Your Expert Guide to Going Green
August 07, 2024
Earth Day is celebrated every year on April 22. If you’ve been considering becoming more environmentally friendly, Earth Day is a great day to become informed about sustainability and green practices.
You may be interested to learn that going green generally will save you lots of money as well, particularly if you are a homeowner. Here is your guide to going green.
Plant Trees, Save Money
Trees help the environment, but if you plant some extra trees outside your windows, you can also save money with the cooling of your home.
The shade cast from a natural canopy provided by trees will cool your home significantly. Some days, you may not even need the A/C to run at all, which means more energy savings.
Move the Thermostat Up and Down, Depending on the Season
Turning your thermostat up or down a couple of degrees will save you a surprising amount of money. When it is cool outside, turn it down; put on a sweater if you are chilly. In the summer, turn it up and plug in a fan to keep cool. It works!
Close the Chimney Flue
Don’t forget to close the chimney flue when your fireplace is not in use. Leaving it open leaves a direct pathway for the air that you are paying to heat or cool to go right outside. As a rule, whenever your HVAC systems have to work harder, it is bad for the environment as well.
Carbon Footprint Reduction
As a homeowner, there are numerous actions that you can take to reduce your carbon footprint.
Schedule HVAC maintenance annually and plan to change your filter monthly for optimum air flow.
It’s a good idea to get your ducts cleaned regularly and inspected to make sure that they are properly sealed.
Ensure that your walls are well insulated. Check out doors and windows for cracks and reseal the caulking if needed.
Run a ceiling fan year-round to give your comfort system a break. In the winter and fall, run the blades in reverse to push warm air back into the room.
LED Lighting & Energy Efficient HVAC Products
Switching regular light bulbs to LED bulbs will reduce your energy bills by quite a bit. To save even more money, make sure that you’ve got energy efficient HVAC products. Look for EnergyStar certification. Also consider a high-efficiency heat pump, which both heats and cools very well.
Solar Appliance Solutions
Your appliances utilize a great deal of power to run, hurting the environment and costing you money. Your most energy-hungry appliance is likely your fridge.
Switching to a solar model will save you lots of cash. They work well and you don’t run the risk of your food spoiling in the event of a power outage.
A solar oven will cook your food well, for a fraction of the cost, even on a cloudy day.