What can you do to reduce your carbon footprint and minimize the effects of climate change? It may seem like a big task, but a few small changes by you can make a huge difference. Here are some ways to give your home an eco upgrade.
Wash clothes in cold water.
Your washing machine uses a lot of energy, but most of that just goes toward heating water. Try doing your laundry on cold. If that doesn’t get something quite clean, try it again on warm. Only use hot water as a last resort or for things like oil stains. On sunny days, you can eliminate the dryer, too, and hang your clothes out on a line in the backyard.
Use LED bulbs.
One great eco upgrade is to replace your home’s light bulbs with LED bulbs. Not only do they use less energy than fluorescent and incandescent bulbs, they last much longer too. For a bonus eco upgrade, install smart lighting, which can be controlled from your phone. An app adjusts bulbs’ intensity based on the amount of natural light in the room and even shuts off lights automatically when a room is empty, saving energy.
Get a smart thermostat.
This eco upgrade is similar to smart lighting in that it’s controlled from your mobile device. A smart thermostat lets you set your family’s schedule so your HVAC system can automatically go into energy-saving mode when no one’s home. With a zoning system, it even lets you set the temperature for individual rooms separately and turn off the air to rooms no one’s using.
Seal leaks.
Sometimes an eco upgrade is just a simple matter of repairs. To help your HVAC system run more efficiently, seal up places in your home where air can leak in. Have your HVAC technician do an energy audit to find air leaks. Also seal leaks in your ductwork to keep conditioned air from escaping before it reaches your home.
If you want to give your home an eco upgrade, contact us at Mowery Heating, Cooling and Plumbing. We provide quality home-comfort solutions to the Indianapolis area.
