Going green is a good thing to do for you, your family and your community. You can make some small changes around the house which make it much more energy efficient, and you can cut electricity costs too! Read the following tips to learn how you can use less energy at home.

Using less energy daily means large energy and financial savings. If you have appliances that are not in use, keep them unplugged until you need them. Turn off lights, television sets and other small appliances when you are done using them. This simple tip can save you a lot of money.

You can save electricity by unplugging chargers when they are not in use. Mp3, cell phone, laptop, and various other device chargers draw power when they’re plugged in, no matter if it’s charging or not.

Clean filters or replace them to ensure your furnace is appropriating at prime efficiency. Also install filters on air registers. Debris (and small toys) will not reach the heating ducts to clog the main filter.

Do your laundry using cold water, if you can. Hot water takes up 90% of energy used to wash clothing. Washing clothes in cold water can be just as effective as a warm cycle, especially with today’s cold water detergents. Furthermore, bear in mind that you will get maximum efficiency from washing a load that is full, rather then multiple small loads.

If you use heating fuel, ask a professional if you can convert your system to bio-diesel fuel system. Many heating systems are able to change over to some biodiesel use without needing modifications or extra parts. Bio-diesel fuels burn more efficiently and cleaner than conventional petroleum- based fuel oil.

Wait until your dishwasher’s full before running it. Regardless of how many dishes are inside, equal amounts of water and energy are used. When running the dishwasher, ensure that you are using the energy-saving option, which allows the air-drying of your dishes.

Winter Months

If you are considering the installation of home solar energy, make sure you are aware of how much energy you will receive during the winter months. That way you won’t run out of energy during winter months, and you will have more than enough in the summer. If you have a net usage program you will get money returned to you from your utility company for energy generated by you.

Take time to maintain your fridge properly. Since the refrigerator is an appliance that consumes a lot of energy, it is important to keep it in top-working order. Clean heating coils regularly to get rid of dust. Also, check the door to be sure it is sealed tightly.

Try to learn about passive and active solar power. Activer solar power lets stored energy be used later, while passive power doesn’t require expensive storage cells. Active solar power requires solar panels, cells, and mechanical systems. Passive power uses the simple sun to generate thermal energy to heat your house.

If you are not sure about making improvements to your home, hire professionals that can look over your systems and offer you ideas of what you can do to make your home more green. These professionals can point out inefficient appliances and systems, and they can also help you determine how much it might cost to upgrade them.

If you would like to make your life greener like many people do, there are plenty of steps you can take. You may not be able to spend a lot of money going green, but you can start by cleaning furnace filters each month and setting heat at 60 degrees when not at home. Keep the water heater temperature around 120 degrees and save energy costs. Every small change helps!

If you are serious about becoming more green, you should keep track of your energy usage from month-to-month and then year-to-year. By being conscious of how you use energy, you can help significantly reduce the amount of energy you consume. For instance, if your stated goal is to reduce your consumption of electricity and water, you are more apt to remember to turn off the lights and shut off the faucet when not using them.

Use LED lights on your Christmas tree or when decorating your home for Christmas. The use of LED lights reduces the use of electricity according to research. We could save at least a couple billion kilowatt hours if each person would make this change. That is enough electricity to power 200 thousand homes for a whole year. Saving money on your electric bill is the least that can happen.

Try to buy some bamboo models when you want to buy wood products. Bamboo is technically grass, yet it is a lot stronger than a most of the wood you’ll find. This fast-growing product is used in a wide variety of wood items. Everything from floors to cutting boards can be made with bamboo. This saves on recycling energy and the production of manufacturing products.

Be sure to check the doors of your refrigerator and freezer to make sure the seal is tight. Broken or compromised seals allow cold air to leak, causing your appliance to run more often, and your energy bills to increase. 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.

There are many techniques to save energy when doing your laundry. You can begin by using the setting for moisture control that shuts off the dryer when clothes are dry. Using the high-spin speed will reduce the moisture in clothing and decrease the time needed for drying. See to it that you clean your dryer’s filters often and check occasionally for blockages in your dryer’s vent.

You do not have to spend a lot of time or money to go green. Small changes in your own home can make a big difference. Apply the tips laid out here and share them, so you can start to see improvements to the environment.