By using green energy, you can save on energy costs and care for the environment. Buying an electric car isn't the only way to reap these rewards! Keep reading to find out how to make your household more energy efficient, no matter your budget.
When doing laundry, try to use cold water. If you use warm or hot water in your washing machine, almost 90% of your energy use goes towards heating the water. Modern laundry detergent does just as well with cold water as hot water. Don't forget to wait until you have a full load of laundry to wash; that is the energy efficient way.
Maintaining your refrigerator is an easy way to save energy. With the fridge being a top energy consumer in the home, maintenance is important for efficiency. Every week, check and see if dust has accumulated near the heating coils. If it has, take the time to remove it. It's important to check that the seal is tight and clean around the refrigerator door.
Turn the heat down in your house. If it's chilly, put on warmer clothes. Turning the heat all the way up will use a lot of unneeded energy.
Keep up with your watt usage. Watt Minder and Kill-A-Watt are both tools that help to monitor energy consumption. You can plug in various devices into these devices and see how much energy that item uses for periods of time including a hour, month, and even a year. This will make you realize what a given appliance costs you over the long run.
Carpooling is a great way to get to many places; not only work. If you have children, you can have a neighborhood carpool and switch with the other parents every day. If you are near friends and family, go food shopping together and take turns driving.
Use your microwave oven whenever you can instead of the stove and oven. Any time you cook something on the stove or in the oven it tends to use up a ton of energy. If popping items in the microwave can save some energy and time, it is a viable option.
When you are shopping for items made of wood, consider things made from bamboo. Bamboo is technically grass and is a "green product", but it is often much stronger than other available woods. Since bamboo grows quite fast it is one of the best renewable choices you can make. You can find a variety of bamboo products, from floors to furniture to cutting boards for the kitchen. Using bamboo can help conserve energy when making new products as well as saving on the costs of recycling old products.
Even though appliances that are energy efficient cost more than those that are not, they are worth it because they will save you money over the long term. Energy savings, coupled with monetary savings, will make the investment worthwhile over the longer term. It also pays off in the future for the environment.
Simple things like changing furnace filters, light bulbs and thermostats can make big energy differences. Be an example for family members so others will see how simple it is to live a greener life! Remember the tips you have read here, and start implementing them into your household today.
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