Tips for Going Green
Tips for Going Green
Drive Less, Drive Smart
Every time you leave your car at home you reduce air pollution, lower greenhouse gas emissions, improve your health and save money.
Walk or ride a bicycle for short trips, or take public transportation for longer ones. In 30 minutes, most people can easily walk a mile or more, and you can cover even more ground on a bicycle, bus, subway or commuter train. Research has shown that people who use public transportation are healthier than those who don’t. Families that use public transportation can save enough money annually to cover their food costs for the year.
When you do drive, take the few minutes needed to make sure your engine is well maintained and your tires properly inflated.
Change Your Light Bulbs
Compact fluorescent light bulbs and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are more energy efficient and less expensive to use than the traditional incandescent bulbs invented by Thomas Edison. For example, compact fluorescent light bulbs use at least two-thirds less energy than standard incandescent bulbs to provide the same amount of light, and they last up to 10 times longer. Compact fluorescent light bulbs also generate 70 percent less heat, so they are safer to operate and can reduce energy costs associated with cooling homes and offices.
According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, if every U.S. household replaced just one regular incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb, it would prevent 90 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, the equivalent of taking 7.5 million cars off the road. On top of that, for every incandescent bulb replaced with an approved compact fluorescent light bulb, will save consumers $30 in energy costs over the life of the bulb.
Pay Your Bills Online
Many banks, utilities and other businesses now offer their customers the option of paying bills online, thus eliminating the need to write and mail paper checks or keep paper records. By paying your bills online you can save time and money, lower the administrative costs of companies with which you do business, and reduce global warming by helping to prevent deforestation.
Signing up for online bill paying is easy and doesn’t take much time. You can either choose to have certain bills paid automatically each month or elect to review and pay each bill yourself. Either way, you will receive outstanding returns on your small investment of time.
Eco Green Living Tips
Get Rid of Your Desktop
Did you know that a laptop uses barely 25% of electricity consumed by a desktop computer? Get rid of your desktop computer today and your life will become greener.
If you cannot get rid of your desktop, you can at least turn it off at night - this will save you approximately $90 a year per computer. With two computers, if you count in away from home time like vacations and if you are willing to turn off your monitor when you are not next to your computer - this can easily save $1000 a year.
Upgrade your Refrigerator
Did you know that your refrigerator accounts for approximately one sixth of all your energy consumption at home? Upgrading your refrigerator might not be cheap - but considering the electricity savings you can achieve - it will pay for itself! There is a lot of information online about saving money while living a green life - so look into it!
Even if you decide not to change your refrigerator - you can still save some energy by adjusting the temperature of your current refrigerator to 37 and 3 degrees.
Throw Away Your Washing Machine
Did you know that your washing machine is responsible for the second largest water consumption in your home? While you are at the store replacing your refrigerator, stop by the washing machines department. The savings that come from a more energy efficient washing machine are huge.
If you can’t get rid of your washing machine, you can still save up to 80% of the energy your washing machine consumes by using cold water to wash clothes.
Find a New House
Your address has a major impact on your eco footprint. A lot of energy is being consumed on transportation when you and your kids go to and from work and school. Move closer to where you work and play, and save energy. Live the green life and have much more quality time with your family at your green home.
If you cannot move into a new home now - you can still live a greener life by doing more: develop a long-term home improvement plan that saves money and reduces energy resources while improving your life quality.
We hope you found these steps for eco green living useful and we hope this article helped you on your path to a more energy efficient lifestyle. The Internet has a lot of great resources to help you go green - so we encourage you keep reading, researching and acting!
