“Go Green at Home with These Tips” by Naomi Shaw, Contributor!

LA-Story.com contributor, Naomi Shaw is kicking off 2020 with a very timely article on “going green”.

“Go Green at Home with These Tips!

by Naomi Shaw

Homeowners around the world are looking to go green and do their part to help mitigate the ongoing climate change crisis. There is a common misconception that going green is expensive and requires a significant time investment, but this belief holds little water. Going green at home is easier than ever, and with a few simple changes, you can make your house more eco-friendly. Below are just a few ways you can make your home more eco-friendly and focus on energy efficiency.

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Install a Smart or Programmable Thermostat

Heating and cooling systems are the largest consumers of energy in the average family home. Most homes come with manual thermostats where you must set the temperature and turn the system on or off. This makes it very easy to leave your heat running during the winter or the AC blowing during the summer for longer than is necessary. Swapping your manual thermostat or a smart or programmable thermostat gives you more convenient control over your HVAC system while reducing energy usage.

A programmable thermostat follows the instructions that you establish. You can set a programmable thermostat so it never runs during certain hours like when people are asleep or away from the house. This eliminates the possibility of you turning on your heat or AC and forgetting to turn it off. It also ensures that your HVAC system is only on when it should be. By addressing these issues, you reduce the amount of time your heat or AC is on, which lowers your energy consumption.

Better Light Bulbs

Incandescent light bulbs have been the standard, and sometimes they are the only option for home lighting. However, modern technology has presented us with two new and superior options with CFL and LED light bulbs. CFL and LED light bulbs have a longer life-span, produce more light, and use less energy than incandescent bulbs making them the eco-friendly choice. Assuming an incandescent bulb, CFL and LED bulb are all 10W bulbs, the incandescent bulb will produce 81 lumens, a lumen is a unit measurement for how bright a light is, the CFL bulb will produce 450 lumens, and the LED bulb will produce 800 lumens. LED bulbs are not only the brightest option, but they also last the longest with a life-span of 25,000 hours while CFL bulbs last for 8,000 hours and incandescent bulbs only last 1,200 hours.

Insulation

Proper insulation reduces energy usage by keeping the heat in your house and not letting it leak out which means you needn’t continuously reheat your house. When most people think of home insulation, they think of the boards or foam in a building’s walls, but there are other ways of insulating a home. Double pane windows are ideal for insulating a house, but they are expensive making double glazing your windows a suitable alternative. Check the seals around your doors and windows for gaps or leaks, and repair the seals with caulk or weather stripping. You could also add an area rug on top of exposed hardwood floors to prevent heat from slipping through the cracks in the floor.

Laundry and Dishes

Washing your clothes and dishes are common household tasks most that people never think twice about, but with some small changes, you can make these chores more eco-friendly. Wash your clothes in cold water so you don’t use energy to heat the water. Leave your clothes to air dry instead of using the dryer; if you hang up your clothes before going to bed they will be dry in the morning. Only run your dishwasher when it is full to maximize the energy cost and let the dishes air-dry instead of using the heated dry option.

Going green at home isn’t nearly as difficult or expensive as some myths make it seem. By installing a programmable thermostat, using more efficient light bulbs, insulating your house, and slightly changing your laundry and dishwashing practices, you can lead a greener life at home.

Bio of Naomi Shaw:

Naomi Shaw lives in Southern California with her husband and three kids. She is a freelance journalist and Stay-at-Home mom that enjoys writing on fashion, beauty, green living, and interior design.

Follow Naomi Shaw on these social platforms:
Twitter: @naomijshaw
Website: naomijshaw.weebly.com

Thanks to Naomi Shaw for presenting these great tips on the little things that can make a difference in your house PLUS make it “green” and eco-efficient.

Stevie Wilson,
LA-Story.com

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