If green energy is a mystery to you, the article below will show you just how useful green energy really is, not only for the health of the environment, but also to you and your well-being! This article has some helpful advice for you to learn how to convert your home into a green energy saving environment.
Maintain your furnace to save energy. Replace filters annually and clean them once a month. It is also recommended to put filters on every register in your home. This will help ensure debris doesn’t enter heating ducts, thereby reducing your efficiency.
Learn about energy sources within your community. Compare the costs of operating your home using several of these utilities, making sure to take into consideration any legislation with regard to energy costs that has recently been passed. For instance, it might be worth it to switch to gas heat instead of electric, or switch to well water instead of municipal water.
Turn off electrical items when you’re not using them. When you leave a room, shut off the lights, TV, computer, game systems, etc. Get a power strip so you can turn off all of your electronics at the same time, rather than letting energy get wasted in standby mode.
If you prefer to use your dishwasher to wash your dishes, only run it when it is full to capacity. Regardless of how many dishes are inside, equal amounts of water and energy are used. When the dishwasher is used, it is also important to use the main energy-saving feature, which air-dries the dishes.
Consider how many hours of sunlight you can expect in the winter as you plan your solar system, so that you know how much energy you can expect it to generate. As winter sunlight is much lower than summer, you will want to be able to plan for higher energy costs in winter. You may even get rebates from your utility company in summer months if you sign up for net usage and use solar panels.
Maintain your refrigerator. Refrigerators constantly use energy to maintain cooler temperatures. If it is not properly cared for, it will use much more energy than it needs to. Regularly make sure the heating coils are dust-free. It’s important to check that the seal is tight and clean around the refrigerator door.
The flow of air in a home is better controlled when you have stormed windows and doors installed. Storm doors and windows will reduce the entrance of drafts and cold air. When homes have windows and doors that are stormed, 45 percent less energy is used, which can decrease electric bills.
Replace a water heater that is tank-style, with a model that is green and has no tank. 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. You can find tankless heaters that either supply an entire house, or just a single faucet.
Write a reminder to remain on top of goals for energy efficiency, and check each bill against last year to see if improvements were made. When you’re aware of energy expenses, you’re better positioned to reduce them. So when you make true conscious efforts to reduce your electrical or water usage you make up a good habit of turning off appliances or lights which in turn helps your bill and the environment.
Once you start using the tips you’ve learned here, you’ll see amazing results! Naturally, green energy benefits the environment as well. Once you use these tips, being green will seem like a piece of cake.