Are you looking for a smart way to live lighter on the Earth? If you want to green up your routines, there are several strategies that will help. From light bulb swaps to new faucet installations, making the right changes will ease your home’s impact on the environment. Make your Shreveport, Louisiana, home as green as possible by addressing these easy areas for eco-friendly change.
Adjust Your Lighting
Swap all your incandescent light bulbs for more efficient compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs). CFLs reduce your energy use by 66 percent. Changing just one bulb from an incandescent to a CFL saves 400 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions. CFLs are also far cooler than other types of lighting. This means that your home’s indoor air temperature will drop, and you’ll use less cooling to stay comfortable.
No matter what type of bulb you’re using, you should make sure to turn off any light that’s not in use. Teach your children about energy savings early so this will become a lifelong habit.
Seal and Insulate Well
Evaluate your home for areas that are prone to energy loss so you can seal and insulate these areas well. Your home should have insulation in both the walls and the ceiling. Laying down extra batting in the attic is one of the fastest and easiest ways to stop energy loss.
Seal any cracks around windows or doors to stop air from seeping out. Look for gaps around window or door frames and woodwork. Install weather stripping along the bottom of windows and doors to seal air in and minimize heating and cooling loss.
Switch Your Water Fixtures
Switch to a low flow shower head to instantly minimize your water use. These shower heads were once associated with uncomfortably low water flow, but modern versions are far better at their job. You may not even notice the difference with a high-end low-flow shower head, particularly if you’re using a standard option without any adjustable settings or other perks right now.
Add a tap aerator to all your faucets to minimize water use in your kitchen and bathroom sinks. An aerator adds air to the water stream and separates the flow into several small streams rather than pouring it out of a single opening. This little trick makes it feel like you’re enjoying a lot more water than you’re actually using, so you’ll get all the efficiency you’re used to with a lower water bill to accompany it.
Schedule Smart Maintenance Visits
Give your home appliances proper care and attention so they’ll run more efficiently. The less energy you use, the lighter you can live on the Earth. Scheduling annual maintenance for your HVAC system will extend the system’s lifespan, minimize your repair needs, and reduce your energy use. You can perform your own maintenance between professional visits by changing your air filter quarterly and keeping the area around your exterior HVAC unit clear of grass and debris.
Warm Up Naturally
Lower your heating expenses by keeping your home warm with more natural means. If you have hard floors, adding rugs will help you trim your energy bills in cold weather. Cuddling up with pets or people will help you stay warm too.
A single person can generate as much heat as a 100-watt heater. Gather your family together in the evenings rather than letting everyone disperse to their own bedrooms. Invite friends over for holiday gatherings, or simply let your pets join you on the couch. This body heat will minimize your need for costly heat from your furnace, so you can heat the home in an eco-friendly manner.
If you’re interested in finding energy efficient solutions for your home, contact Pioneer Comfort Systems at 318-795-8000. We’ll help you evaluate your current energy use and explore more eco-friendly options for keeping your home comfortable in the future. Go green and save money at the same time with our smart eco-friendly picks for heating and cooling in Louisiana.
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