Save energy in your home and introduce your children to a healthier lifestyle using the green living tips listed below. Go green for your whole family!
While "going green" isn't exactly something that can be done overnight, there are things that you can do to limit the amount of energy that's wasted in your home. Start with these tips to see how much energy you can save and make a difference in the world. Be asure to discuss the idea of "going green" with your children. They may have some ideas of their own. Remember, it's never too early to develop healthy habits that will last a lifetime!
Green Living Record Keeping
- If you are interested in keeping a record of the changes you made in your home, don't just go by your bills as they will change with the seasons anyhow. Call your utility company if you don't have copies of last year's bills. Ask them for a record of your monthly usages from the last year so you can compare month by month how much energy you saved!
Saving Energy in the Home
- Most large appliances store up energy when they are not in use. Often, they use more energy as they store it than they would if they were actually being used! Either unplug or shut off the power supply to these appliances when not in use.
- Fill a cup with water when brushing your teeth rather than letting the water run.
- Take showers instead of baths.
- Turn your water heater down. Water heaters keep the water at the set temperature even when not in use. This means that even while you sleep, you are burning energy to heat unused water.
- Use an alternate form of heat such as a wood or pellet burner. Wood burners are especially useful because you can use wood that is already dead and there is no special processing involved!
- Let in the sun! To quickly and easily warm the house, don't forget to open the curtains. Sunlight is an often overlooked heat resource.
Green Living for Kids
- Grow your own vegetables and eat homemade meals. You would be amazed at how much is wasted just in the packaging process. Homegrown vegetables are healthier for you because they don't contain dye injections, wax or even pestisides if you don't put them there. They can also be canned or frozen which means that any packaging used can be reused next year!
- Try making one night a month a "green night", using no electric other than the refrigerator. This is a great time for the kids to take a break from the video games and maybe play a family board game instead!
Use these tips to get started, but don't stop there! Every day should be Earth Day! Even if you only do one thing, keep expanding on that one thing until you are as green as you can be.
The copyright of the article Green Living Tips in Saving Energy is owned by Kathy Foust. Permission to republish Green Living Tips in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
