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Tips For Lowering Your Home’s Energy and Water Usage

May 24, 2021 0

Your home’s energy bill continues to rise to the degree of you exploring green living options. How can you make your home more energy-efficient without paying thousands for upgrades? Consider these tips for lowering your home’s energy and water usage.

Get Regular HVAC Maintenance

Your home’s efficiency begins with proper maintenance, which is critical to improving airflow throughout the home. Simply replacing your air filters every three to six months can reduce the air conditioner’s energy consumption by 5% to 15%.

It is also a good idea to have your HVAC system evaluated by a professional at least once per year. A certified specialist can give you a complete health report that tells you which components need to be changed. A report will also tell you how long you have until you need to replace the system entirely.

Make Improvements Outdoors

An energy-efficient roof is a great way to promote green living in your home. A green roof absorbs the heat from the sun to keep the residence warm during the winter months. Green roofs also help deflect excess sunlight that could lead to hotter days indoors during the summer months.

You may also consider using solar lighting outdoors. This option is affordable and can be controlled with motion sensors, which extend the lifetime of the system.

Solar panels are a great way to reduce energy costs as well. Many who choose solar paneling find themselves saving hundreds, or even thousands, on electric bills. It is even estimated that consumers and businesses can save as much as $20,000 per year on utility bills by going with solar panels.

Consider A Low Flow Toilet

Did you know that flushing the toilet is responsible for about 38% of your home’s water usage? Your water bill rises to even higher amounts if, like many families in the United States, you have more than one bathroom in the home.

Converting existing toilets to low-flow lavatories can save anywhere from two to five gallons per flush. You may also consider replacing your shower head while also fixing leaking faucets to further reduce your water bill.

Adjust Your Furniture

Placing your sofa underneath the vent is a good idea when you plan to watch television for hours. You may find yourself in a dilemma, however, when you move about your home while enjoying air conditioning or heat.

Rearranging your furniture is a good way to improve airflow and help lower your electric bill. You are more inclined to change the temperature on your thermostat when you feel like the home is not getting enough circulation. The reality, however, is that your sofa is probably consuming more energy by being in the direct path of the air.

Consider moving your big furniture items away from the vents. It may even be a good idea to leave the area in the path of vents open completely, so the air has full reign to flow through the home.

Consider Renovations With Good ROIs

The majority of Americans, about 61%, will choose to renovate a home instead of moving out entirely. Choosing improvements that contribute to better energy efficiency is a great way to tackle the problem of high electric bills.

Consider replacing single-pane windows with double or triple-pane windows. This improvement keeps the air flowing from the HVAC system inside the home.

You can also consider implementing tailored energy management solutions for your home that can help monitor and optimize usage in real time, making it easier to reduce waste and lower utility costs.

Also, make certain to insulate your living space and the home’s attic with durable weather stripping. Sealing openings with caulk is also a great way to insulate for better energy efficiency.

Green living works to save the planet and money on your utility bills. Use these tips to make your home more efficient.

Clever Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint This Summer

April 9, 2021 2

There are many ways to reduce your carbon footprint in the summer months. You can exercise more and use the car less frequently, grow a garden, eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, and conserve energy using energy-saving devices. Below are some specific ideas of how your and your family can reduce your carbon footprint this season.

Try a New Mode Of Transportation

Just one gallon of gasoline emits tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Cut down on using your car this summer and walk and bike in your neighborhood instead. Think about walking to the mailbox instead of driving to the local post office to mail letters. When you drive somewhere and park, walk an extra few blocks rather than drive around to nearby destinations. You do not have to park as close as possible. Consider using the bus for local transportation, as choosing public transit can reduce the number of other vehicles on the street. There are over 6 million car accidents in the United States yearly, partially due to overcrowded roads. Choose local parks and trails in your state and walk and hike locally or enjoy taking a stroll around the block instead of a nightly drive to clear your head.

Not only do cars come with harmful emissions, but they can also be expensive to maintain. Around 96% of Subarus sold during the past decade are still on the road, which means many drivers may also have to deal with expensive vehicle maintenance to keep their cars operable. You can cut down on necessary repairs by ditching your car for a bike this summer whenever possible. Biking is a great way to exercise or get from point A to point B. If you live close to where you work, walking or biking to work in good weather can be a great way to burn calories, shed a sedentary lifestyle, and reduce your environmental impact. You can bike or walk in parks, local college campuses, the neighborhood, or in the heart of the city. Don’t forget to learn the safety rules and follow them when biking or walking. Walk and bike to places a few miles near your home to start; you might find you love it so much that you try not to take the car if you don’t have to!

Plan a Garden Or Grow Plants in Pots

Plant a garden this year and start growing some herbs and vegetables. Go to a local garden center and purchase native flowers, vegetables, and herbs. You should also stop using chemical pesticides and buy organic pesticides made from natural ingredients (or make your own at home!). While Oklahoma has over 540 common pests, they can be kept out of your garden in ways that won’t harm the surrounding environment if you stick to natural pesticides and insecticides. Your garden center can tell you how to care for the plants you buy. Buy plants for the deck or patio if you don’t have the time to care for a garden. You can use the vegetables and herbs you grow when cooking. This can help you reduce the environmental impact associated with purchasing groceries that come from far-away farms. You might even consider collecting water in a rain barrel to use to water the lawn and your plants at home, thus saving water!

Use a Programmable Thermostat and Fans to Reduce Energy Consumption

Installing a programmable thermostat will help you save on your electric bill when cooling the house. This handy device can increase or decrease the temperature, even when you’re not at home. Other ways to cool the house include closing the shutters, blinds, and shades during the day. You can also use a fan instead of an air conditioner or to supplement your AC. You might even think about switching to a green energy plan powered by renewable energy. Remember to unplug appliances you’re not using and cook on the outdoor grill instead of using the oven to reduce your overall energy consumption and to keep your home more comfortable throughout the hotter months.

Eat Local and Reduce Meat Consumption

This summer, shop at your local farmers’ market where they sell local produce grown in your region. You should always aim to buy seasonal produce, as it is less expensive and can be transported in a more environmentally-friendly way. You can always prepare your vegetables in large batches and freeze for later use to reduce waste. Find some new recipes for vegetable, fruit, and pasta salads or soups and try them out this summer. Be sure to try some new fruits and vegetables you have never eaten before every week. You can also reduce meat consumption in your diet, as the meat industry can be incredibly harmful to the environment.

These tips will help you reduce your carbon footprint and help you find a way to promote green and natural living in the warmer months.

How to Keep Your Home Warm While Saving Energy

January 18, 2019 0

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With the temperatures dropping outside, it’s important to keep your home warm and cozy. But if you keep the heat cranked up to the max, there’s a good chance your energy bill is going to increase drastically. Fortunately, you don’t have to freeze to save energy this winter. We’ve compiled a list of a few simple ways to keep warm and reduce your energy use all winter long.

First, if you have yet to invest in a programmable thermostat, now is the time to do so. Having a programmable thermostat will allow you to set the temperature to go lower when you’re not home or sleeping. While this may seem like it doesn’t do much, lowering the heat even just a few degrees can make a big difference. But it’s important to use it wisely and ensure you’re not trying to cool down or heat up your home with a huge difference in temperature. This actually uses more energy. So be mindful when you’re programming the temperature settings.

Next, it’s important to take a look at your windows. Drafty windows are one of the biggest causes of energy waste in homes. And if your windows are more than 15 years old, you could be at risk of dealing with drafty windows. So check your windows for any air leaks — if you find any, invest in new windows or at the very least, seal the drafts. Along with your windows themselves, it can be beneficial to utilize your curtains. On sunny days, open the curtains up and let the light in to help heat your home. And when the sun goes away, shut the curtains for added insulation between the room and the cold windows.

If you experience unusually high heating bills, you may want to consider taking a look at your home’s insulation. Having proper insulation is extremely important for keeping heated air inside your home. Because heat rises, about 40% of heat loss occurs through the attic. So it couldn’t hurt to hire someone to take a look at your home’s insulation and replace it as necessary. Insulation can wear down over time and can even be ruined by pests. In this case, it’s better to be safe than sorry and have it replaced if needed. If pests, such as mice, rats, or squirrels in attic are a continuous problem, you may need to call in pest controllers to eradicate them, otherwise, it will cost you money in replacing the insulation every year.

And lastly, it’s important to keep your heating systems maintained. Fortunately, scheduling annual inspections can be an easy way to make sure everything is in good working condition. But if you notice anything wrong with your furnace, heat pump, or another heater, it’s important to get it taken care of as soon as possible. When heating systems have to work harder to run, they use more energy. Additionally, you should check your other systems too for damage or leaks. This includes systems like your hot water heater. Without household leaks wasting about 900 billion gallons of water each year, it’s essential to make sure your systems are running as efficiently as possible.

Saving energy in your home doesn’t have to be hard. Keep these few simple tips in mind and you’ll be toasty warm with a low energy bill all winter.