Tips And Tricks To Going Green In Your Life
Going green is quite trendy these days. Showing, or at least pretending, that you care for the environment is a popular thing to do, because it shows compassion and respect for sharing the planet with others. Yet, in many cases, doing something green can also save you money on your power bill. For some ideas on how to do this, read the following paragraphs.
Make sure that your oven has free air circulation. You can cook your food faster when this is the case, reducing your power draw. Never lay foil directly on racks. If you have multiple pans going in at once, try a staggered formation across more than one rack to keep the air flow going.
If you have unconditioned spaces in your home, insulate the ducts that go through them. If you have uninsulated ducts going through crawlspaces or your attic is unheated, you can actually lose over half your heated air before it gets to the rooms you reside in.
During the months that you run your home's heat, make an adjustment to your thermostat any time you are out of the house or when you are sleeping at night. Every degree lower that you go with the thermostat translates to three percentage points off of your energy consumption.
Making upgrades to your windows can mean some serious savings on your utility bills. A lack of energy-efficient windows can actually mean your power bill is anywhere from a tenth to a quarter higher than it could be if you had them. Shop around for prices on energy-efficient windows, and figure out what you would save on power every month. Multiply the number of months you intend to remain at that home times the monthly savings, and you might find the investment worth it. At the very least, it might add home value and a selling point to the next buyer when you sell.
Be aware of what phantom load is. Every appliance that is plugged draws power when it is not being used. Some appliances are just too inconvenient to turn off and on again repeatedly, but what about rarely or barely used appliances? Do you have a fridge in a game room or unfinished man cave that occasionally holds a few beers? It could be costing you hundreds a year on your power bill. Unplug it for one month to see the difference in your utility bill.
If you own your own home, think about installing a tint to your glass windows. There are variants of these tints that can keep out as much as 85 percent of all radiated heat from coming into the protected room that you choose to have tinted.
Now that you have read this article, you have a better idea of how to start making your life one that uses green energy tips, tricks and techniques. Try all the ideas in this article to do the planet a favor, and enjoy the added benefit of saving money on your utility bill.
