Going green has more benefits to the home than simply protecting the environment. There are simple things that you can do that will make your home more comfortable, save you money, and help you to use less carbon fuels. This article provides useful tips on home-energy conservation.
All energy efficient products will include the Energy Star designation and logo. The ENERGY STAR seal indicates appliances that meet the guidelines which have been established by the U.S. Department of Energy plus those of Environmental Protection Agency. Some of these products have tax rebates from the government for being green appliances.
Programmable thermostats are great investments in green energy. You can program them so your heating and cooling are minimized when you are sleeping or not at home. In order to conserve power, the newest models allow you to program them for various start and end times for different days of the week.
Government grants help customers purchase these eco-friendly technologies. Contact your city or county government and ask about energy conservation programs available in your area. You may qualify for wind or solar installation with little cost, or possibly you may be able to use it as deduction on your taxes.
If you spend the additional money to purchase green appliances and electronics, over a period of time it will pay off. Oftentimes, green technologies are a bit more expensive than their traditional counterpart; however, investing in green electronics and appliances will pay off with savings from decreased energy consumption. The environment will also benefit.
Are you living on a farm? You could rent a small portion of your property to an energy company willing to install a wind turbine. You and those around you can benefit from the free energy. A turbine doesn't take up much space, either.
Replace your traditional holiday lights with strings of LED's. A study conducted by the U.S. By having everyone make this change, the country can save 2 billion kilowatt power hours. That is enough electricity to power 200 thousand homes for a whole year. If nothing else, you can cut down your power bill!
Make use of lighter and/or brighter wallpapers or paints and cut electric costs. Dark walls tend to cause more energy usage as you try to brighten up the room, making your home less "green." If you choose lighter colors instead, your home will naturally feel brighter, and save you money in energy expenses as well.
Look around for ways to "go green;" if you want to help conserve natural resources, there are many options available. You don't have to invest a lot of time or money; simply clean out your furnace filters and adjust your thermostat while you're gone. Reduce your water heater to 120 degrees, this can save you a lot of money. The little things add up.
Keep track of how much electricity is used in your home with a home energy monitoring device. These monitors gather real-time electricity usage numbers and can provide you with an estimate of your power bill. Research has shown that people will go to greater lengths to reduce their energy consumption if they can readily determine the costs of running their lights, appliances, and other electrical items.
For greener summer living, raise your air conditioner thermostat just 5 degrees. This can save 20 percent in cooling costs. To help get your home cooler you can run some fans to lower temperatures while avoiding the high costs to air condition your home.
A great way to save energy is to switch your boiler. The majority of older boilers weren't built to save energy, but newer models are much more energy efficient. They create less carbon dioxide, something that can greatly be good for anyone's health, and it also cuts your electricity bill significantly.
Again, going green is a political hotspot right now, especially because there is no longer any such thing as a cheap source of oil. It's easier to figure out how to use green energy on a daily basis if you are educated about it. Use this article's advice, and live a green life now!
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