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7 Easy Ways to Go Green in Your Home

Written by Posted On Monday, 12 March 2018 00:42

The whole world is going green now, out of consideration for the health of the planet and the effects that failing to rein in emissions might have on humans in the near future. That should he sufficient motivation to go green at home, but even if it isn’t, consider the fact that you’d be saving money which you can use for much more beneficial things.

 

Here’s a collection of seven easy steps you can take to reduce your carbon footprint and save money in your home:

 

1. Buy Sustainable Products – From coffee to fruits, you can kick off your mornings by taking food that has been certified to have been produced using sustainable standards. That’ll reduce your own carbon as well as provide a financial incentive for more companies to toe that line.

 

2. Shut Off Electronics – Electronics take a lot of the power usage in your home, if you’re like most people. By putting off your computer, tv and other electronics if you’re going to sleep or be away for a long while, the energy and dollar savings will add up to a significant amount over time.

 

3. Duplex Print – You can halve your paper usage simply by printing on both sides of a sheet of paper, and if you don’t mind reading smaller font, you can even go further to print two pages on each side, meaning that you’ll be using only a quarter of the paper you’d normally use. You could use a cloud-based service like efax to reduce your paper consumption even more drastically.

 

4. Energy Efficient Bulbs – Some areas already require residents to use specific types of bulbs in a bid to reduce energy consumption, but it’s something you should do on your own, regardless. Energy Star-rated CFL bulbs can use up to 75 percent less energy than normal bulbs and last up to 10 times longer. The savings add up quickly, especially if yours is a big home with a lot of lighting.

 

5. Refillable Bottles Studies have shown that giving up bottled water can save an individual up to $1,400 every year. You can invest in a faucet-mounted water filter for a cheap price (usually in the range of $50) and buy a refillable bottle you can take with you to school, work or anywhere else.

 

6. Use a Thermostat – Programmable thermostats are common and largely inexpensive nowadays, and you can use them to shave significant amounts of money off your energy bill. By programming it to keep the temperature steady or to only heat or cool the home when you’re on your way back from work, you’ll reduce the energy consumption of your air conditioning systems by far.

 

7. Junk Mail – The average home in the US receives up to 67 pounds of junk mail every year. You can prevent them from being sent to you using a variety of means, including unsubscribing from credit bureau lists or the Direct Marketing Association, which represents around 3,600 companies.

 

In all, reducing your carbon footprint is a good thing for the world and for your pocket, so start with these tips and you’ll find it easier to expand into more ways of going green at home or at work.

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Martina Angel is a writer and real estate agent. She is especially interested in the purchase, ownership, management, rental and sale of real estate for profit. She also volunteers for local water conservation charities in her free time.

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