High costs of electricity have already forced many people to rethink their approach to energy consumption. Refrigerators and dishwashers are among the biggest users of electricity in any house. A wide range of green household appliances are able to help you save money on energy consumption and boost your eco-friendliness.

Energy Star rated household appliances will save you about $500 annually. Such household equipment use less energy and water. Even though Energy Star appliances are a bit more expensive, you will appreciate their value on the long run. After all, being earth-friendly doesn’t require a lot of effort. You need to adjust your habits a little to make a significant difference. There is no need to grow all your food or get a giant solar pane. There are other ways to be eco-friendly at home.

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Green it up!

If your fridge is more than ten years old, it is time to replace it with a greener alternative. Energy Star refrigerators use 15% less electricity due to better insulation and energy efficiency.

You can get a dishwasher and use it only when it is fully loaded. Otherwise, you won’t save any water or electricity. If you think that washing the dishes by hand will save some water, you may be mistaken. The new generation of dishwashers uses significantly less water now. Before you decide to make a hasty new purchase, you need to do your research and choose the most energy efficient appliance.

When the time comes to buy a new fridge or a washing machine, don’t forget to recycle your old appliances. Most of the household appliances contain chemical materials hazardous for the nature. That is why you need to find a company that utilizes old equipment.

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Eco-friendly kitchens

Modern technology uses sustainable materials to create better kitchen appliances. There was no Energy Efficiency ranking fifty years ago because people didn’t care much about the environment. Now you can purchase a solar oven for your kitchen and enjoy eco-friendly food every day. A transparent lid of a solar oven allows sun rays to warm it up from the inside. Some solar ovens even collect and store solar energy to increase the cooking temperature. Sun-powered cooking is not as fast as gas cooking, yet the food from a solar stove has more flavor.

Energy efficiency will become a key element of the most appliances sooner than you think. Technological upgrades have already affected the modern cooking industry. Your new eco-friendly appliances should be sturdy and reliable. Nonetheless, you shouldn’t forget about your green habits. Green appliances mean green lifestyle and cooking preferences. If you start buying local veggies and fruit from the nearest farmer’s market, you will support the local entrepreneurs and spend less money on transportation costs, thus reducing the energy emissions in the atmosphere. Energy Star appliances help you save the planet and reduce the cost of your next electricity bill. If you don’t know how to revolutionize your kitchen and turn it into something green and ultra-efficient, check out what specialists from Environmental Data Resources have to offer.

With the seasons changing, our minds turn to the cost of our energy bills. It’s no wonder. Shorter days mean we have the lights on for longer. Cold weather means turning the heating on. Whatever way you look at it, winter can be expensive. What better time of year to turn our attention to long-term ways to cut down on our energy costs? With a little time and effort, it’s possible to cut down a significant chunk of the amount we spend on energy. Here’s how!

Turn Things Off

I know you hear this all the time, but it works! Turning lights off when you’re not in rooms makes a significant difference. Switching appliances off at the plugs is worth the effort too. It’s shocking how much of the energy in our homes gets used unnecessarily. It’s also worth practicing leniency when turning things on in the first place. Do you need the main light on, or can you settle for a lamp beside you? Do you need the heating, or can you put a jumper on? Taking the time to consider the energy you’re using will open your eyes to how much less you could get away with.

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Compare Energy Prices

It’s possible you won’t have to cut down on anything to save yourself a little money. Comparison sites show how much cheaper your energy could be elsewhere. Energy prices change all the time. It’s worth checking comparison sites often to see that you’re getting the best deal. You could always use this as a haggling tool with another energy company, too. Find out who they are and what deal they offer, then give them a ring with details of your current provider. Quite often, companies will match or beat your current bills. Don’t be afraid of putting yourself out there!

Look at Different Types of Energy

If you’ve had enough of dealing with the energy giants, why not take matters into your own hands? Producing your energy is excellent for the environment, and for your bank balance. The main choices you have here are solar or wind power. Both have their benefits. If your garden is south facing, solar energy may be the way to go. If not, why not consider a small wind turbine for your home? You could even go for a hybrid model that provides both solar and wind energy to fuel your home. There are installation costs involved with these. They will soon start paying for themselves. Solar panel experts can install the system into your home for you, so you don’t need to worry.

Following all these steps together would save you an enormous amount of money. If you can’t stretch to all of them, just following one or two will make a significant difference to your energy bill. If the saving itself isn’t enough incentive to change, think of the environment. Fossil fuels are bad for the environment in many ways. Cutting down, or finding alternate energy, will make such a difference!