Is Your Home As Green As It Can Be? Find Out Here! | Green Living

TIP! Become a better energy consumer, and save electricity in your home by unplugging chargers for your electronic devices when you are not using them. Chargers for devices like phones, music players, computers and others use small amounts of power any time they are in an outlet, even if you aren’t charging anything.

What is green energy and how can you incorporate it into your life? It will help you pay less on your bills and will also allow you to help the environment. Eco-friendly green energy helps protect the environment. Continue reading for some easy tips that will show you how to assist.

TIP! Furnace filters should be replaced annually, and check them monthly for cleanliness. It is also recommended to put filters on every register in your home.

If you are thinking of designing your outdoor areas with lighting, consider using solar lamps instead of conventional power. These lamps aren’t very expensive and can save you on power bills because they’re powered by the sun. This does more than just save energy. It also means you don’t need hard wired outdoor lights.

TIP! A solar water heater may be a viable option in your home. Using a solar water heater to warm your water with the energy of the sun works to save money and energy.

Use a solar water heat system to lower water and heating costs. Solar water heaters are much more energy efficient than electric or gas-driven water heating systems. Solar systems use the sun’s energy to stabilize water temperature. Although these upgrades could cost a lot, they also might qualify for energy tax deductions.

TIP! Wait until your dishwasher’s full before running it. The dishwasher cycle uses the same amounts of water and energy, whether it is full or not.

Do your best to keep your windows shaded from any sunlight. Do this by installing blinds or curtains. Less heat will be allowed in, and your summer air conditioner costs will be greatly reduced with just these two simply steps You will save both money and energy in the process.

TIP! Hot water can be obtained in a low cost, environmentally friendly manner through solar energy. Simply put, all you need is a hot water system that uses solar energy.

If possible, use cold water in your clothes washer. When you heat up water, you consume much more energy as opposed to using colder water. Most good quality laundry detergents work just as well in cold water. In addition, remember that a washing machine will be most energy efficient when it is full.

TIP! Always be consistent in maintaining your fridge. Refrigerators use a large amount of electricity, and keeping it in good condition ensures this energy footprint is as low as it can be.

A solar water heater may be a viable option in your home. If freezing temperatures are never a concern in your area, consider a system that circulates water through solar heaters before sending it into your house. As is true with many solar options, you should keep your traditional water heater for times when there is not enough sun, or in case you need to use a lot of water.

TIP! Homes with storm doors and windows have better airflow than homes without these upgrades. Storm doors and windows dramatically reduce the amount of drafts and cold air that get into your home.

Electric heaters should only be used when necessary in order to be more green. Dress more warmly when around the house. Wear slippers and a heavy top, and light up your fireplace or pellet stove for increased warmth at low cost. Keep in mind that it is actually better to breathe cool air while you sleep, since it keeps your airways from becoming dry.

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Use a laptop for your computing needs rather than a power hungry desktop. 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. In addition, the laptop is portable and be used anywhere in the house.

Tax Credits

TIP! Opt out of snail mail where possible, and choose to get bills and notices by email. Specifically, go paperless whenever you can.

Pay careful attention to rebates that may help you save money on renewable energy. Sometimes, you will find that a local utility company can give a rebate for the total price of the upgrades. If not, there might be tax credits or deductions available from the federal or state government. Rebates and tax credits can make it a lot cheaper to upgrade your home, to make it more energy efficient.

TIP! Take the time to evaluate your watt usage. Use great gadgets such as the Kill-A-Watt or the Watt Minder to find out which fixtures and appliances use up the most energy.

While many have thought about green energy, not many people invest the effort needed to understand how to use it properly. The tips you’ve just learned in this article should illustrate that making the switch to green energy can be simple and affordable.