Save Green by Going Green
Being environmentally friendly is easier than ever as people are becoming more cautious of their carbon footprint. For some, being green is their way of life, for others, it isn’t as important, but the value of being green for everyone is saving money.
There are a lot of small changes you can make throughout your home; two areas I am going to emphasize on are the kitchen and bathroom.
In the Kitchen
Dishwasher
If you are just starting off in a new home, or in need of new appliances, choose products that are energy efficient. Replacing dishwashers especially will end up saving you money and the environment a lot of pollution. If you don’t have the extra funds to splurge on a new dishwasher, remember to not run the dishwasher until it is full. By running it less, and waiting to fill it up, it reduces the water as well as electricity used to run each load.
Stove
One easy, but efficient way to use less energy on the stove top is to keep the burners and reflectors clean. The reflection plates are used to reflect the heat, and when dirty, they do not do the job they are intended for, so take the time to scrub them down every once and a while. Also, always choose the burner that fits the pot you are using. Setting a small pot on the large burner does not reduce the time, only wastes energy.
Oven
Keep your oven door closed as much as possible while you’re cooking. Opening the door and looking inside causes at least 20% of the heat to escape, and the oven has to waste energy warming itself up again.
Light
One easy way to reduce the electric bill is to not use electricity. During the day, open the blinds and let the sun in to help light your kitchen. When the lights are a necessity, change out your kitchen lighting to LED bulbs. LED bulbs save both energy as well as pollution. Another positive is that LED lights last for up to 100,000 hours, compared to 11,000 of a conventional light bulb.
In the Bathroom
Showerhead
The average household could save more than 2,300 gallons per year by installing water saving showerheads. The best part about this is that you do not have to sacrifice the pressure or the style. With Watersense showerheads the only thing you are reducing is your water bill. If everyone in the US had water saving showerheads, we’d save more than $1.5 billion in water utility bills & more than 250 billion gallons of water annually.
Faucet
Choose a Watersense faucet; these faucets use at least 20% less water without sacrificing performance. Also, always make sure to turn the faucet off while shaving, brushing your teeth, or even washing your hands. The average household can save 3,000 gallons a year, just by turning off the water during these daily actions.
Toilet
Buy a high efficiency toilet. Using less gallons per flush will reduce your water bill, and also uses less energy without compromising flushing power.
Lights
Bathroom lights are one of the most used light sources in the home. You can save up to 75 percent by switching to LED. Also, always remember to turn the lights off when you leave a room.
After completing these rooms, move around your house looking for small things you can change to reduce your electricity and utility bills to not only save your money, but also save your planet.