Whether everyone is ready to admit it or not, one of the most pressing problem in today’s society is the damage being done to the environment. There are many who would like to throw around blame as to which generation is responsible for the current trouble we’re now in in terms of the environment, but it’s time we all took a little bit of responsibility and did our part. So if you’re ready to reduce your carbon footprint and go a little greener yourself, here are a few simple tips to help.
Buy energy efficient lightbulbs.
Most household lightbulbs use far more energy than is necessary to light your room. While ensuring your lights are off when you’re not using them is a great way to save on energy, you may also want to consider switching to a more energy efficient lightbulb. These bulbs use considerable less energy, and while it may initially take some getting used to, guaranteed that before long you won’t even notice a difference.
Upgrade your insulation.
Most of us want to do our part in being more energy conscious, but when the cold winters come it can be easy to forget that and crank up the heat to stay warm. While staying warm is certainly your right, there may be a way where you can stay toasting, save on energy and save some money all at the same time! Investing in some more effective insulation options, such as window coverings, can help keep out the cold and keep your host warm without cranking the heat.
Be aware of the thermostat.
Another thing to be aware of in terms of your home temperature is your thermostat’s setting. Placing it an even a few degrees lower in the winter or a few degrees higher in the summer can make a big difference in the amount of energy you’re using. Likewise, if you’re going to be out of the house, adjust your thermostat accordingly and save energy wherever you can.
Carpool when able.
While the trend of electric cars is on the rise, they aren’t affordable to everyone just yet so we’ll have to look for other ways to reduce the damage our gas cars do to the environment. One great and very social way of achieving this is to carpool as often as you can. Carpool to work with your coworkers. Have your kids carpool to school. Walk or bike whenever possible. And for your next road trip, think about renting a hybrid car.
Buy a reusable water bottle.
Staying hydrated during the work day is important, but there is a cost for all those plastic water bottles that pile up in your office recycling bin. A quick, easy and money-saving fix for that is to buy a reusable bottle you can keep filling up on your own. How easy is that?
Go paperless with your mail.
How often do you get mail that you just immediately throw in the trash? In this age of technology, so much of our information is online for us so why do we need this endless stream of paper being delivered? Bills, bank statements – for anything you can access online cancel you paper mail, and that includes your newspaper. Unless you can honestly say you read the actual newspaper and not the news app on your iPad, then you can cancel your delivery.
Reduce your daily screen time.
Speaking on this age of technology, while there are many benefits to it, sometimes it seems like screen have overtaken out lives. Constantly being in front of a screen isn’t healthy for us and the constant use of screen isn’t healthy for the environment. Reducing out daily time spent in front of screen can be beneficial for everyone.
Look into clean energy options.
There are many options for providing energy to your house besides the traditional methods of oil and electric. Ask you energy providers about possible clean energy options such as solar panel that might be available to you.