Seven Super Simple Ways to Go Green Right Now

Seven Super Simple Ways to Go Green Right Now

Going green doesn’t mean you have to completely cover your roof in solar panels or pepper your property with gigantic wind turbines. You don’t have to break the bank to go green, and sometimes, you don’t even have to open your wallet! Here are seven tips that are cheap and easy that will have you going green quickly.

1. Make sure your house is well insulated. A house can lose a lot of its energy through poor insulation, and this is just throwing money away! You can hire a pro to come out and diagnose where you are losing the most energy, or you can simply make sure that you are timely when replacing your attic insulation. Also, make sure that your doors and windows are properly weather stripped so that you aren’t losing energy through any cracks. A place people forget to insulate is outlets, and you can buy outlet insulators that are cheap and easy to install. One last thing to consider is getting double-paned windows installed to further insulate your home.

2. Focus on buying renewable materials. For instance, if you’re considering wood floors in your home, why not consider bamboo? It’s easily renewable versus traditional hardwoods, and it brings a bright, cheery color to your flooring. Another renewable material that you are probably aware of are biofuels. Fill up your tank at a gas station that offers ethanol in their gasoline and you’ll be doing your part to use more renewable materials.

3. Make more green and energy efficient choices in your home. By using energy-saving light bulbs, installing a programmable thermostat, and using solar chargers to charge your small electronics, you can expect to see a huge savings in your electric bill.

4. Find a utility company that offers green energy. More and more providers are offering plans that incorporate green energy into the mix. Ask your provider if they offer a green energy plan and ask what percentage of the electricity you get is green. Some smaller companies have gone all-green. Check your area for these gems and you can be sure that going green will be super easy because the utility company is doing most of the work!

5. Get rid of your old appliances and get Energy Star rated ones. You can wait until they break down, or you can sell your old appliances and put that money towards getting new ones that are Energy Star rated. Some examples of appliances you can find Energy Star rated are: refrigerators, washers, dryers, dishwashers, HVAC systems, televisions, and more.

6. Speaking of washers, set them to cold. Setting your washer to wash on the cold setting could save you a nice bit of change. There are even detergents you can now buy that are formulated for use in cold water. To add to the savings, try line drying your clothes on nice days rather than tossing them in the dryer.

7. Power down for the night. Make it a habit to turn off everything electrical in your house before you bed down for the night. This should always include your computer. You’ll be surprised at how much money you’ll save following this simple advice. Also be aware of “phantom loads” –devices that pull energy even when they’re turned off– and consider investing in a “smart” power strip that will shut off these devices from your electricity when not in use.

As you can see, it’s an easy matter to go green, even if you are making simple every day choices. It doesn’t have to cost a lot of money or take a lot of your time to help the planet.