With everything going on with the nation’s economy right now, the future of the environment might have taken a back seat. Even with the continued rise of inflation, the idea of investing in making your home and your life more energy efficient and sustainable should not be put on the back burner. The financial economy may seem dim now, but the environmental economy has been dimming for much longer. Fortunately, there are changes you can make (both small and large) to reduce your carbon footprint and enjoy an upgraded standard of living.
Table of Contents
Bright Lights
One of the biggest ways to help the environment (and yourself) is by switching from traditional electricity to solar energy. The “pros” of installing solar panels for homes are plentiful:
- Independence from an unreliable power grid
- Potential monthly savings on your energy usage
- Potential eligibility for state and federal tax rebates
- Increased value of home/property with solar energy system
Commercial solar panel installation on/in your home is not nearly as costly and complicated as it may have once been. The solar panel market has broadened considerably over the past decade, and there is now a far more varied choice for solar panels that will work best for your home and your energy needs.
Suppose you are still concerned about the upfront costs of purchasing and installing solar panels. In that case, many solar companies (like Bright Planet Consulting) offer financing options and programs that allow residential customers to still switch to solar without worrying about high installation costs.
Electric Vrooms
Whether you ought to switch over to solar energy, you can still make an impact by not relying on gasoline-powered vehicles. Electric vehicles have also come a long way in recent years; the current market offers a wide variety of different types of vehicles – sedan, coupe, and even SUV.
A few “pros” of owning electric vehicles:
- Better for the environment
- Electricity is less expensive than gas
- Require less maintenance/fewer mechanical issues
- May shorten commute times
Tesla may be the most well-known maker of electric vehicles, but they are certainly not the only name in the game. Toyota, Nissan, Hyundai, Volkswagen, BMW, Chevrolet, and even Ford all have electric vehicles (EVs) to offer interested consumers.
Some of the current popular EVs include:
2022 Tesla Model 3
2022 Chevy Bolt
2022 Nissan Leaf
2022 Ford Mustang Mach-E
The Smartest Energy Efficient Gadgets
Who doesn’t enjoy cool gadgets? And when those gadgets are techie, helpful, AND energy efficient? That’s icing on the cake. And while not every new tech gadget is essential or helpful in making you more energy efficient, some of these popular smart gadgets can help you make a truly positive impact on the environment.
Especially if you are trying to reduce your carbon footprint, you may want to add these devices to your home/life:
- Smart thermometers like Ecobee4 or Nest Thermostat can aid in saving energy while also better maintaining the temperature in your home.
- Energy Home Monitors (Smappee, Engage, Home Energy) offer an overall view of your home’s whole energy usage in real-time and can even connect you to your electric meter.
- Smart plugs (iHome, Amazon, Belkin) can be used to automate electrical devices – i.e. your TV – and reduce the energy used by those devices. You can also turn on/off said devices remotely.
- Smart lighting/light bulbs like Phillips Hue can help your home use less energy – they connect to your other smart devices and can be operated remotely via app.
There are multiple options, both large and small, to make your life more energy efficient and reduce your impact on the environment and the planet. Choosing to run your home with solar energy versus the power grid in combination with smart gadgets makes you an energy-saving powerhouse!
Not only do you help your planet, but you also help yourself in numerous ways. And you don’t have to worry about future grid failures, fluctuating electricity issues, or rolling blackouts. Consider solar energy and other energy efficient changes as an investment in yourself, your home, and even your future. You may even find that your decision to be more energy-conscious is in line with President Biden’s climate budget.
