Ah, Earth Day. A time to reflect on the importance of our planet, on how to take care of it and how much worse off we’ll be if it gets neglected. Doing our part to make it a better place to live doesn’t take a significant amount of effort, and the things you do to pitch in can benefit you and your family at home in addition to helping out the environment.
Acree Plumbing, Air & Electric understands the value of this place we call home, and to celebrate Earth Day, we’re offering up a few tips to mark this national day of environmental protection. Even by following just a few of these guidelines, you’ll make your mark on the area around you – and you’ll probably save some extra money on your heating and energy bills to boot!
Heating/Cooling
- Some change to your thermostat usage can pay dividends. During the summer, raise the temperature a little bit higher than normal. You can save roughly 1 percent on your heating bill for every degree you raise it in the summer or lower it in the winter.
- Another thermostat tip: consider switching to a programmable version. It’ll allow you to choose when the heat runs – meaning you can set it to cut off when nobody is home.
Everyday Materials
- Traditional light bulbs aren’t efficient at all, and they need to be replaced frequently anyway. Replace them with LED bulbs, which last longer and use much less energy. They cost a bit more up-front, but the results pay for themselves.
- Avoid using single-use disposable items when possible, such as cups, bowls and plates. You’ll cut down on waste and lessen the amount of unnecessary garbage floating around.
- Recycling can be a big help as well. If you recycle glass, paper and plastic, you can reduce the amount of garbage you use by 10 percent, lessening your carbon footprint by 1,200 pounds!
- Reducing the amount of paper towels you use and replacing them with cloth towels maximizes the reusability, and it cuts down the amount of one-time-use trash you use throughout the day.
- Limit the amount of bottled water you use and invest in a tap filter. You’ll get similar water quality, but without the unnecessary waste.
Household Appliances
- Washing clothes with only cold water eliminates the heavy energy load it takes to heat up water for hotter washing cycles.
- Crank down the temperature on your water heater to around 120 degrees Fahrenheit. The unit will use less energy to heat up a tank full of water.
- Take shorter showers, and when you do, swap out the showerheads with low-flow or aerated versions that limit the water consumption you’d normally cause with longer showers.
- Instead of using a dryer, give line-drying another look. It will help minimize the energy you use for your clothes-cleaning process.
Earth Day doesn’t enjoy the fame most other holidays do, but it’s arguably one of the most important. By following just a few of these environmentally advantageous tips, you can feel good about doing your part to make the planet a better place to live, and you’ll do it all while pocketing some extra money when bill-paying time rolls around. For more ways to become energy-efficient and upgrade your home, give the professionals at Acree Plumbing, Air & Electric a call at (813) 530-9061!
