Tips For Greener Living

Check your local energy provider and see if they offer any alternative energy sources. It’s also worth learning more about alternative energy use in the home.

Purchasing green products can be expensive which has stopped some people to go green and help out the environment. There are many ways to go green and even save money.

As things inevitably break around the house, take a minute and see if there are more environmentally friendly replacements available. Many green products are now comparable in price to their non-green replacements and you might be able to even make them earn you money back through on-going cost savings .

Low flow toilets and shower-heads are being introduced in all hardware stores. Replace these when remodeling and you will end up saving a lot of water over time. This might not be the most affordable product, but if you are replacing either item you will be doing yourself and the environment a favor by going low flow. Many styles are available as some cities have gone all low flow. Manufacturers scrambled to get many styles of low flow toilets and shower-heads to the market in time. In case you’re wondering you won’t even notice that it is low flow.

Properly insulate your hot water heater and hot water pipes. This will save on heat loss and on the power used to heat the water.

Install a programmable thermostat in your home. These are very easy to use and they can be set to different temperatures during the day or night or while you are gone. Using a non-programmable thermostat is a great way to keep your furnace or air conditioner running full blast without you knowing. There are also many alternative energy sources you can use to heat your home such as solar, geothermal or biofuels.

Ceiling fans are a very green way to both cool and heat the room. Switch the fan to reverse for the winter months to keep the warm air moving around the room.

Change your air filter every three months. Not only do you get rid of dust and pollens but it’s better for your air conditioner. They use more power when they have to work hard to suck air through the filter.

As they fail replace your regular light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFB). They eat up less power and they last for years longer than the regular bulbs. Studies show that replacing 5 of the most used light bulbs in the house with CFB will save you $80 a year. If you change your bulbs, this is the place you will see your most drastic savings in energy costs.

make sure you unplug your cell phone charger as well as other unused appliances such as computers or games consoles. These electronics draw a little bit of power 24 hours a day, everyday. That adds up to a lot of energy that is wasted.

Purchase local produce at farmers markets. Fresh local produce is healthier, better for the environment and tastes so much better. When cooking, see if you can use a toaster oven rather than heating up the big oven. Implement a plan so that you have a certain number of days you have food that you don’t have to cook. If is fun to try to figure out what to eat and it is healthier for you. A more radicle approach is to try solar cooking or a solar oven in the garden. A great alternative to a BBQ in summer!

There are many techniques to living a green lifestyle. Try out these tips. Collect other tips and implement them slowing so as to not shock you or your family with all of the new ways of doing things. After using these techniques you should compare your energy bills to see how much you have saved. You will also be doing a lot to help out the environment.