It isn’t always hard to be a bit more green. Simply making small changes in your home could reduce electricity bills, and offer a lot of benefits to our environment. Follow this article’s tips to learn how you can use green sources of energy to cut costs and reduce your environmental impact.
Consider installing solar powered lamps for outdoor lighting. They are not only affordable, but they do not have to be hooked up to any power source, needing only good access to sunlight. They also save energy. You also don’t need to hang lights or wires outdoors.
Do you have a farm? If you own a farm, consider installing an energy turbine on your property, or renting land to a utility company for that purpose. You and the neighbors can relish in the free energy and installation, if it doesn’t require too much space.
Research different types of energy sources which may be available in your area. Checking the costs of running a home with utilities should also include recent legislation about energy costs. It may be beneficial to switch from electric heat to natural gas heat, or from city water to well water, for example.
Don’t run the dishwasher unless it is filled to capacity. You will use just as much water and energy to run a half-empty dishwasher as a full one. When you do run the dishwasher, make sure to use the energy saving setting, which will allow your dishes to air-dry.
If you are planning a solar system for your home, be sure to calculate your potential energy production using the amount of sun to expect in the cloudiest month. This will guarantee you energy no matter the weather, and it will have you entering the summer safely without energy concerns as well. However, you should also include any refunds you will get from your utility company for excess energy generated in summer!
If you can afford it, invest in a laptop rather than using a desktop as they tend to use more energy. This could possibly reduce your electrical use by 75 percent, especially if the Internet is used frequently or there is heavy use of word processing software. Another benefit of the laptop is that it’s portable, so it can be used anywhere.
Energy Expenses
Have your friends and business associates contact you via email rather than snail mail. Basically, this means using as little paper as possible. This helps businesses you deal with reduce their energy expenses, and it helps you reduce energy expenses, as well. In addition, it also protects the environment.
Keep track of how many watts you’re using. Use gadgets such as Kill-A-Watt or Watt Minder and figure out what your consumption is and where it is coming from. Plug the appliance into the device, and it can tell you the amount of energy it uses within an hour, month, or even a year. This can let you see how much your devices really cost you.
In order to keep up with energy efficiency goals, compare all your energy bills to previous year to see how much progress you are making. The more aware you are of using energy, the easier it is to reduce your energy use. For instance, if your stated goal is to reduce your consumption of electricity and water, you are more apt to remember to turn off the lights and shut off the faucet when not using them.
Some people deny that global warming exists, but even these people can still personally benefit from green energy technology. It saves money on electrical costs, just by a few changes like turning off the light when the room is empty.