Maintaining green energy in the home is one of the best ways to ensure that the environment is being protected, while cutting energy costs. It is not necessary to have an electric car in order to do this. Keep reading to find out how to make your household more energy efficient, no matter your budget.
If you’re designing any kind of outdoor lighting, you may want to think about installing solar-powered lamps. This type of lamp is cost-effective and needs no power other than sunlight. This will save a lot of energy. As an added benefit, you are spared the trouble of running an outdoor wiring system.
Reduce the price of heating water in pools, hot tubs and inside your home by using solar-powered heating systems. Using natural gas and electricity is certainly the norm, but it’s not very energy efficient. By contrast, solar energy is very efficient, and it keeps water temperatures steady just as well as traditional heating methods. While a few of the upgrades are costlier up front, they might be eligible for tax deductions or green energy tax credits.
Save electricity while becoming a more conscientious energy consumer by unplugging the chargers for all your electronic gadgets when they aren’t in use. Chargers for your electronics, such as an iPod or cell phone, are always using electricity, even when they’re not in use, so unplug them when you can.
Your furnace filters should be cleaned monthly and replaced yearly. Install filters for your warm-air registers, too. This will help keep debris or dirt from clogging vents and reducing their overall efficiency.
Cover your windows when no one is at home. This keeps your home cooler naturally, reducing the strain on your air conditioner and saving energy. Pay particular attention to covering the windows on the south side of your house. They typically admit the most sun. Therefore, it is especially important to use heavy window coverings on these windows.
If you are not using something, turn it off. So, make sure you turn things off like the computer, TV, or lights when you leave a room. 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.
It is important that if you take advantage of a dishwasher, that you only use it when you have a full load. It consumes the exact same amounts of electricity and water even if it’s not full. When you do use the dishwasher, be certain to always use the setting for saving energy, which air-dries your dishes.
When you consider solar heat for your home calculate potential hours of sunshine for energy generation during the winter months. When you do this, you understand how much you should be consuming on a daily basis during winter, and you won’t become surprised one day. You may even get rebates from your utility company in summer months if you sign up for net usage and use solar panels.
Storm Doors
To help prevent drafts, install storm doors and storm windows. This is because they decrease the amount of cold air circulating through your home. Energy efficiency improves by 45% when storm doors and windows are implemented, which are big energy savers.
Learn the difference between passive and active solar power. Passive power is used immediately and is cheaper, but active power has the ability to store energy for later use. Active solar power requires solar panels, cells, and mechanical systems. Passive solar power is simply making use of the sun to keep thermal energy in your walls so you can heat your home.
You can conserve energy by doing things like using more efficient light bulbs, changing your furnace’s filter, and installing a thermostat that is programmable. When your friends and family see you going green, they’ll be inspired and want to go green too. Take these tips into account and put them into use right away!