Transforming your home into an energy efficient one is a great way to help the environment, while saving you money at the same time. You don’t need to have an electric car, either! Keep reading for some easy techniques for making your home more efficient with regards to energy, no matter what your budget is.
If you’re designing any kind of outdoor lighting, you may want to think about installing solar-powered lamps. These lamps are inexpensive and do not require any kind of power source other than exposure to the sun. This saves a lot of energy! It also ensures that there is no need to wire lights outdoor.
Wait until your dishwasher is full before running it if you want to save energy. Don’t run it with only a few things. You might be surprised by the number of items that you can fit in your dishwasher. Place the dishes in your dishwasher so you can fit in as many dishes as possible.
If you clean your dishes using a dishwasher, don’t run it until it’s completely full. Regardless of how many dishes are inside, equal amounts of water and energy are used. When you do run the dishwasher, make sure to use the energy saving setting, which will allow your dishes to air-dry.
Solar energy can provide cheap hot water. There are many solar hot-water appliances to get the job done. It is possible to use either a direct or indirect circulation system. Indirect is the best choice if you have pipes which often freeze in the winter.
Take the time to properly maintain your refrigerator. Refrigerators use a large amount of energy, so they should be taken care of to work their best. Make sure to clean heating coils often. Make sure the door seal is clean and also tight.
Trade out your older, tank-style water heater for a tankless model that is more green. 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 either get a tankless heater for your entire house or for a only one faucet.
See exactly how many watts of power you are using. Use gadgets like the Watt Minder and the Kill-A-Watt so that you can discover what uses the most energy. If you connect an appliance to either of these devices, it can calculate the energy savings you could realize over a given period of time if you switched to green power, from an hour to a year. This can let you see how much your devices really cost you.
If you aspire to live a green, environmentally friendly lifestyle, there are many options for you. 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. Reducing the water heater temperature to 120 degrees can save money too. Every little bit helps!
Is your boiler over 10 years old? Buy a new one to save money! The majority of older boilers weren’t built to save energy, but newer models are much more energy efficient. Newer boilers help by producing less carbon dioxide as well as cut down the cost of your energy bill.
Energy Star
Replace your older appliances with the newer, energy-efficient ones that have Energy Star ratings. Appliances that have an Energy Star rating states that the particular appliance being used is made to consume less energy compared to its predecessor that is not rated. Refrigerators and freezers that are Energy Star rated uses approximately twenty percent less energy. While dishwashers and washing machines can save up to fifty percent on energy bills.
Water-saving toilets can get you started on a greener lifestyle. Some studies show that flushing the toilet accounts for half the water used in a typical home. A water-saving toilet cuts that by about 70 percent.
A water heater that provides hot water on demand is a wonderful appliance for green energy. The old-fashioned water heaters run constantly, even running when not needed and that wastes energy. The on-demand water heaters will instantly heat the water when it is needed, and save you a bundle in energy cost as well.
You can save energy by setting your heat to 60 degrees at night or when you aren’t home. At this temperature, your home will use as little energy as possible. This is a good way to reduce your heating bill considerably.
Using light bulbs that are energy-efficient, or cleaning your furnace filter, are great ways to save energy. Show other people how easy being green is. Use the tips you just learned immediately to save energy.