Simple Things You Can Do to Affordably Reduce Your Carbon Footprint….We all want to live a greener lifestyle. For many of us though, we aren’t sure exactly what that means.
The “green lifestyle” is more about making good and sustainable choices–extremism is not required. Here are just some of the simplest things you can do to “green up” your life that have the added benefit of saving you (potentially) a bunch of money.
Go to the Source
Where do you get your power? Do you have a choice in the matter? Most of the Northeast as well as California and some states in the south, like Georgia and Texas, have deregulated energy industries. This means that you can shop around for the best prices on eco-friendly energy. You could get wind, solar or even geothermal power for less than you’re currently paying for your melted dinosaurs! Make a list of deregulated and local electricity companies by visiting https://localelectricitycompanies.com/.
Where Do You Get Your Light?
You should arrange your funiture to take as much advantage of natural light as possible. This means that your seating should be close to the windows so that you can use natural light for reading, crafts, whatever for as much of the day as nature allows. You’d be amazed at how much power you save if you don’t have to turn on the lamps until dusk!
Choose the right bulbs. CFLs and Halogens are better than incandescents, yes, but they are not as good as LEDs. The mail problem with LEDs is that the bulbs are expensive. Most run around $20 per bulb. Yikes! To reduce this cost, don’t try to replace the bulbs in your house all at once. There’s nothing wrong with waiting until your current bulb burns out or choosing to replace one bulb every couple of weeks to help spread out that cost and wait for sales.
How Do You Stay Warm?
If you have a wood burning or gas fireplace, use it! It will reduce your heating and cooling costs so much! It’s also good to layer yourself first and turn on the heat second. Cozy hats, sweaters and footwear go along way to helping you maintaining your body temperature during the winter.
Another great way to reduce your dependence on your heater is to get up and move around! Instead of bundling up under blankets and watching Netflix or Huly all day, why not do simple workouts while you catch up on your favorite show? You’ll stay warm and you will get your regular dose of exercise which means you can stop going to the gym, which saves you the cost of both the gym membership and the gas it costs to get there.
How Do You Stay Cool?
Instead of relying on your air conditioner (or a group of strategically placed fans), get out of the house! Spend the day at the pool or in the shade. Walk to your closest movie theater and see a show. Head down to your nearest body of water and hang out there for the day (temperatures drop the closer you get to lakes, oceans and rivers). If you have a house with a basement, spend the summer hanging out in the basement. Basements are naturally cooler than above ground levels of homes.
PRO TIP: Put your blinds on the *outside* of your windows during the summer. Most of a house’s heat is caused by windows magnifying the heat of the sunlight that passes through them. When you put your blinds on the outside of the windows, you stop the light from hitting them, which breaks down the heat magnification process.
These ideas probably seem like they are almost too simple. This is why so many people fail to adopt them correctly. Take note: with the exception of LED bulbs, we haven’t advocated for any new purchases in this article. Instead we’ve taught you how to use what you already have to manage your energy consumption throughout the year. What are some other cost-free or low cost things you can do?