Caring for the Earth is the responsibility of every single one of us. From wind power to solar energy, there are a lot of different ways to live in a more sustainable environment. How can you start using green energy? Continue reading and you just might find out.
Using less energy daily means large energy and financial savings. Unplug your electrical appliances from outlets when not in use. Turn off lights, television sets and other small appliances when you are done using them. This is easy to do and saves a lot of energy.
Set your computer so that it goes to sleep when you are not using it for more than 10-15 minutes at any given time. While most people believe that screensavers save energy they do not, and should not be used as an alternative to placing your computer in a sleeping state.
Think outside of the box. While many people think 'solar' panels when they think of green energy, there are other ways to take advantage of the sun. If you are building a new home, consider incorporating passive solar design into the home. By building with materials such as concrete or adobe and taking advantage of the sun's natural heat with south-facing windows, you can create a home that will naturally heat itself in the winter and stay cool in the summer.
Install timers, motion sensors, or sound sensors on lamps, lights and other electrical devices to automate their functions. Such sensors are ideal if you have a hard time remembering to turn off the lights, and because they conserve energy, they can save you a significant amount of your power bill.
In order to save energy at home, plug your electronics, including televisions and DVD players, into power strips and when you are not using them, turn off the power strips. Not only will you be preserving energy by doing this, but you will also be saving money on your electricity bill.
One of the cheapest and easiest ways to make your home more energy efficient is by replacing all of your standard light bulbs with green versions. Not only do such bulbs reduce your energy bill through lower wattage and higher efficiency, but these bulbs are also made to last longer, giving you a two-fold return for your investment.
An easy way to make your home greener is to replace your old light fixtures with ones, which are ENERGY STAR qualified. If you are unable to install ENERGY STAR qualified lighting fixtures at the moment, at least replace your standard light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) which use much less energy.
A high-efficiency furnace becomes far less efficient with a clogged, dirty filter, so change your furnace filters often. This is especially important if you use tightly-woven pleated filters, because the HVAC system must work much harder to draw in air through its tiny openings. Most filters need to be changed or cleaned at least once every 3 months.
If you want to save energy and be more green, think about buying a folding metal drying rack for your laundry room. Many items that we throw in the clothes dryer are bulky and take a lot of energy to dry, so if you throw them on a rack to dry, they dry for educational housing services free and save you some cash.
Buying a hybrid vehicle is a good way to save energy, but that all depends on what type of vehicle you purchase. It is always a much better choice to purchase a smaller hybrid vehicle than to purchase a large hybrid SUV. The SVUs save so little energy that it is no different than having a compact non-hybrid vehicle.
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.
Get a water-saving toilet. It is estimated that up to 50 percent of a home's water use is literally flushed down the toilet. Five gallons is the typical amount used by older models, while low-flow toilets consume about 1.6 gallons per flush.
If you have a stream or creek on your property, you may want to look into using a micro hydro-power system as an energy alternative. The flow of water through a turbine will produce energy. Many times the amount of energy is not enough to fully power a home, but will offset the cost of your electric bill each month.
Now that you know what it takes to use green energy in your own home, forget all of the excuses you were using before. Take this article and put the information from it to use. You'll find that there are so many benefits, from saving money on bills to making money on extra energy, well within your reach!
