With Spring not that far off, I wanted to take a look at something that we have been thinking about getting for awhile now. That is solar panels and their benefits. Many people know that they are used for energy and that they are a great alternative. The best thing about them is after you have saved money on energy bills that they have paid for themselves, the rest of the energy collected is free. Most places even have to buy back the extra energy that you are producing from your solar panels. This means that you can have enough energy collected to run your house as well as make money because the energy company has to buy it back from you. They do cost a bit up front but will pay for themselves and can even make you money in the future.
It is important to save energy whenever you can. These tips that will follow will teach you to be smart with the use of your furnace this winter season.
- Turn Down the Thermostat When You Leave- It is much easier to warm up the house quickly than to keep the temperature up when your not home.
- Install a Programmable Thermostat- This will automatically maintain the temperature that you set it at and can even be set for a day time temperature and a night time temperature.
- Maintain Air Flow- Make sure that air intakes are not blocked by anything, this includes furniture and curtains.
- Change Filters- Make sure that you are changing your furnace filters once a month. This will keep your furnace from having to work as hard.
- Change Ceiling Fan Direction- Reverse the direction of your ceiling fan. This will pull heat up into the air and can make it feel warmer.
- Love the Sun- Open up your curtains and blinds and let the sunlight in. This will also warm your house up naturally and will give the furnace a break.
- Plant Shade Trees and Bushes- If you plant them on the south and west side of your home, they will home warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
- Seal Things Up- Make sure that you caulk up around windows, doors, vents and generally anywhere that might let a draft into the house.
- Bundle Up- Seems simple enough, instead of turning the furnace up, put on a pair of socks or a sweater to get warm.
- Close Rooms You Don’t Use- This will direct the heat to the rooms that are open and are being used, an important part of this is to close the vents in these rooms as well.
- Repaint Dark Colors- Using a dark paint color will help to retain the heat in the walls. This will in turn keep the room much warmer.
- Install Storm Windows and Doors- These will give you extra protection against drafts.
Saving energy at home is much easier than saving energy anywhere else. This is simple because it will only be your family that will have to learn to be more energy smart. There are many ways to live energy smart. They range from simply changing the type of light bulbs to installing solar panels. I will share some of the tips that our family did when we decided to live more energy smart.
- Turn off the lights when no one is in the room
- Instead of light bulbs use compact fluorescent light bulbs. They use 1/4th of the electricity and produce the same amount of light
- Switch off the television when there are no viewers. This principle holds true for computers, stereos and the radio-turn it off if not in use
- Choose ceiling fans over air conditioning to save energy
- One of the biggest uses of electricity in cities is providing water, hence wasting water is wasting electricity/energy
- If you have a fireplace, keep the damper closed if you don’t have a fire burning
- In the kitchen, don’t keep the refrigerator door open when not required. Make sure that the door closes properly.
Saving energy at work might seem like an overwhelming task. There are some simple things that can be done to start the process and get everyone to agree to participate will probably be the most work. Here some of the small steps that can be taken to get the office working more energy smart.
- Turn off the screens and the monitors when not required
- Wherever practical use natural light
- Before resorting to air-conditioning or fans, use natural ventilation
- Avoid using the air conditioning and heating at the same time.
- Don’t leave the PC on standby after work
- While attending meetings, switch off the monitor
- Turn off the lights after work
- Use the thermostat only when required
Planting a tree seems like such an easy thing to say and do. But there are many benefits to both yourself and the environment when you plant trees. One of the best benefits for you is that it will help to lower your energy costs. By planting a tree in the right spot in your yard, you will be able to shade your house in the the summer and warm it in the winter. This is simply because the leaves will provide the shade keeping your house cooler and the air conditioning will not have to be turned on so high or even as much. In the winter, the leaves will fall and the sun will be allowed to shine on your house warming it up. This causes you to be able to lower your furnace temperature. Using less energy will also help the environment in the long run, as well.
Trees are important of the environment for many reasons. Trees improve the air we breathe, moderate the temperature and even are homes to many creatures. Trees are also great for deflecting some of the wind and rain that occurs throughout the year. Trees can filter the air that is important for us to breathe. They will remove some of the dust and other airborne particulates from the air and give us clean air. Leaves absorb carbon dioxide, ozone and sulfur dioxide and give us oxygen. So don’t wait until Earth Day to plant a tree go out and do it often.
Insulating your loft is one of the simplest ways to save energy and it’s a job that you can easily complete yourself.
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If you work too far from home to walk or cycle to, then why not try getting the bus instead of driving?
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When you cook on the hob a massive amount of energy is wasted through the top of the pan if you cook with the lid off.
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So your reading this blog. That means you care about the environment. That means you probably already switch your office monitor off at night. However, what about the other monitors in your office, that your colleagues leave switched on?
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This is a really simple tip, and one I really stick to. If you wash a half load of clothes, then unless your washer is one of those really expensive super smart washers that uses only the right amount of water for your load, then your going to be using too much water to wash your clothes, and therefore wasting water and energy.
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Here’s a few facts for you that you may not know about the tires in your car
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Its odd how things come back into fashion- Vinyl LP’s, bread making & vegetable growing have all had a surge in popularity over the past few years after being largely consigned to the “pop culture landfill”. One other item or invention from the past that is once again growing in popularity is the “clockwork” or “wind-up” radio.
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Ask yourself – In what way would you notice a drop in room temperature by 1 degree?
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It is estimated that 100 million trees are used to send junkmail to Americans every year. Junk Mail is a massive business, and it has a massive affect on the environment. Sign up to you local mail preference service and bin the junk!
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I hate ironing. In fact i’d be surprised if anyone genuinely loves ironing. I’d much rather walk round in un-ironed clothes all day but I doubt my other half would have any of it. So – Ironing is a necessity. But what if there was a way you could cut down the time spent ironing and reduce your electricity bill also?
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As you know, I normally have a picture on my posts, but limescale is so unsightly, I thought “No way!”
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We all think about our electricity usage when we are in our house by switching off lights etc, but how often do you consider how much latent electricity your house is using when you are not in it?
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If you MUST use a dryer to dry your clothes – I.e. if you have the English weather and no fire – Then using dryer balls made out of wool can drastically reduce your drying time.
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Not only does Dry Cleaning cost you significant amounts of money, but it can cost not only the environment but the people who work in the dry cleaning shop too!
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“I don’t need a bag thanks”
I understand why shop assistants do it. They are on auto-pilot in a way. Scan item, bag it, take money, provide change.
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