Looking to be more eco-friendly in your home, but not sure where to start? Check out these three easy upgrades you can make to your home today! From low-flow showerheads to LED lightbulbs, these changes will help you save money and the environment.
Making your home eco-friendly doesn’t have to be a daunting task. There are many small changes you can make that will have a big impact. Here are three eco-friendly upgrades you can do now:
1. Install a Low-Flow Showerhead
A low-flow showerhead can save you up to 2.5 gallons of water per minute. That might not sound like a lot, but it adds up quickly – especially if you have multiple people in your household taking showers every day. Not only will you save water, but you’ll also save on your energy bill since you won’t be using as much hot water.
2. Change Your Light Bulbs
Changing your light bulbs is one of the easiest ways to make your home more eco-friendly. Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) use about 75% less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs, so they’ll save you money on your energy bill. LED bulbs are even more efficient, but they can be more expensive. If you can’t afford to switch all of your light bulbs at once, start with the ones you use most often.
3. Unplug appliances when you’re not using them
Many appliances continue to draw power even when they’re turned off. This is known as “standby power” or “phantom power.” Standby power can account for 5-10% of your home’s energy use, so it’s important to unplug appliances when you’re not using them. This includes things like your coffee maker, toaster, microwave, and TV. If you have appliances that you can’t unplug, like your fridge, make sure they’re properly sealed so they don’t use more energy than necessary.
Making your home more eco-friendly doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive. These three upgrades are a great place to start.
Common Questions Roundup:
1. What is a low-flow showerhead?
2. How much water can you save by using a low-flow showerhead?
3. What are compact fluorescent light bulbs?
4. How much energy do compact fluorescent light bulbs save?
5. What are LED light bulbs?
6. How much more efficient are LED light bulbs than traditional incandescent bulbs?
7. What is standby power?
8. How much energy does standby power use in the average home?
9. What are some appliances that use standby power?
10. How can you tell if an appliance is using more energy than necessary?
Answers to common questions:
1. A low-flow showerhead is a showerhead that uses less water than a standard showerhead.
2. You can save up to 2.5 gallons of water per minute by using a low-flow showerhead.
3. Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) are fluorescent light bulbs that have been designed to fit into standard light sockets.
4. CFLs use about 75% less energy than traditional incandescent light bulbs.
5. LED light bulbs are light-emitting diode light bulbs.
6. LED light bulbs are about 80% more efficient than traditional incandescent light bulbs.
7. Standby power is the power that an appliance uses when it is turned off but still plugged into an outlet.
8. Standby power can account for 5-10% of the total energy use in an average home.
9. Some appliances that use standby power include televisions, computers, and printers.
10. You can usually tell if an appliance is using more energy than necessary if it is warm to the touch when it is turned off.
Tl;dr
-Install a low-flow showerhead to save water and energy
-Change your light bulbs to CFLs or LEDs
-Unplug appliances when you\’re not using them