NexPlan Recycling & Renewable Energy
Save Energy, Save Money & Save our Planet

Global warming and climate change is an issue that will affect every person on the planet either directly or indirectly. We can reduce the impact of global warming if we act now as individuals.  It starts from our home. This is because much of the energy we use in our homes comes from power plants, which burn fossil fuel to power our electric products. Burning fossil fuels causes air pollution and contributes to smog, acid rain and global warming.  How can you save energy, save money and save our planet from choices made in your home?  Let's examine some ways to achieve this.









Home Heating Efficiencies:

Heating and cooling efficiencies are another way to save on home energy costs. There are many ways to cut down on energy wastes. Make sure your doors and windows are well sealed during the winter months. Door sweeps can easily be installed as well as plastic window sheeting. Air leaks around windows and doorframes account for some of the biggest sources of heat loss in your home. Draft-proofing your home before the winter will improve your comfort, as well as reducing outdoor noise, save energy and save money. Heat is commonly lost through windows that have been improperly fitted or have cracked panes and loose weather stripping. Leaks can be fixed by putting caulk around the window. Broken or cracked panes should be replaced with new glass as soon as possible.

You can test your windows for leaks and drafts by holding a lit candle in front of them. If the smoke from the candle swirls, it means you have an air leak. Use interior plastic window sheeting to further weatherize your windows. To cut drafts from windows simply tape the sheet of plastic to the inside edges of the window using double-sided tape. You can also use weather stripping along the length and width of your window. Window kits can be purchased as low as a few dollars at a local department or hardware store. If you won't be home for a few days, turn the thermostat to its lowest setting. Be careful not to turn your heat completely off in sub freezing weather in case of pipes freezing or other household items being damaged. Installing a thermostat timer can save energy and money. The timer can be set to automatically raise and lower the temperature during hours when you require heat and times where you are at work or not home the system can lower the heat. Another idea is to close off rooms that are not being used. Move furniture, draperies and carpeting away from electric baseboards and other sources of heat.

















If you own your own home there are things you can do to save energy and money.Your home's heating, ventilation and cooling (HVAC) system is the most obvious place to start, since this is probably the largest power draw and the greatest source of energy loss as well. Get your HVAC systems serviced regularly and change the filters on your heating unit. A dirty filter can dramatically decrease heating efficiency, yet it only costs a few dollars and takes only a few minutes to replace. Sealing your duct system is also an easy way to save energy. A duct system that has leaks will take in unheated air and blow it into your home. Seal the leaks with duct mastic, instead of duct tape. The attic is also a common source of drafts, so the air spaces in the attic should be sealed. Holes or tunnels for plumbing or wiring, if left open, may trigger cold air to move inside the walls throughout the entire house. If you have a gas-fired heating system, maximize its efficiency by getting it tuned-up every year. Make sure the fan motor, burners and circulator pump are maintained correctly. If you have a heat pump, keep the outdoor unit clear of grass, leaves and rubbish around the outdoor coil. It is wise to schedule an annual tune-up for your heat pump, furnace or boiler. If you need to purchase a new furnace, boiler, heat pump, water heater, or other home appliance, think about purchasing a high-efficiency unit.

One of the best ways that you can make your energy bill a little more tolerable is to take some steps now to improve heating efficiency within your home. There are several things that you can do, big and small, that can help your home to be more energy efficient. There are different ways you can heat your home, whether it is natural gas, oil, electric heat, solar power, or combinations of different energy sources. The thing to do is to find out what is right for you and your budget. Whatever type of energy you use energy efficiency should apply to everyone. To improve energy efficiency in your home, you should analyze what could use a little tweaking or adjustments to make sure that no heat is escaping. You should also consider the fact that by installing a geothermal, solar or other natural powered heating system you will be saving money every month from year to year for the next several decades. This is the most effective way to improve heating efficiency. As heating costs rise and global warming becomes more of an issue, it is crucial that we all as homeowners or apartment tenants do what we can to save money.

Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL) and Light Emitting Diode (LED) bulbs have revolutionized energy-efficient lighting. CFLs are four times more efficient and last up to 10 times longer than incandescent lights.  Replacing a single incandescent bulb with a CFL will keep a half-ton of CO2 out of the atmosphere over the life of the bulb.

Appliances are another area we can focus on.  Home appliances look pretty much the same on the outside, but they vary widely in terms of energy-efficiency and operating costs. You can buy years of energy savings by choosing appliances that carry the "energy star" symbol. You can lower your utility bill and help protect the environment by choosing energy efficient appliances and using them wisely.

Today our modern homes are filled with toxic chemicals for cleaning and products designed to make our life easier. Pesticides are also used frequently for most common household insects and to keep our outside property free from pests, but these potent chemical compounds are toxic and harmful to the environment. The toll from the use of these commercial, chemical-based products can be high -- long-term health concerns for the family, and environmental pollution caused by their manufacture and disposal. In the US, for example, 1 in 3 people suffer from asthma, sinusitis or bronchitis and allergies (US National Center for Health Statistics).


Home Water Efficiency

Without clean, sufficient freshwater, life on this planet would cease to exist. Simple actions we can take at home can reduce household water consumption by up to 40 liters a day and help preserve our planet's water supply. Water supplies are not infinite. Everyone can play a part, at home, at school or in the community, to protect and to conserve our water so that it will be preserved for future generations.

Water is something that is easy to waste in our homes if we are not careful. Taking shorter showers and installing low-flow showerheads and faucets can save you money and help save the environment. Faucets can run seven to eleven liters of water each minute. Turn off taps when you aren't using them. Changing from baths to showers conserves water, as a bath uses more than 80 liters of water; where a shower uses less than 40 liters every five minutes. Replace older, larger-use toilets with the newer ultra-low flush models. Low-flush toilets conserve water and reduce the greenhouse gases produced in the water-purification process. When buying a new clothes washer consider purchasing a water-saving model. Be efficient when doing laundry, by washing only full loads in the clothes washer. When buying a new dishwasher, consider purchasing a water-saving model.  We also need to be concerned with protecting the quality of water at home. We need to be careful before dumping something down the drain. Prescription drugs, over the counter medicines, cosmetics, mouthwash and antibacterial soap can remain in our water supply if we do not dispose of them properly. Alternatives to phosphate containing and other hazardous cleaners that could ultimately end up in our drinking water should be used in the home. Another issue when it comes to drinking water is to look into a water filter system and cut down on bottled water where you can, to cut down on the use of plastics, which can have some toxic chemicals in them and can cause health issues and also harm the environment.

Hot water usage is something that more homeowners are concerned about. Hot water costs money and also uses energy, some of which can contribute to global warming. Water heating can account for up to a quarter of a home's energy consumption. Selecting the right type of water heater and using energy-efficient water-heating strategies can assist homeowners reduce their energy use, lower their energy bills, and maintain sufficient amounts of hot water. The size and type of water heater needs to be best suited to the needs of a specific home. You need to make sure your water heater and hot water pipes are well insulated as well. Do not heat your water unnecessarily. One thing you may consider is solar hot water. While conventional water heating appliances cost money and pollute the air, solar hot water heating uses only clean energy from the sun, it consumes no dirty fossil fuels, and it pays for itself in energy savings.

Outside the home, lawn watering and other outdoor uses can account for up to half of home water use. Studies have shown that as much as half of this outdoor water use is wasteful. Be aware of the water wasted by watering our lawns. Dig compost into your flowerbeds, plant native species, and mulch around plants, shrubs and trees to absorb water. Water wisely if you need to water plants and trees and water early in the day to prevent evaporation. Watering cans and soaker hoses waste the least and occasional, deep watering is better than frequent, light sprinkling. Also we need to be aware of needlessly washing our cars and the fact that this is a huge drain on our water supply. Using a running hose to wash your car can waste about 400 litres of water. Using a bucket with a sponge plus a trigger nozzle on the hose will save you about 300 of those litres.

The world is running out of water due to that fact that we are polluting, depleting, and diverting its finite freshwater supplies rapidly. Water conservation is something we all need to participate in. Water is not infinite and what we take for granted now may not be there for us in future generations.

There are many other energy saving tips and tricks that can save you money and help save the environment. The basic ones were just outlined in this article. There are many web sites that give detailed information on how to achieve home efficiency. Also, be aware of government grants and tax breaks as well as promotions from your utility companies for any energy efficient initiative you may want to undertake in your home.



















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