Sustainability Starts at Home
Reducing your carbon footprint sounds like a lot of work. It also seems expensive. Those are the two most popular excuses to avoid going green. The truth is, everyone can do his or her part to lessen their environmental impact. A good place to start is at home. You don’t have to do a complete overhaul to make a difference. It’s easy to go green at home with these energy efficient adjustments.
Smart power adapters
Smart power strips are an easy way to save money and reduce your carbon footprint. When you plug your electronic devices into these energy saving tech tools, you can save 5 to 10 percent of your energy bill. Smart power strips cut power to your DVD players, TVs, computers and other electronics when they’re not in use. Even in standby mode, these devices consume energy. Smart strips and individual plugins eliminate that unnecessary power use.
Personal devices like cellphones, tablets, and laptops account for roughly 13 percent of the energy consumption in your home. Power adapters are largely to blame for that statistic. When you’re charging your devices, the power adapters continue to draw energy after the device is fully charged. Now you can purchase adapters that will automatically stop using energy when your electronics are charged.
Solar panels
Solar panels are another example of eco-friendly technology that can save you money. Energy from the sun is absorbed by the panels to generate electricity for your home or business. Having the sun produce your power reduces your carbon footprint and your dependency on local generators with expensive electricity costs.
Energy monitors
Wireless energy monitors track how you and your family consume power every day. This gives you a better idea of where you’re using the most energy and how you can reduce your overall energy waste. You’ll be able to see which appliances are turned on while tracking current and past data. Staying informed is a great way to start making more environmentally choices. Smart energy meters are installed in your home and connect to mobile applications to offer data in real time.
Rainwater collection
Rainwater harvesting systems are a simple, yet effective, way to reduce your water waste. Rainwater is collected from gutters and rooftops and stored for later use. With this water, you can irrigate your plants, flush your toilets and save on your water bill.
Upgraded HVAC system
Upgrade your home’s HVAC system to reduce your home’s carbon footprint. Look for the Energy Star label on equipment. This symbol means that the appliance is endorsed by the Environmental Protection Agency as energy efficient. Systems with a higher energy rating will save you money, keep your home comfortable and lower your environmental impact.
LED lighting
LED lightbulbs are shedding some light on how homeowners can reduce their carbon footprint. LED bulbs are up to 80 percent more efficient than traditional incandescent bulbs. Instead of using energy to emit heat, like regular lightbulbs, LEDs do not produce heat and use that energy for light. The from LED bulbs tends to be more focused, which means it requires fewer lightbulbs to brighten a room. Compared to fluorescent and incandescent lighting, LED lights last much longer. While the bulbs are more expensive up front, you will save in the long run with lower energy costs and less frequent lightbulb purchases.
Small changes at home make a big difference towards sustainability. These green alternatives to your everyday life can save your money and help save the planet without costing you time and money.
