Green Energy Tips: Options Right For You?
Keeping a home that is green is a great way to ensure the environment is protected, while also helping to lower your own energy costs. You do not have to buy electric cars to make this possible. Read this guide for simple ways on how to make your house energy-efficient, while on any type of budget.
Instead of using your air conditioner in the summer, try to wear fabrics that are natural. Fabrics such as cotton draw moisture from the skin, which allows you to stay much cooler. Choose lighter colors so that you feel cooler and can resist turning up the air conditioning.
Solar water heating is a great way to decrease the expense of heating water used for showers and swimming pools. Using electricity or gas to heat water is not terribly efficient, but water heaters that use solar power maintain water temperatures using only the sun’s rays by way of solar panels. In the United States, there are many tax deductions for energy-efficient green products.
Do your best to consume the least amount of energy possible in your home. Do things like unplug any electronic device that you aren’t using that may still be plugged into an outlet. Many chargers for various electronics continue to draw electricity even if they are not plugged into a device. The energy usage is not as high, but it wastes electricity and adds up to a considerable amount over time.
Are you living on a farm? If you have one, an energy company may be interested in renting a portion of the property to install a wind turbine. You and the neighbors can benefit from this free installation and energy which won’t take up much space.
Wash clothes with cold water, as much as you can. When you heat up water, you consume much more energy as opposed to using colder water. Washing your clothing in cold water will get them just as clean as washing them in hot water if you have a good laundry detergent. Additionally, always wash with a full load of laundry, as this helps to lower the amount of energy you use.
When you can, wash your clothes using cold water. Almost 90 percent of the energy consumed by washing machines is used when heating the water. Good detergents wash clothes even in cold water. Also, make sure your load is a full one so you do not waste energy washing several small loads.
During the hot summer months, hang clothes outside rather than tossing them in the dryer. The smell of clothes dried in the fresh air cannot be topped. Laundry will smell fresher and cleaner, much more so than when they were in the dryer. Also, your utility bills will be greatly decreased.
When not using things, turn them off. When exiting rooms, turn off the computer, television, or lights. When you can, plug your electronics into a power strip and when you are not using it, turn it off. Energy is still being used when something is in standby mode.
Turn off appliances if you are not using them. When you leave an area take the time to turn off lights, televisions, stereos, computers, and other electrical items you are not going to be using. A power strip offers a handy way to shut down multiple devices at once, and it prevents passive electrical use due to standby modes.
Using light bulbs that are energy-efficient, or cleaning your furnace filter, are great ways to save energy. Set forth a good example for the members of your family, and this will teach others to go green as well. Keep in mind all that you learned and apply this knowledge as soon as possible.
Get rid of your old tank-style water heater, and replace it with a modern tankless model. Even though you still need electricity or gas in order to heat water with these tanks, they use only the water you need instead of always keeping your whole tank heated. Tankless heaters can supply the entire home or certain faucets.
