10 Tips for Saving Some Green Around Your Home This Spring
Don’t believe you can make a positive impact on the environment? Actually, you can, and you can do it right from your very own home! There are tons of ways to be environmentally friendly while saving some green in your pocket as well. Check out these tips for how you can save money and impact the environment around your home this spring!
1. Reduce and Reuse, and Compost!
Begin making more environmentally conscious decisions by setting up a recycling and compost system within your home! By making recycling more consistent, you can help cut down on waste, and with a compost system, you’ll actually have a purpose for those leftover food scraps. Composting can help bring more nutrients to your soil, making your yard look nicer, or helping your garden thrive! Whether you believe it or not, recycling makes a huge difference!
2. Switch to Natural Cleaning Products
In a combined effort with recycling and composting, using natural cleaning products goes a long way toward creating a more environmentally-friendly home. Natural products reduce the amount of harmful chemicals that can circulate in your indoor air, providing you better air quality at home. Using natural cleaners will also stop those contaminants from affecting the environment around your home, helping everything thrive and prosper!
3. Switch to LED Light Bulbs
Led light bulbs, according to Energy Star, are 90% more efficient than standard incandescent bulbs. High-quality LED bulbs also have a life expectancy around three times higher than your standard bulb. That means you’ll be saving money and energy in the long and the short run!
4. Invest In A Smart Thermostat
If your HVAC system is running more than it should, you could be wasting energy and money that you don’t have to. Spencer at The Lake offers a way to fix that! Our smart and programmable thermostats allow you to set your home’s comfort levels on your schedule. That means if you’re going to be out on the lake all day, you can set the temperature higher to save money while you’re away, then have it set lower before you even return home, so you’re never uncomfortable. That’s a SMART way to save!
5. Check Windows & Doors
Checking your windows and doors for cracks, gaps, or loose seals is a great way to lower the amount of work your HVAC system has to do, keeping you more comfortable and greatly cutting down your energy expenses. It is also important to check your walls, ceilings, and doors for any cracks or gaps as well, as they can also cause conditioned air to leak out of your home and outside air to enter. Caulk, seal, and weatherstrip any damaged areas, and you will see a noticeable difference in your comfort levels and your energy costs.
6. Use Blinds & Drapery In Warmer Months
Speaking of windows and doors, another tip to save some green around your home this spring is by utilizing blinds and curtains. As the weather warms up and the sun stays out longer, our homes are being warmed more easily, creating more work for your HVAC system. By closing blinds and curtains, you can keep your home cooler and give your HVAC system a rest. This will help you save money and stay more comfortable in your home.
7. Be More Water Conscious
Unnecessary water use is a major factor in not only your expenses, but your environmental footprint. Check your home for any leaks from faucets, pipes, and appliances that may be causing you to waste water. You can also cut down your water expenses by switching to cold water for washing and cleaning. Hot water heating accounts for about 90% of the energy that washing machines use. Make the switch to cold as much as possible, and you will reduce your energy expenses significantly.
8. Invest In A High-Efficiency HVAC System
Older HVAC systems naturally have older technology, and unfortunately, they just can’t keep up with the efficiency of newer systems. HVAC systems built within the last few years have such good efficiency ratings, they can lower your energy bills by up to 60% depending on the system you have now! Invest in a high-efficiency, better working AC system, and you might see a massive return on your investment. Many systems offered by Spencer At The Lake are also energy star certified, so you can reduce your carbon footprint, and positively impact the environment. It’s a win-win!
9. Try Climate-Appropriate Landscaping
Packing your yard with native plants, and investing in groundwork that is more appropriate for your climate is a drastic way to positively affect the environment around your home. Using native plants also positively affects the community, and ensures long-lasting production and a flourishing life for those plants.
10. Avoid Single-Use Items
To help reduce the amount of trash that you produce, and reduce the amount of plastic in our lakes, coastal waterways and our communities, avoid using single-use items. Replace your grocery bags with eco-friendly, reusable bags. You can also take it a step further and cut out paper towels from your home, and instead use rags, cloths, and linens to greatly reduce the amount of trash that you throw out each year. Stop buying paper plates, plasticware, and other non-essential paper items. This is a huge step in improving the environment starting from our homes.
Contact Us!
Spencer Heating & Air At The Lake is here to assist you in giving you the most energy-efficient home possible. Call us at 256-373-3165 to get a FREE estimate on a high-efficiency system for your home or have us answer any questions you may have about your system and its needs for the environment. We are the most trusted contractor in the Lake Martin area and we will get the job done right the first time!
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