Help the planet as well as your pocket book.
Conserving energy and lowering your energy costs by doing your part to lower CO 2 emissions on our environment by going green. http://www.green-hope.com/moreaboutgw.php
There are many ways to save money around the home on your energy bill. POWER BARS work great. Turning the switch off when you leave the house, or when you are retiring for the evening.
Turning lights off when you depart from the bathroom and other rooms in the house will save you money on your energy bill. A good way to get kids to turn lights off or radios and TV’s before they take off is by putting up notes or small signs for reminders.
Children like to help out and if they know why they should help out they are more willing to participate. A great incentive for the kids is to suggest the extra money saved on the energy bill will go towards an outing to a favorite place the family likes to go to together.
If you need to use heat-producing appliances like the dryer, dish dryer, stove, or oven, try to do so at night. Temperatures can drop drastically when the sun goes down.
Refrigerator: Keep refrigerator between 2C and 5C (36 to 42F). And the freezer at 18c (0 degrees F).and When buying a new refrigerator try an Energy Star.
Wash and Dry: Wash full loads of clothes and use cold water. You will save 2 to 4 percent on your energy costs.
Clean the coils behind the refrigerator. The coils take heat out of the inside of the fridge and this layer of dust is insulating them from performing that task.
Filters: As a general rule, typically once a month change your air conditioner’s air filter. You will save up to 5 percent on your yearly electricity bill.
Water Heater: Adjust your water heater temperature to 120 degrees. It saves up to 10 percent on your water heating costs.
Light Bulbs: With fluorescent light bulbs you can save up to 75% of your energy that would have otherwise been lost from the heat that comes off the conventional light bulbs.
Keep bulbs turned off when not in room unless it is a night light. Outside light sensors save a lot on an energy bill by only coming on when the motion detector picks up on someone being there.
More savings: To keep the house cooler in hot weather temperatures keep drapes closed to save on the air conditioner or fan bills. By keeping curtains closed in rooms that the sun shines right in it will keep the room at a lower temperature. Keep your doors and vents shut in rooms that are not being used. You will save up to 3 percent on cooling costs. The opposite is true in cold weather. Letting the sunshine in warms rooms in the cold weather temperatures.
During hot weather place your thermostat at 78 degrees or above when you’re at your house, and at 85 degrees when no one is there.
Caulking for Windows: In winter caulk and weather-strip around windows and doors can save 1 to 4 percent on your energy bill.
Skylights are a huge hit to by bringing the outside light in with natural light in rooms that you like to keep bright with light year around.
Roof: Cool metal roofing is another added bonus by providing enhanced energy efficiency with its solar reflectance and infrared remittance properties.
Conclusion: There are many ways to lower energy costs and help lower CO2 emissions. Even down to the shower heads in your home. If you buy energy efficient products it will help in major ways. Look for these products in your local hardware stores.
References: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/ind_calculator.html
http://www.energyright.com/tips.htm
http://www.we-energies.com/residential/energyeff/101tips.htm