgrades. In other cases, there may be tax deductions or credits available from either the state or federal government. The combination of rebates and tax credits will make it much more affordable to install green energy systems.
In order to cut down on fuel usage, you should consider using carpooling not only for work, but for other activities too. Ask other parents in the neighborhood if they are interested in carpooling for their children and trade days with them. If you have family or friends close to you, you could also plan your grocery trips together and share the driving responsibilities.
Replacing an old boiler can save energy. Old boilers weren’t manufactured with energy-savings in mind. New ones, however, are made to be energy efficient. They can reduce your energy bill and they don’t produce as much carbon dioxide.
You do not have to spend a lot of time or money to go green. You can easily save quite a bit on electricity by making only a few simple changes. Apply these tips to your own life, and share them with others, and you can build a better environmental future.