If you want to help the environment without breaking the bank, look no further! There are several ways to make your home greener without spending money you don’t have. Read this article for some quick and simple tips on how to go green at home, work, or while in the car!
Buy a programmable thermostat.
An Energy Star programmable thermostat will regulate your home’s temperature year-round, both day and night. Always set your thermostat a couple of degrees less than you think the temperature should be, as you won’t really notice the difference in your home. An Energy Star thermostat will save you about $180 a year in heating costs.
If the time comes that you need a new toilet, purchase one that is energy efficient. A lot of water is wasted by constantly flushing, which has a negative impact on both your water bill and the environment. Many newer toilets have a flush feature that allows you to use less water.
If you are serious about becoming more green, you should keep track of your energy usage from month-to-month and then year-to-year. Increasing your consciousness of your energy consumption can help you cut back. Cut down electricity and water consumption so you are likely to turn off appliances.
Use LED lights to decorate for the holidays instead of traditional strand lights.
A U.S. Department of Energy study shows that people waste a lot of energy on traditional Christmas lights. Department of Energy stated that Americans could collectively reduce their energy consumption by over 2 billion kW/h if they all changed over to LED lights. That’s a large amount of electricity–it would power 200,000 homes over the course of the year. You can save money on your electric bill.
Those looking to save energy and live a greener life may want to consider reducing the amount of lighting in their house. Ask yourself if you really need four lamps in a single room, or read with a book light rather than using your rooms lighting at night. This simple tip can go a long way to reducing your energy consumption.
Use the weight of your car to save gas while you are driving. You can increase the miles per gallon of your car by reducing the use of your gas pedal and also your brake. Stop accelerating at least one eighth of a mile before each stop and cut down on fuel usage.
Get some green plants in your home and your garden.
Green plants transform carbon dioxide into oxygen: keeping plants in your home is a good way to balance the harmful emanations from your heating system. It is also a good alternative to opening up windows and losing heat to change the air in your home.
Keep your fridge and freezer closed as often as possible. Refrigeration consumes about a third of your households total energy and constantly leaving your fridge and freezer open can increase the energy needed by up to 25%. Make sure that you know what you want before opening up your refrigerator.
Use your ceiling fan in the winter. Warm air is pushed down when the fan is running in a clockwise rotation. The fans use much less electricity than your heater or furnace, which will cut your electric bill.
When you are cooking on your stove top, try to use a pan that fits the cooker ring just right.
This will help to prevent heat loss. Also, when you can, put a lid on top of saucepans. In addition to heating your food up quicker, it will use less energy.
Keep a lot of food in your refrigerator. That may seem odd, but the truth is that refrigerators that have a lot of food and items inside do not warm as quickly as less-stocked refrigerators. That means that refrigerators full of food use less energy, which is definitely a greener way to live.
If you have a tank-style water heater that you aren’t prepared to replace yet, conserve electricity or natural gas by lowering its thermostat. By changing the thermostat from the factory-set 140 degrees to 120 degrees, the heater requires 6 to 10 percent less energy to keep your water hot.
Contact your local utility company to see if purchasing energy from renewable sources is an option for you. Buying green energy directly from a power company is one of the easiest ways to go green with your energy use, without having to invest in any major alterations to your home.
As said in the beginning of the article, going green doesn’t have to be costly or time consuming. Alternative energy can save money while helping the environment! Installing new light bulbs or cleaning your filter can help, without sacrificing too much time or money. Remember these tips so you can go green!