Free and Easy Ways to Go Green at Home: Save Energy, Save Money and Decrease Global Warming With These Tips

Small, simple changes at home can help to decrease pollution and global warming that is causing climate change. Making environmentally friendly choices can also save money by decreasing the use of resources and products. Here are free ways to be more green at home, starting today.

Use Less Electricity to Decrease Global Warming

Use the microwave for more than just heating up food. Cooking smaller meals on an electric or gas stove top takes more energy and time than cooking in the microwave. Some recipes can be tweaked to taste just as appetizing when microwave cooked. When using a kettle to boil water, fill it with only enough water that is needed.

Food waste also adds to global warming; do a quick inventory of the fridge and freezer every week to be sure that food is eaten on time. Plan meal around what is stocked in the kitchen and be creative. Also avoid buying bottled water and drink tap water. Use a filtered jug if needed and when going out take a reusable stainless steel bottle.

Unplug anything that is not needed. Kitchen appliances, televisions, cell phone chargers and computers drain electricity even when they are turned off. To prevent this loss of money and waste of resources, unplug appliances after switching off. This can be easier to do on a daily basis by using power bars for several appliances and simply unplugging the power bar.

A clothes dryer also uses a great deal of energy; on sunny days try line drying for fresh air-dried clothes or use an indoor drying system over the tub or in a well-ventilated area of the home.

Turn Down the Heat and Sleep Better

Turn down the thermostat and put on a sweater; even a few degrees everyday can add up to save money and resources. Also open curtains and blinds on windows that the sun is hitting. The solar energy helps to warm up indoor air. Close blinds and curtains as soon as the sun sets to prevent warmer air from dissipating through windows.

In hotter climates and temperature, turn off the air conditioner and open windows whenever possible. Close blinds and curtain to block out sun and open them in shaded parts of the house to let in cool air.

Similarly decreasing the temperature of household hot water heaters a few degrees will not cause a noticeable change but can add up to big savings and reduces the risk of burns to children.

Going to bed earlier is not only good for the health as night time sleep is more restful and improves the body’s ability to heal and regenerate, it is also good for the environment. Staying awake late into the night really does burn the ‘midnight oil’ and it results in waking up at a later time, missing hours of daylight.

Use Less, Reuse and Repurpose and Recycle

Change all household bills to online only so that paper bills are not received in the mail. This prevents wasting paper and reduces the amount of time it takes to collect the bill from the mailbox, open it and file it away after paying it. Not to mention recycling the envelope.

Instead of throwing away any old furniture, toys and other usable items, post them on sites for free stuff, donate them to a charity shop or ask friends and neighbors if they would like them. One person’s junk is another person’s treasure and this prevents items from being tossed into landfills.

Also try reusing, re-purposing or recycling old furniture. For example an old chair can be recovered with a slip cover and a chest of drawers can be repainted to make a hallway shoe organizer or take the drawers out and stack them to make an interesting wall shelf storage unit.