Trying to make my home greener.. what can I do next?

Question

Ok.. I have CFL light bulbs throughout, a programable thermostat, low flow shower fixture and low flow faucet aerators. I added a screen door and ceiling fans so I can cut back some on the AC. Also all energy star appliances came with the place.

I like the changes I have made because they are not obvious and really don't impact my daily routine. I am looking for other similar things I can do that are short of replacing the heating and AC system. Any suggestions?

Answer 1

Your home is now probably very energy efficient. I wouldn't worry about it that much now. I also recommend switching to paperless billing on your bills like cell, etc. Some providers actually give you money for doing this.

Answer 2

Buy a green color paint and painting the whole of your home.

Answer 3

You could -

- Add insulation to the roof if there isn't any

- Put timers on your light switches so that they remind you if  you have left a light on

- Use double glazing or tinting on your windows

- Install a water tank or use gray water (water from washing machine) for garden and car

Hope this helps :)

Answer 4

Monty F's suggestions are all good.

I would recommend starting to measuring your power usage.  You can buy a device that looks like a double-adapter and goes in between the applience and the wall socket.  Put it in between various appliences for a week and see which one is using the most electricity, then do something about that applience.  Maybe you will start hanging your washing out instead of using the dryer, maybe you will install a door-open sensor on your fridge.  Maybe just providing better ventilation for the heat tubes at the back of your fridge.

I don't know if there is an equivalent for gas usage but it would be great if there were one.  From memory, the hot water system tends to use the most power (whether gas or electric) so you can make big savings by changing that.  There are systems now that don't store hot water but rather heat it up as you turn the hot water tap on.  It only heats the amount you use and therefore is much more efficient.

You can also start adding energy producing devices to your home.  This is another initial outlay of money that pays for itself eventually.  Solar panels, wind turbine, water turbine, exercise bike hokked up to a generator - choose the best one based on the natural resources you have - and if you can power your entire home this way you can start selling the electricity back to the power company.

Once you have picked off all the low-hanging fruit in your home, it's time to start making your lifestyle greener.  Public transport or riding a bike, buying local produce (fruits, vegetables and particularly meat are the main ones but also anything you buy tends to be greener if it was made locally), telling your work-mates about the savings you have made on your electricity/gas bills, telling your boss (who owns the building you work in) about your electricity/gas savings.

Answer 5

Make sure you recycle the CFL light bulbs, they are great and will save electricity and money in the long run but they do contain mercury.

Go to https://veoliaes-ts.com/RecyclePak/Recyc... to recycle your CFL's.  It is very easy and can be done through the mail.

Answer 6

hi

some of the answers given by others w9ill help you

you have taken pains to minimise on energy usage.

you must now implement stopping of wastage of energy resources, water resources, recycling / reuse of paper and other material

wish all people would wake up to the problems of environment and make this world a better place to live.