Converting to a green home does not have to be a difficult or expensive venture. Just a few changes at home and you can slash electricity costs and provide many positive things to the environment. Keep reading to discover how green energy can be used for your advantage, as well as making a permanent positive impact on the environment.
Take advantage of government grants if you plan to invest in renewable energy sources. Get in touch with your local government to find out what kind of programs exist in your area. You may qualify to have wind or solar power installed at no cost to you. At a minimum they may allow you to deduct the charges from your taxes.
Do you have your own farm? If you do happen to own some farmland, try renting some of the land to a power company that specializes in wind energy solutions. This will provide you with free energy with only a small space investment.
Biodiesel fuel might be an option if your current heat source is fuel oil. Many systems can use biodiesels without any modification. The bonus of doing this is a cleaner burning fuel that is generally also more efficient, and you'll lessen your impact on the environment also.
Every community offers different energy sources, so research the ones that are available to you. Compare costs and look up regulations on green energy and tax incentives. You might find that you could save money by switching from an electric furnace to a natural gas one, for instance, or from using municipal water to your own well water.
Instead of using the dryer, dry your laundry outdoors when weather permits. You'll love how your clothes smell after being sun-dried. Laundry will smell fresher and cleaner, much more so than when they were in the dryer. You will also save on your utilities bills by line drying your laundry.
When not using things, turn them off. When you leave a room, shut off the lights, TV, computer, game systems, etc. Power strips are handy, because you can turn a number of devices off with the flip of one switch.
Get rid of your old tank-style water heater, and replace it with a modern tankless model. Tankless heaters require less energy to heat water, as they only heat it as needed. You can get a tankless water heater to heat your entire home's water supply or you can get a smaller one that heats only water that comes out of a particular faucet.
If you want to live a life that is greener, there are many things that can be done to save the planet's energy. You might not have the capacity to invest all of the money to go green immediately, but one can clean furnace filters and adjust the heat at home to be more green. Lowering the temperature of your water heater can save energy as well. Every little bit helps!
You can save energy by switching your boiler. A lot of the older boilers weren't made to conserve energy, yet newer ones were made to keep this in mind. Newer boilers produce far less carbon dioxide and reduce energy bills.
Get rid of your old appliances and replace them with Energy Star-certified appliances. If you buy an Energy Star-rated appliance, it is guaranteed to use far less energy than the one it replaced. Refrigerators and freezers use 20% less energy and dishwashers use 40% less. Energy Star rated washing machines save at least 50% of the energy used by the older styles and also save a lot of water.
While many people do not see global warming as a threat, everyone can benefit from indoor green energy. Using some of the ideas above, you can make changes one at a time can save money yearly on your electric bill.
