An environmentally conscious and energy-efficient home will use much less power, reduce energy wastage, and save you money. Thankfully, technology has evolved to a point where it does not cost a great deal to run a home that is more green.
Take advantage of services both online and from green NGOs that offer the opportunity to learn how to embrace more green living.
There are many things you can do, and starting small is always a good way to go. Even larger projects such as solar energy home battery installations begin paying for themselves quite quickly. All you need to do to begin this journey is to have a willingness to work towards helping Mother Nature.
Start with the Thermostat
Get into the habit of lowering your thermostat by a few degrees when you’re leaving home, and no one else is there. This will cause a noticeable reduction in your utility bills and reduce energy waste. According to Energy.gov, you could be saving between 5% to 15% every year by lowering your thermostat. If you’re fine with some expenditure, you could replace your thermostat with a smart thermostat, which can be adjusted from your phone. It records power usage, can monitor individual rooms, and automatically adjusts to your preferred settings.
Low-Flow Shower-heads Improve Water Usage
Low-flow shower-heads are a great way to improve your water usage and make sure it is more efficient. These shower-heads have a flow rate that can be as low as half the flow rate of regular shower-heads and still give you the same water pressure that you prefer.
It is a great way to reduce water usage in the home and is something you do not have to actively remind yourself to do, such as shutting off the tap while brushing your teeth.
Check the Sealing of Your House
You could be losing a lot of heat and energy if your house is not sealed well. Check all your windows and replace them with double-glazed panels if possible. Reapply silicone sealant to every window in the house to reduce heat loss. Check your drywall and consider re-painting with non-toxic weatherproof paint. Covering cracks and resealing is a low-cost activity that you can do yourself to reduce energy costs.
Replace Your Lighting System
Light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs offer more savings, are far more efficient, and cost much less to maintain than traditional bulbs. These bulbs do not lose efficiency with time, will emit the same amount of brightness over time, and convert over 90% of power to light. They are not affected by temperature changes and do not need to be replaced often. As they use energy more efficiently and most homes have many bulbs, making the switch to LED bulbs can lower your utility bills significantly.
Making Switching Off into a Habit
Appliances and battery charges that are always switched on are using power in the background. You may feel that it is a negligible usage but consider the sheer number of appliances using this background energy. When combined, the dollar amount is an unnecessary waste that can be eliminated by remembering to switch off appliances and chargers that are not in usage.
People nowadays have so many battery charges from a smartphone, to tablet, to laptops. Switching off or unplugging the chargers once you are done using them can reduce your energy bill by up to 10% every month.
Turn Your Roof into a Solar Farm
Solar panel installation and usage can be quite costly initially and has a period in which you need to get used to the system. But in the long term, you will save significant amounts on your utility bills, lower your carbon footprint significantly, and can even qualify for tax benefits. The government’s green initiatives mean that there are rewards that you can qualify on both a state and federal level by installing solar panels on your house. Solar power can be used in your home to heat your water, generate electricity, and run your cooling or heating systems for short periods.
A fun way to begin your energy-efficient lifestyle is to replace your home computer with a laptop. Most tech experts say that a computer needs replacing every four years to maintain efficiency, so when it comes to saying goodbye to your PC, consider investing in a laptop.
Laptops come in all sizes and at different abilities and are easily upgraded within warranty periods. Since this is a step that affects you directly and will result in a positive result, it will make you more interested and motivated to go down a more green pathway for the rest of your home.
