Simple Green Energy Tips for Your Home and Life
It can seem like a daunting thing to convert your home to one that utilizes green energy. While it is true that some of the processes can be expensive and involved, there are plenty of very small things you can do to make your home a little less of an energy hog. You want to do your part in healing the planet and making it safe and viable for the future, so learn here about how to get started in simple, convenient ways.
One of the first places to start developing a green lifestyle is in the garage. Your vehicles can be a major source of savings when it comes to your carbon footprint. This does not mean that you need to rush out and buy an electric car or one that runs on alternative fuels. Those things are good, but they require a real investment and commitment on your part. Not everyone has the resources to go that route. Instead, just look at the everyday habits you have developed involving your car. We all tend to let the engine idle when we are waiting for someone, but this is a waste of energy. Stop letting your vehicle idle, and enjoy knowing that this is helping you develop a greener lifestyle.
It is much easier to start your computer up in the morning if you have simply let it run throughout the night. However, this is a waste of energy, resulting in a higher electricity bill, more wear-and-tear on your computer, and a waste of energy consumption. Take the extra minute or two to shut down your laptop or desktop at night, then the additional couple of minutes to boot it back up again in the morning. It’s the least you can do to help save the planet you live on.
We all use heating and air conditioning to make life more comfortable. There is nothing wrong with this, but there are small things you can do to minimize the effect it has on the environment. Simply turning the thermostat down by one to two degrees can result in big savings. You will likely see a decrease in your energy bill from the very first month. You can also get in the habit of turning the heat down at night, and using an extra blanket instead, as well as keeping your home at a lower temperature when you are gone for the day.
The laundry room can be a huge consumer of energy. You want to have clean clothes, but you can have them more without consuming excessive amounts of electricity or gas. A very easy thing to do is to run as many loads of laundry as possible in cold water. Not only will it decrease energy consumption, but it will also make your clothes last longer. For heavy items such as jeans and towels, hang them to dry in your bathroom or bedroom. You can pop them in the dryer for a minute or so after they are dry, to knock out the wrinkles and make them softer. In the summer months, it goes without saying that you can hang laundry outside, where it will dry in less time and with a vastly lower amount of energy consumption for your home.
Now you see how easy it can be to jump on the green energy bandwagon. Everyone has a responsibility to do their part, so start today and invest in the earth for future generations.
