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.

Did you know that 20% of the heat in an average home is lost due to draughts and poor ventilation? When you next have a cold day, walk around your hope and check for badly sealed windows, draughts coming from under doors, letter boxes that don’t have draft excluding seals and gaps in the floor boards.

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Small engines are incredibly inefficient and dirty. Running a leaf blow for one hour is equivalent to driving your car 350 miles!!! So here are some simple solutions:

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