What Are The Incentives To Using Green Energy Sources?

Chris Kostopoulos Mar 7, 2013 · 5 min read

Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.

Leading a greener lifestyle doesn’t mean spending a lot more time and money. Reducing your electricity consumption does not have to be complicated, and will help keep the environment healthy. Read the article below to find out some of the best ways to get the most out of green energy.

Use LED lights to decorate for the holidays instead of traditional strand lights. According to a report from the U.S. Department of Energy stated that Americans could collectively reduce their energy consumption by over 2 billion kW/h if they all changed over to LED lights. That’s enough to power a quarter of a million houses for a year! You can save money on your electric bill.

TIP! During summer, try drying clothes on a clothesline instead of the dryer. The sun will dry your clothing for free and the summer breeze will leave it smelling amazing.

Have an energy consultant evaluate any system you want to install. Before installing a “green” energy system make sure it’s going to save you money. Avoid salespeople who don’t seem to be able to prove that their system is energy efficient and seem more interested in making a sale than answering your questions.

When you cook at home, use a microwave as much as you can. The stove uses a good bit of energy. If it is possible to microwave the item you are considering cooking, do so to reduce your energy consumption.

The government has set up several incentive programs to help consumers switch to renewable energy sources. Contact your local government in order to see the different programs available in your area. Who knows, you may qualify for low or no-cost wind or solar installation. Even if you don’t qualify for a grant, you can still use these items as a tax deduction.

TIP! Try setting your heat at 61 degrees or less when you aren’t home, or when you have retired for the night. At this temperature your home uses very little energy.

Check your refrigerator and freezer seal on a reguar basis to make sure you are not wasting energy. Your refrigerator needs more energy to maintain its temperature if the seal is broken. This wastes energy and raises your energy bills. A good way to test this is to see if a piece of paper can be held in the door or if it slips out easily.

It might seem like common sense, but a lot of people don’t turn off their lights, machines and other electronics when they are not being used. If a person put this practice into action, he or she would save a huge amount on the electric bill. Consider what you are doing before it is done, and turn those appliances and lights off when you are finished using them.

One very easy way to save money on your heating bills is to dress more warmly around the house during the winter months. A light sweater offers 2 degrees of more warmth, and a heavy sweater adds 4 degrees. The more layers you wear at home, the less energy you will need to use heating your house.

TIP! Purchase a front-loading washer if you want to go green. These washers do not use as much water as top loaders, and they do a better job of cleaning clothing.

If you heat your home with fuel, talk to a technician about using biodiesel. Many systems can use biodiesels without any modification. Biodiesel is a clean choice when it comes to fuel, and using it will reduce the impact that your family has on the environment.

Rechargeable Batteries

Rather than using standard batteries to power your devices, you should try to utilize rechargeable batteries. Traditional batteries get thrown into the trash, and that is very bad for the environment. Save money and help the environment by purchasing rechargeable alternatives. Choosing rechargeable batteries over traditional types will save you a lot of money over time.

TIP! A simple way to save electricity is to choose light or bright wall colors for your rooms. Dark wall colors create the feeling of a dark room.

Cover your windows if you’re not going to be home. This cools your home’s interior and keeps energy usage down while you’re away. Typically, the south facing windows are the ones that get the most amount of sun due to their location. Try to cover the windows using coverings like roman shades, roller shades, and dark curtains.

Reduce your energy consumption by unplugging anything that is not in use, especially battery chargers. Charging devices for several common types of electronics, including laptops, cell phones, and MP3 players all draw “phantom power” if you keep them plugged in while they are idle.

Complete a log of all your appliances and their wattage needs before consulting with a solar panel professional. It will be simpler for a professional to give you a quote if they know the amount of power you need.

TIP! A simple way to reduce the energy you use is to not use an automatic ice dispenser. Automatic ice maker use lots of extra energy and usually break down.

Think about using a carpool for work and other activities in order to reduce the amount of fuel you use. If you have children organize carpooling with other parents in your neighborhood. If you have friends or family nearby, consider combining grocery trips together, alternating driving duties.

Check what other energy sources are available in your neighborhood. Compare the costs of operating your home using several of these utilities, making sure to take into consideration any legislation with regard to energy costs that has recently been passed. For instance, it might be worth it to switch to gas heat instead of electric, or switch to well water instead of municipal water.

Think about heating your water with solar water heaters. If you live in an area where freezing temperatures are unlikely, you can purchase systems that circulate water through solar heating systems before pumping it inside for use. Even though solar water heaters are useful, it is still necessary to have a normal water heater for periods of extended cloudy weather or unusually high hot water use.

TIP! If you want to save on your heat bill, you can start by heating the rooms separately. One way to do this is to purchase a floor heater that has a main control that will let you monitor individual areas, and allow you to choose the temperature in each area.

Install a system that monitors how much energy various devices in your home use. This way, you can get a real-time estimate of your energy use. This can be used to predict your electric bills or to size a renewable energy system for your home. It has been proven that people use less energy when they have a clear idea of how much it cost to use the energy.

Although some don’t believe in climate change, you can still benefit from green energy in your home. It saves a lot of money on energy costs, just by making easy changes, like turning lights off when you leave a room.