A Beginners Guide To Going Green And Reducing Your Dendency On Expensive Traditional Forms Of Energy
Everyone is talking about how they could go green yet know only a few ways to do so. Some recycle and use environmentally safe products while others choose to simply turn off some lights and drive less than they normally would. The fact is that there is simply so much more that you can do to make a huge impact on the environment and your pocket book. Ignore the rumors that going green can cost a fortune as that simply isn't the case anymore as prices have dropped significantly. Even government institutions are offering credits and subsidies for those wishing to make major changes to their homes.
The first thing you need to do is look at different areas of your life where you can benefit from going green. This could be light usage or via lowering water consumption. You can easily sit down and see where you use the most power and formulate a plan to make the changes necessary. Another item to note is the usage of others in the household as well. Everybody is using power and consuming a resource that may be harmful to the environment. There are things all around you that can be changed, you simply need to take notice of them.
Make a list of everything you have made a mental notation of. Sort the list based on importance. Budget and set a plan for change in motion. When taking a look at the list you may notice that the changes you need to make to go green are not difficult or costly at all unless you plan on purchasing energy efficient appliances. As stated earlier, costs for going green are low and in most cases will recoup your expense rather quickly.
Start with the simple changes first and work your way up to the more expensive upgrades. It is always recommended to start with lighting by going with low wattage or CFC and LED bulbs over incandescent. These are low cost and save far more each month if light use is heavy in the home than anything else you could do. Try and go with low flow faucets and shower heads as there is a waste of water and unnecessary energy waste by way of the water heater on long showers and baths. You could also unplug items that are not in use as many devices still use a minimal amount of power when in idle state, but in combination it is a decent sum.
Always assess your progress and make adjustments as necessary. Maybe after adding a low wattage bulb, you see that others are leaving the light on longer meaning more replacement bulbs and added consumption. Switch to long lasting and brighter but more efficient bulbs like LED if that is the case.
This should leave you with an idea of where you can start to change the home to green without breaking the bank. Once the small items are taken care of, you can look into newer appliances or even alternative sources of power like solar with aid from tax credits and subsidies. The key is you have to start somewhere and once you see the progress and savings, you can take larger steps to reduce your dependency on traditional power.
