Environmental maintenance has become an important issue today. An important option that can help to protect the environment and also reduce your costs is the use of green energy sources for your home. The tips below will give you some great ideas on how you can make green energy work for your home.
When drawing up the landscaping plans for a garden path or patio, incorporate solar-powered lamps. These lamps require now power source, except the sun, and are generally inexpensive. You save a lot of energy in the process. You also won’t have to spend time wiring your outdoor lights.
Lower the cost of heating your indoor water, pools and hot tubs by switching to solar water heating systems. Solar water heaters tap into the abundant and free energy offered by the sun. Water heated by other methods, like natural gas, propane, or electricity, is not an efficient method. Although some of these systems cost more initially, many qualify for tax credits or deductions.
Electronic Devices
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 used for cell phones, laptops, mp3 players and other electronic devices use power when they’re plugged in, even if they aren’t charging your device.
On hot, summer days, hang your clothes outside. You’ll love how your clothes smell after being sun-dried. They will feel and smell fresher than machine-dried clothes. Additionally, you will see a noticeable decrease in your utility bills.
A good way to conserve energy is to not use your dishwasher unless it is completely full. The machine should not be used when only a few dishes need to be washed. You might be surprised by how much you can actually fit in the dishwasher. Set up the plates so that you fill it up as much as possible.
Trade out your older, tank-style water heater for a tankless model that is more green. Tankless heaters require less energy to heat water, as they only heat it as needed. You can purchase tankless heaters that supply the whole house, or ones that supply just one faucet.
Use electric heaters minimally in the winter. You can wear warmer clothing instead, and warm up your home with your fireplace. Keep in mind that cooler air is better for your breathing while you sleep as it prevents your airways from becoming dry.
Use a laptop computer instead of desktop, which uses much 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. In addition, the laptop is portable and be used anywhere in the house.
Try to get your mail, like bills, sent to you through email. To put it more simply, use paper as little as you can. This will save the businesses you deal with a great deal on energy costs and mailing expenses. This protects the environment, too.
Watch your watt usage. Devices like Watt Minder and Kill-A-Watt can help you determine the highest energy-usage culprits in your home. Plug your appliances in to these devices to find out what amount of energy is required each year, month or hour to run it. This is a good way to find out how much your appliances are really costing you.
As you can see, there are many ways to lessen your carbon footprint by making practical changes in the energy efficiency of your home. The money you save alone makes it worth it.