One way to help conserve energy is to use window treatment to block sunlight. Use curtains or blinds as an alternative. If you do both of these it will cool your house down so you won’t have to use as much air conditioning in the summer. You will save energy and money as well.

TIP! Instead of blasting the air conditioner to keep cool in summer, wear clothes made from naturally cooling fabrics. Fabrics such as cotton draw moisture from the skin, which allows you to stay much cooler.

Many people are interested in going green, but don’t know how to start. There are countless solutions for helping people preserve the environment by using renewable, alternative sources of energy. This article has great tips to help you use green energy now.

Replace or clean your furnace filter at least once every 90 days, and check it once per month for build-up. You should put filters in registers that are warm-air too. This stops debris from blocking heating ducts.

TIP! When you can, wash your clothes using cold water. The vast majority of the energy you use for washing clothes is needed to heat the water.

Try wearing natural fabrics in the summer as opposed to using the air conditioner. Cotton and other fabrics draw sweat from the skin and make you cool. Wear light colors; dark colors tend to make you feel warm and you will be likelier to turn on the air conditioner.

If your home is heated with fuel oil, ask a technician if you can switch to biodiesel. Depending on your system, you may be able to switch to biodiesel without having to make any modifications to your system. Biodiesel is great because it is more efficient and produces less pollution that standard oil, which will reduce your carbon footprint.

TIP! One thing you might consider is heating your water with solar water heaters. If you live somewhere where you don’t have to be concerned with temperatures that are freezing, you can use a system that circulates water through the solar heater before it gets pumped into your home.

Be a smarter energy consumer by unplugging your electronic device chargers when they are not in use. Whether you are charging your device or not, chargers for laptops, mp3 players, cellphones and other electronics keep drawing electrical power as long as they stay plugged in.

Batteries need to be situated closely to the cells in solar power systems. This avoids power loss in the cable. It can also lessen the probability of cable shading, which reduces power-generation capabilities.

TIP! Take time out to properly inspect your refrigerator. The refrigerator hogs energy, so it should work well.

Don’t run the dishwasher unless it is filled to capacity. It will use the same quantity of water or energy even if one dish is in it. When you run a dishwasher, use the ‘energy-saver’ setting so dishes can air-dry.

Swap out your tank water heater for a tankless type. Although they still use gas or electricity, they only heat on demand rather than maintaining an entire tank of hot water at all times. There are models available that provide on-demand hot water for a whole house or just one faucet.

TIP! Learn all you can about solar power that is active and passive. Active power is the power stored for later use and passive doesn’t require pricey cells for storing power.

When designing your solar PV system, try to locate the battery storage system as close to the PV cells as possible. Power is less likely to be lost in cables this way. It also lowers the risk of the cable casting a shadow over the cells, which reduces their ability to generate power.

A good tip is to always microwave when cooking in order to save energy. Any time you use the oven or stove, you’re using a lot of energy. Take advantage of the microwave when you can.

Install Storm

Even though people know better, they often forget to turn off unused appliances, lights and computer equipment. If a person put this practice into action, he or she would save a huge amount on the electric bill. Think about what you do before you do it, and turn off those lights and appliances when they are not in use.

TIP! If you spend the money on green appliances and electronics now, you’ll save over time. While they are usually going to be more expensive, green technology products greatly reduce energy usage and, thereby, save money.

To help prevent drafts, install storm doors and storm windows. They will help prevent cold air drafts in your home. Your home’s energy efficiency will increase by as much as 45% if you install storm windows and doors!

A good way to save on energy is to set your heat to 60 degrees while you aren’t home, or at night when you’re asleep. Your home uses the least energy possible when the heat is set to 60 degrees. As stated, lowering your thermostat will minimize the energy needed to heat your home.

TIP! During the winter, keep using ceiling fans. When you change their rotation to clockwise, they move warm air from the ceiling downward, and that keeps the air in the room a little warmer.

Learn about the differences between passive and active solar power. Active power can be stored for later use. Passive power must be utilized more quickly but no expensive storage cells are required. Active solar power requires a lot of involvement in the form of installation, mechanics, and power cells. While passive simply uses the sun in storing thermal energy in your walls in order to heat your house.

Install a programmable thermostat. This can help save money and energy. When you get one of these thermostats you help regulate the temperatures for your home during both the winter and summer months. Depending on your preferences, you could also set it to change temperatures for day or night.

TIP! Water heaters take up a lot of energy, so simply by lowering the temperature to around 120 degrees can save a lot of money. That can save you almost 10% on your power bill if your family size is 4, and will provide you with a safe and adequate temperature for your hot water.

Green energies are bound to become more popular in the next few years, mainly because of the high price of oil. If know what green energy technologies are available, it is much easier to take advantage of them. Apply the ideas from this article, and start enjoying your greener life.

If you want to reduce the amount of energy you use, make ice yourself. The ice makers that are built into refrigerators not only are unreliable, but also use extra energy supplies to work. Ice makers also have more problems with seals leaking, which makes your refrigerator work harder to stay cool. Avoid having these issues by using ice cube trays to make your ice cubes.