If you go stand in line at the grocery store, you’ll see a lot of magazines on the rack that are dedicated to going “green” and preserving the environment. There are quite a few reasons why you should think about turning into a greener place, and there are many ways you can go about it. It doesn’t have to be as hard as you think. Read the tips in this article to get started.
Take a walk around your house and look at areas that could use a green infusion. When you stand by the back door, do you feel a draft near your feet or by your hips? You might need to put in a door sweep on the bottom to keep that cold (or hot) air out, and you might need to put in a sealing line along the place where the door closes to insulate that crack.
When you take a shower, do you get pruny? Do you wait until you feel the hot water start to run out before you get serious about shampooing? Could an entire episode of “The Big Bang Theory” run while you’re in there? If so, you’re wasting gallons and gallons of water, as well as a bunch of electricity or gas (depending on how you heat your water) every day. You should be able to take care of all of your business in the shower in 10-12 minutes and no more (assuming that you’re just doing your normal cleaning routine). The shower is not a day spa, so don’t spend all of that time in there. Instead, get finished and get out. You’ll be more productive, and you’ll be making the earth a better place.
Stand in the middle of your house and close your eyes — and listen to the sounds around you. What do you hear? If you hear the sounds of three or four different shows running in the background, then you’re allowing televisions to run when you’re not in the room. This is empty electricity soaring out of the grid — and ending up on your bill. When you leave a room, turn the light and the television off, unless you’re planning on coming right back inside it. Teaching yourself this discipline will cut your electric bill — and shrink your overall carbon footprint.
When you open the refrigerator to pick something out, have something in mind before you open it. Or, open the fridge, give the items a quick scan, and then close the door while you think about what you would like to eat. This will keep you from refrigerating the entire interior of your kitchen while you decide on a snack. This is a huge energy drain on your house that you can easily fix.
Making your energy use count as “green” is easier than you think. You don’t have to go install solar panels to be a “green” home — all you have to do is think about the ways in which you use energy and start to be more considerate.