There are many reasons why you want to follow a green way of life, but saving money is likely close to the top. The most expensive appliance to run in your household is your furnace, so it needs to be kept running efficiently. Just heating the household up accounts for approximately 60% of the energy costs. Every two months, the filter needs to be replaced, and this will help keep your furnace operating at optimum levels. A greener option is to get a reusable filter and wash the filter when needed. They might cost more in the beginning, but in the long run they will pay for themselves, costing much less than the number of disposable filters you would otherwise have to purchase. You can increase the energy efficiency of your furnace by as much as 50% with only a few minutes of proper care.
Since energy is wasted nightly, it is best to install a programmable thermostat. Being able to set the temperature a couple of degrees cooler, when the house is empty, will save energy and money too. Hot water is yet another expense that can be cut down, by wrapping your water heater in a blanket of insulation. Insulation blankets are easy to obtain and are not hard to install. You can save a considerable amount of money in the first year of putting in a blanket because it prevents the heat from escaping.
One more choice to consider is to go with using a tankless hot water. This is a great option if you are looking to replace your hot water tank. Rather than having to heat the whole tank of water, and keep it heated, you can get the water heated as it is needed. Tankless hot water heaters will use considerably less energy, saving you up to 50% on what you are paying for hot water. Save money and energy by keeping your place cool naturally. You can save quite a bit in the summer if you use a ceiling fan and keep the sunlight out of your house. You should set your air conditioner at 75 degrees and just go colder if it is getting overly hot in your place.
Replacing incandescent light bulbs will cost a lot initially but you’ll save in the long haul. Compact fluorescent light bulbs are extremely efficient, using 75% less electricity and lasting ten times longer than regular light bulbs. You will not only save money but you will have a lot less trash to throw out. Changing only five of the lightbulbs can save you $30 a year. The easiest thing that people can do, is just turn off the lights when they are not needed. Most of us are guilty of doing this, so if we all changed, lots of electricity would be saved.
If everyone made it a policy in their home whenever leaving a room to switch the lights off always, then the same could be done with all electronic gadgets that are used.