“Going green” has become much more than a trendy buzzword when it comes to energy consumption and awareness in this region and country. The movement has certainly made it into the homes and minds of many individuals looking to not only do their part to help our planet, but also wanting to reduce their energy costs in a practical, sustainable way.
In this blog post series, we’re going to take a look at some simple ways that you can green up your home. See the first tips below:
- Clean your appliances regularly. Cleaning appliances and home heating and cooling systems can drastically increase their efficiency over the long-term. Dirty or clogged appliances can cause energy usage to skyrocket. Unless these units and systems are maintained and kept clean, they will have to work extra hard to perform, meaning you’re going to be using way more energy to keep your home and way of living in order.
- Upgrade your light bulbs. This is a small and rather inexpensive change that can have a major impact. Replacing incandescent light bulbs with eco-friendly and high performing CFL bulbs can make a huge (and positive) dent in your monthly energy use and bill. This option is not only good for your wallet, it’s good for the environment.
- Rely on natural light. While we discussed the impact the installation of CFL light bulbs can have on your overall energy consumption, nothing can beat turning off your lights completely and using natural light whenever possible. Make sure windows aren’t blocked so as much outside light can enter your home. If you’re in a position to install new windows (or are building a new home), place the windows strategically so you’ll maximize the amount of sunlight getting into the home.
- Adjust your heating and cooling. One of the biggest culprits of high and sometimes unnecessary energy use comes with not properly adjusting the temperature settings in your home. Many people don’t take advantage to helpful tools and practices like scheduling your thermostat to allow for lower energy usage when nobody is home. Even if you are home, can you adjust the temperature a degree or two and still be comfortable? Even a slight change like that can add up to big energy savings over time.
There are many other tips to greening your home and way of life within the household. We’ll be following up shortly with more tips. Stay tuned!
As always, the best way to REALLY have a large impact on cutting your energy consumption is to give us a call at BelRed to help you determine the best ways you can save.
