As the topic of energy conservation and preserving the environment becomes more popular among homeowners, we develop new and creative ways of achieving these goals. It goes beyond buying energy-efficient products.
There are a handful of non-traditional ways Port St. Lucie, FL residents can cut down energy use at home. Here are some new ways you can start conserving electricity.
BBQ More Often
This suggestion is great if you love to barbecue. Cooking food outside instead of in your kitchen offers a variety of ways to conserve electricity. It burns coals or propane with a grill instead of using energy via your oven or stove.
Also, no additional heat is being produced inside your home so your air conditioner won't be working overtime to maintain cool temperatures. One more energy-saving tip we recommend is when heating up food in a microwave instead of a stovetop or oven.
Keep Doors Shut
Something we should do more often is ensure that the entrances to our homes are properly closed and sealed. This precaution can reduce the amount of air coming in from outside, which is forcing the HVAC unit to work harder to cool or heat the interior.
Practice this measure in both summer and winter. Another thing to consider is installing a door draft stopper beneath each entrance to ensure air doesn't enter or escape through the underside of each door. If you're trying to save even more energy by limiting the number of rooms that receive heat or AC, close the vents and doors for those rooms.
Plant the Right Trees
Do you think your home could use a bit of outdoor vegetation? One method of saving energy that can also make your property more beautiful is by planting trees in strategic spots to help with cooling and heating, depending on the season.
To help keep cool during summer, plant deciduous trees, which shed their leaves in the winter, on both sides of your home to give you a bit of shade.
As for winter, plant rows of evergreen trees, which retain their leaves all year long, on the northern and western sides to help block cold winds. Doing this will help support your HVAC system in regulating temperatures throughout the year.
Install Low-Emissivity Windows
Low-emissivity, or Low-E, glass is an innovative product designed to reflect infrared and ultraviolet light while allowing the same amount of light to shine through as regular glass would.
These types of windows have a microscopically thin coating that is transparent and reflects heat. This technology keeps the temperature in your home consistent, which means your HVAC devices won't have to work as hard or long to maintain the climate.