Though it’s a new year, old tips for how to live a green, eco-friendly life are still as true as ever, such as purchasing a programmable thermostat to turn the heat down while you’re not home, turning your ceiling fans in the opposite direction to distribute the heat and adding eco-friendly insulation to your attic, garage and basement. As a reminder of some of the steps you can take to lower energy usage during the winter months, read some of these helpful blog posts:
- Go Green with Heating Systems
- Eco-Friendly EPA-Approved Fireplaces
- Tankless Water Heaters
- How to Host a Green Dinner Party
- Energy-Efficient Insulation
To add to the list, try out these new ideas, too:
• Start planning a winter garden for next year. The crops should be planted in August, but the planning of where to put the garden and what to plant can start now! Winter vegetables include beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, lettuce, turnips and so much more!
• When insulating the attic, garage, basement, etc., don’t forget to insulate the doors! Insulate the doors between these areas and your main living areas. For example, if the entrance to the attic is in your main hallway, insulate the attic door to keep the most amount of cold air out of your hallway.
• Since your thermostat will be set at an eco-friendly temperature of 65 Fahrenheit or lower, not only should you pile on the sweats and blankets, but you should wear dark clothing around the house in order to absorb light and heat.
• Modern stovetops are able to retain heat for minutes after you turn them off. To use up this otherwise wasted heat, turn your stove off a few minutes before the timer goes off. Your food will continually to cook at an acceptable temperature.
• Use a programmable thermostat for your hot water heater, and program it to turn on when you shower. Otherwise, use tap water for your dishes and laundry instead of hot water, and only run these appliances when you have a full load.