Many people are interested in living green, but aren’t sure how to do so. There are many ways to help the environment using green energy. This article has great tips to help you use green energy now.
Replace and clean furnace filters yearly, and check them monthly. It’s a good call to add filters to warm air registers. This reduces debris and small toys from falling into the ducts, which will make them less efficient.
If you currently use fuel oil for home heating, ask your local technician how you can switch over to biodiesel fuel. Some systems do not need any modifications in order to use biodiesels. Biodiesel is great because it is more efficient and produces less pollution that standard oil, which will reduce your carbon footprint.
Keep drapes drawn when you are not home. This allows your home to be kept cool when you aren’t there, and in addition, it helps keep energy costs down. More often than not, south-facing windows will let in the most sun due to their positioning. Use dark curtains, roman shades, roller shades or other coverings on all windows.
When you have a solar energy system installed, ensure that the batteries that hold the power are situated in close proximity to the cells. This avoids power loss in the cable. This also prevents the long cables from casting shadows over the PV cells.
Storm Windows
Air flow is controlled best in homes with storm windows and doors. Storm windows and storm doors reduce the amount of cold air entering the home in the form of drafts. Homes which have stormed windows and doors increase their energy efficiency by as much as 45% which also ends up costing you a lot less on your utility bills.
You can get rid of your old, tank style water heater and switch it out with a new, greener, tankless one. Tankless versions still need electricity or gas to heat water, but they are more effective in heating solely the water necessary instead of a huge tank of water constantly. Tankless heaters come in various models that either supply a single faucet or the whole house with hot water.
Change up the way you dress in your home and warm yourself up to avoid turning on the heater if possible. If you put on a light sweater, you’ll be two degrees warmer, while a heavy sweater will make you four degrees warmer. So, to save some money, pick up a nice warm sweater and refrain from dressing scantily.
There is a lot you can do to change your lifestyle and live in a more sustainable and environmentally friendly world. Start with the simplest methods, such as setting your heating thermostat to 60 degrees while you are away from home, and cleaning your furnace filters every few months. You can also help reduce energy usage by reducing the temperature of your water heater to 120 degrees. Every little bit helps!
Energy Star
Replace your old appliances with new ones featuring high Energy Star ratings. This rating guarantees the appliance utilizes a lot less energy than something that is not rated. For your refrigerator/freezer, Energy star appliances promise to cut energy usage by 20%, and you will see 40% and 50% energy usage, respectively, in Energy Star dishwashers and washing machines.
In conclusion, not only are many politicians speaking about green energy, but it has become important since cheap oil cannot be found anymore. It’s easier to figure out how to use green energy on a daily basis if you are educated about it. Heed the advice you learned here, and start enjoying your green life today.