Did you know that going green isn’t just good for the planet, but also your wallet? This Earth Day, coming up on April 22, is all about celebrating and protecting the planet. Doing your part for the environment can also save you money and reduce your energy bills. So in honor of Earth Day this year, here are some practical tips you can use to go green.
Use the Landfill Less
One of the simplest ways you can reduce the amount of trash you send to the landfill is by switching from bottled water to filtered tap water. The plastic required to make the bottles for the bottled water uses millions of barrels of oil each year. What’s worse, 80 percent of those bottles just end up in the landfill, where they’ll need about 1,000 years to break down.
Add the fossil fuels used to transport the bottles from place to place, and you have a recipe for a high carbon footprint. Instead, simply install a whole-home water filtration system, which will give you on-demand access to water that’s just as clean and refreshing as what you get in a bottle.
Another important thing you can do to be more green is to find other uses for things before recycling them, and recycling glass, paper, plastic, and other products instead of throwing them in the trash.
Use Fewer Fossil Fuels
Reducing your carbon footprint is all about reducing your reliance on fossil fuels, and there are a number of ways you can do this. Here are seven tips for reducing your carbon footprint:
1. Bike, don’t drive
2. Use CFLs instead of incandescent bulbs
3. Install ENERGY STAR appliances
4. Turn off lights when you leave the room
5. Turn off gadgets and electronics when you aren’t using them
6. Buy less plastic
7. Install solar panels
Use Less Energy
With this one simple tip, you can reduce your home’s overall energy use and reduce the amount of energy required to run your water heater: install a tankless water heater.
Because these devices don’t store water and keep it heated all the time, there’s no subsequent standby loss. Tankless water heaters use 30 percent less energy than storage-tank water heaters. As a bonus, tankless heaters have a lifespan of about 20 years, which is double that of storage-style systems.
Use Less Water
There are tons of simple hacks you can use around the house to cut your water consumption. Some simple ones include:
- putting full bottles of water in the toilet tanks
- turning off the water when you’re lathering up in the shower
- using a rain barrel in the yard to collect water for the garden
When it comes to your plumbing, you can quickly and easily reduce the amount of water your household uses by thousands of gallons each year just by replacing toilets, faucets, and shower heads with water-smart models and low-flow alternatives.
The Earth is our only home, and it’s our responsibility to take care of it. In the end, that’s what Earth Day is all about.
To book an installation for green appliances in the Seattle, WA area, call our Gene Johnson Heating, Cooling, Plumbing and Electrical team today at 206.792.7495.
