Sustainable Living: How To Help Your Home Go Green

Currently, the earth is facing some serious problems. This includes pollution destroying natural ecosystems. It also includes extreme weather brought on in part by climate change. While no one person can solve these problems, they can be solved if everyone did their part to effect change. With that in mind, here are some tips to allow your home to go green through more sustainable living.

Switch to CFL Light Bulbs

One easy step you could take to make your home a bit more green is switching to compact fluorescent light bulbs. They are far more energy efficient than traditional incandescent light bulbs. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, CFL bulbs can use 70 to 90 percent less electricity than incandescent light bulbs. They can last as much as 15 times longer as well.

Take Advantage of Solar Energy

You should go even further to limit your reliance on the local electrical power grid. Consider installing solar panels on your roof. Not only will you be relying on local utilities less, you’ll be saving a lot of money on your power bills as well. Integrating your water heater into your solar electrical system is another excellent idea. According to Energy.gov, your heating bills could drop as much as 80 percent with the use of a solar water heater.

Properly Maintain Your Heating, Ventilation and Cooling System

Proper maintenance of your furnace, air conditioner and air ducts can go long way towards increasing your home’s energy efficiency. According to businesses such as HELP Plumbing, Heating, Cooling and Electric performing proper maintenance of your system can increase its efficiency by as much as 40 percent. That means leaving a smaller carbon footprint and lowering your monthly utility bills as well.

Change How You Dispose of Things

Being green also means producing less waste as a household. Rethink how you consume and dispose of things to eliminate what you put out for the trash each week. Many paper, plastic and glass items can be recycled of course. Food waste could be used as compost. Also consider other options to lessen your waste. Using a cloth grocery bags, for example, means not having to dispose of paper and plastic bags.

These are only a starting point for living green and creating a completely sustainable household for you and your family. Overall, consider ways you can lessen your reliance on things that pollute the earth while also lowering the amount of waste your home produces.