How to Go Green : DecideGreen.net
Household Energy Use
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Keep your furnace running efficiently
Your furnace is the most expensive
appliance in your house to run. In fact household heating accounts
for 60% of all energy used in the average home. Make sure it is
operating as efficiently as possible by replacing its filter every
two months. A great option is to purchase one of the reusable
filters that can be washed on a regular basis. You’ll pay more for
them but they last for years so in the end they cost less than
disposable filters. The few minutes it will take you to properly
care for your furnace can increase its energy efficiently by as
much as 50 per cent.
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Install a programmable thermostat.
Heating and cooling your house when no one
is home – or when everyone is in bed – uses an unnecessary amount
of energy. This is bad for the environment and bad for your
checkbook! Instead of wasting that energy, buy a
programmable thermostat and set the temperature to be several
degrees cooler (or warmer in the summer) during the night and when
the house is empty. You can easily have it back to the temperature
you like by the time you wake up or arrive home.
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Wrap your hot water heater in a blanket.
Every hardware store sells fiberglass blankets that you can
wrap around your hot water tank to help it hold in heat. They are
easily installed (you can do it yourself) and usually pay for
themselves in the first year of use.
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Opt for a tankless hot water solution.
If your hot water tank is getting
old and you’re considering replacing it, choose one of the new
tankless hot water options. They heat water as you need it instead
of keeping an entire tank heated and ready to go at all times. As
a result they use significantly less energy, which is better for
the environment. And an added bonus is that you can expect to save
about 50% on your hot water heating costs.
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Keep your house cool naturally. Closing the blinks and curtains and using ceiling
fans can dramatically decrease the temperature of your home during
the heat of the summer. If you must use air conditioning, keep it
at 75F and reserve its use only for the hottest days. A
programmable thermostat is a great option to raise the temperature
during the night and when no one is home.
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Replace your incandescent light bulbs.
Although they cost more upfront, the
compact fluorescent light bulbs will save you a lot of money in
the long run. They use 75% less electricity than incandescent
light bulbs and last up to 10 times longer! That means you pay
significantly less for electricity and are not throwing nearly as
many light bulbs into the landfill. If you were to change only
five of the light bulbs that you use the most often to compact
fluorescent bulbs you could save more than $30 per
year.
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Turn off the lights. A lot of people are guilty of leaving lights on all
over the house. But remember that every little bit of electricity
you can save counts! Make it a policy in your home to always turn
the lights off when you leave a room. Same making sure that the
television, stereo and computer are off when not in use. For
outdoor lights, consider a timer or use motion detectors instead
of always leaving outside lights on.
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Make sure your refrigerator and freezer are
operating efficiently. Refrigerators that are more than 10 years old use
approximately 60% more electricity than new models. To make sure
you are not using more energy than needed, keep the temperature of
the fridge at 37F and the freezer at 0F. This will keep your food
at the perfect temperature without using excess electricity.
Another great tip is to clean the condenser once or twice a year
so that the motor does not have to run as long or as often.
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Use your microwave. Not all foods are great when cooked in the microwave,
but there are lots of times you can use it over your conventional
oven. Since your microwave uses 75% less energy than your
oven, it’s worth it to find new ways to use it when
cooking!
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Unplug electronics when they are not in
use. Did you know that your
television, DVD player, computer and kitchen appliances all use
some electricity even when they are not turned on? Avoid wasting
this electricity by unplugging them if you won’t be using them for
a day or longer. And remember to unplug them before you leave home
for vacations.
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Use countertop appliances over their stovetop
equivalent. When you are steaming
vegetables or boiling water in the kettle, opt for countertop
appliances instead of using your stove. They use significantly
less electricity and get the job done faster.
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