How You Can Benefit From Green Energy

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How You Can Benefit From Green Energy
Alternative energy, like solar, wind, or hydro, is a great way to decrease home costs while helping the environment. This article will provide some great advice for anyone who is interested in using green energy in their home.

If you're considering switching to green energy sources, the easiest thing you can do is call up your current electric provider and see if the offer green energy. Many electric companies offer these power sources to their customers. They may cost a bit more, however, to offset the amount of money they would've had to invest in the sources.

Use curtains to assist you in keeping green. If it is summer and you want the room to stay cool, draw the curtains during the day so that the sun doesn't shine in. If it's winter, and you want the room to stay warm, open the curtains and let the sun into your room.

Run the dishwasher when it's full instead of half-full in order to save energy and money. It's sacrilege to turn it on with just one or two dishes inside. You might be surprised by how much you can actually fit in the dishwasher. Make sure you take time to place the dishes in properly so as to maximize the space available.

If you are thinking of installing a solar power system in your home, you need to calculate the amount of power the system can produce using winter sunshine hours. Using this metric means you will meet your energy needs in the winter, while greatly exceeding them in the summer. You may even get rebates from your utility company in summer months if you sign up for net usage and use solar panels.

Use solar hot water. By installing a solar hot water system, you can use solar power to heat the water you use for everything in your home. It will work for your showers, washing dishes and doing laundry. If you are worried about not getting enough sun, you can invest in a small, traditional water heater as well.

Get your whole family thinking about green energy by stocking organic, recycled or eco-friendly products whenever possible. Ask your kids to identify such products on the shelves at the store and explain why those products are better for your family, your home and your environment. You can also segue such conversations into other eco-friendly practices like shutting off the water while brushing your teeth or turning off lights when not in a room.

To help you increase your clean-energy consumption, try using wind energy. Wind is a very clean type of alternative energy, and it can help you cut your electricity bill a ton. If this solution interests you, check with your local authority to ensure you have proper zoning and also ensure you have sufficient space.

Leave yourself reminder notes to decrease energy usage, and frequently compare past bills with current ones to see if you're making strides. Simply being more conscious of your energy expenditures can help you to significantly reduce them. For instance, reducing your electricity or water usage will get you into the habit of turning off appliance and lights when not used.

Use LED holiday lights to help with green energy use. According to one study done by the DOE, the United States could save more than 2 billion hours of power, simply by having everyone make this change. The Department of Energy estimates that everyone can save well over 2 billion kilowatts including hours of power and energy if everyone did this type of change. That much electricity could power at least 200,000 home for a whole year. Even if you don't care about those big numbers, you should care that you can personally save money by going green.

Those looking to save energy and live a greener life may want to consider reducing the amount of lighting in their house. Ask yourself if you really need four lamps in a single room, or read with a book light rather than using your rooms lighting at night. This simple tip can go a long way to reducing your energy consumption.

A great way to go green is to replace your regular light bulbs with compact fluorescent lights or LED's. These light bulbs use about one fifth of the energy as regular light bulbs but can last up to twelve times longer. They also don't generate as much heat so they are particularly useful in the summer months.

Try insulating your pipes to decrease the chances of them freezing and to cut the costs for hot water. Another added benefit is that the government will reimburse you up to 30 percent for using highly efficient insulation in your home. Contact local utility companies to find out your state laws.

Using green energy now means a better future for the planet and future generations. As you have seen, it does not take a great deal of effort to go green, so start using the tips from this article to make your home more sustainable and efficient.