electric company | Green Living | Green living tips and advice

TIP! By cutting back on electricity use, you will save quite a bit of money. Unplug your electrical appliances from outlets when not in use.

Many people want to be green, but don’t know how to start. While there are alternative energy sources, like solar and wind, there are also green habits that can be started today. The following article illustrates many of these technologies and other ways to have a positive impact on the environment.

TIP! You can reduce the amount of electricity that you use, and be a better energy user by removing chargers that power your devices from outlets when they are not in use. Charging devices for several common types of electronics, including laptops, cell phones, and MP3 players all draw “phantom power” if you keep them plugged in while they are idle.

Start paying attention to your energy consumption. Unplug the charger for your iPod and XBox when they are not in use. 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.

TIP! If green energy is a concept which you embrace, minimize the use of electrical heaters during the winter months. In order to do this, you need to do two things.

Every year, replace your furnace’s filters, and every month, see if they require a cleaning. It’s a good call to add filters to warm air registers. These filters keep children’s toys, dirt or dust from clogging the heating ducts.

TIP! In winter, save energy and money by turning down the heat and adding a layer of clothes. A light sweater gives you 2 extra degrees of warmth, while a heavy sweater gives you 4 degrees.

If you want to reduce your carbon footprint as well as save some money, do a load of dishwashing only when the dishwasher is filled to capacity. Try to refrain from putting small amounts in and running the dishwasher. The amount of dishes that can be placed in a washer is astounding. Take care to line up your dishes, so you are able to put in as many as you can.

TIP! Pay attention to any federal or local rebates offered for making alternative-energy updates to your home. In some instances, the local company gives rebates for upgrading to green tech.

When you consider solar heat for your home calculate potential hours of sunshine for energy generation during the winter months. Using this metric means you will meet your energy needs in the winter, while greatly exceeding them in the summer. Also, if you make use of the net usage plan from your electric company, you will get returns from your utility company for generating energy during summer.

TIP! Hire experts to check your plumbing and heating systems before investing a lot of money in installing new, greener systems. These consultants will visit your home, assess your energy usage, and provide options at several price points for making smart and economical green upgrades.

Use a model which is tankless and more green instead of a tank style heater. Tankless water heaters do require energy for operation, but since they heat water on demand, power is not wasted by keeping a full tank hot 24/7. Tankless heaters come in various models that either supply a single faucet or the whole house with hot water.

TIP! Investigate options for heating your oven through solar energy. These can be made with readily available items like an old window, box, and piece of foil for reflection.

Take advantage of any federal or local rebates that you may be entitled to receive. Sometimes, the local electric company will provide rebates to cover the cost of upgrading. Other times, you may be eligible for credits or tax deductions from the federal or state government. Credits and rebates will make it easier to afford green technology.

TIP! Monitor how many watts you use. Gadgets like the Kill-A-Watt and Watt Minder can help you determine exactly which appliances account for the majority of your energy usage.

Try to communicate to people as much as possible through email rather than traditional means. In other words, go paperless as much as possible. You will save valuable energy and help the businesses you use to save also. That helps the environment for everybody.

TIP! Instead of using standard lights for your next holiday season, make sure to use LED lights to decorate your tree and home. According to one study done by the DOE, the United States could save more than 2 billion hours of power, simply by having everyone make this change.

Try using a solar oven for your baking needs. You can create a solar over using common household items, including aluminum foil and a clean box. They don’t use any outside energy and can get up to 300 degrees.

TIP! A good tip for saving energy is to change your boiler. Older boilers were not created with energy conservation in mind, but newer boiler varieties are more efficient.

If you aspire to live a green, environmentally friendly lifestyle, there are many options for you. Even if you don’t have a ton of money, you can do simple things, like monthly cleaning of the filters in your furnace or lowering the thermostat to 60 degrees when you’re not going to be home. Reduce your water heater to 120 degrees, this can save you a lot of money. Every little thing you do helps!

Green Energy

TIP! Although this may seem like common sense, many people still keep the lights, appliances and electronics on when they are not using them. If you were to get in the habit of turning them off, it would cut down tremendously on your energy bill costs.

As oil becomes more scarce, it is important to focus on green energy options for the future of our planet and our economy. When armed with the proper information, you can make informed decisions about green energy technologies. Use this article’s advice, and live a green life now!