Reducing your use of energy is one of the many ways we can lessen our carbon footprint with the hopes of leaving the Earth better than we found it. We eat organic food, recycle, and support organic businesses. There is no doubt, if you are reading this blog, that global warming and living an eco-friendly life is important to you.
If you live in an area of the world where winter visits with cold weather, snow and ice, then there are lots of ways you can save energy to do your part to help the Earth. Reducing the amount of energy you use isn’t only great for the environment, it can save you money as well. Here are few tips we found when researching the best ways to save energy during the winter.
7 Ways to Conserve Energy
Heat Your Home Naturally
There is no better way to heat up a room than using the sun. All you need to do is open up your drapes, curtains, or blinds and let the rays hit every part of your home. When it’s time for the sun to go down, make sure to close your window coverings so the heat doesn’t escape.
Another way to heat your home without using energy is to heat yourself but wearing layers. Instead of turning up the heat when you are cold, add a layer like a cardigan. If you get warm, lose a layer, or turn down the heat. However, you do it the idea here is to use less heat when trying to get your home warm.
Snow Removal
The ideal way to not use energy sources other than your own when removing snow from your home is to shovel it yourself. Of course, this will expend a lot of physical energy on your part and you put yourself at greater risk of health problems like a heart attack.
That’s why it’s recommended if you have a large area of snow to remove that you use a snow blower. If this is the case and you are set on using a machine to help you then you might want to consider an electric snow blower like the ones here opposed to a gas machine. This way you will be diminishing your energy usage to at least not using more and more gasoline.
Ceiling Fans
Another way to lessen the amount of energy you use heating your home is by switching the direction of our ceiling fans. If you set your fans to run clockwise, the ventilation will keep the warm air flowing inside your rooms when the winter months hit. When the hot months make their way to your home then set the fans to spin counter-clockwise to pull the hot air up and away from you.
Insulate Your Windows
Drafts move through windows easily if you don’t have a strong storm windows in place. Even if you have great storm windows it isn’t a bad idea to use an extra level of insulation so that you can turn the heat down all the more.
One way to do this is to get some strong plastic rolls and industrial tape that is double sided. You can put the tape around your windows and then secure the plastic in place. Of course, you should check the tape’s strength and determine whether or not you will be able to remove it without ruining your paint job.
Once the plastic is in place you can use a hair dryer to tighten the plastic. Don’t go too close otherwise you might burn a hole through the center and ruin the job only to start all over again. You can also search for window coverings that also serve as extra insulation.
Get a Humidifier
Winter months are the driest there is. When the air is filled with moisture we naturally feel warmer because moist air hangs onto the heat better. Adding a humidifier to your home will give it a comfortable feel and enable you to lower the temperature on your thermostat. Adding house plants to your home will also raise the humidity levels.
Close The Damper
Fireplaces are great when the weather gets cold but if you aren’t’ using it make sure to close the damper. An amazing amount of energy escapes through an open damper. You might as well leave a window open too. Make sure to check the seal on our damper from time to time to make sure there aren’t any leaks.
Seal It
Since we brought up leaks this is the perfect time to talk about this energy saving tip. Check your windows, the spaces surrounding utility cut-trough’s created for pipes, closets and anywhere else you might suspect a leak is getting in. Caulk or weather-stripping to seal these leaks up. This is another area that some people tend to ignore that ends up wasting excessive amounts of energy.
Conclusion
There are many ways you can diminish your carbon footprint in this world. Support organic organizations, use public transportation or a bicycle to get around, and heat your home in another way other than the choices that require energy. If each person does their part there may be hope for our environment yet.
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