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- | Landscaping is a great way to improve the look of any area. Believe it or not, landscaping can be a relatively simple process. Not every landscaping job requires the need to hire professionals that will cost an arm and a leg. Here are a few easy tips to help you get started.[[http://landscaping71.webnode.com/news/quick-and-easy-landscaping-on-a-budget/|Porous Pavers for Sale]] | + | Our home is our castle, but that doesn't mean that we should be selfish about the world outside our door. It is up to us to take care of our environment, and that can start in our home. Read on to find some ideas which will help you implement green energy solutions within your home.[[http://bookmarkz.info/story.php?title=ratings-and-reviews-with-regards-to-comflor|Corus Comflor 225]] |
+ | Turn your water heater temperature down. Setting the temperature at 120 degrees will still allow steaming hot water to come out of your faucets and showers, but you will save on your energy bills. According to research, for each 10 degrees you lower your water heater thermostat, you can save about three to five percent on energy costs. | ||
- | You do not have to hire a professional to design your landscape for you, but it might be worth your time and money to quickly meet with an architect. You will get a better idea of how much your project will cost and perhaps avoid mistakes that would end up costing you money. | + | When shopping for appliances, computers or other electronic items, look for products that wear an Energy Star badge. To earn the right to display the Energy Star logo, products must meet certain energy-efficiency criteria. There are different tiers of efficiency as well, which can translate into additional energy savings over the lifetime of the product. |
- | Utilize the Internet and mail-order catalogs in order to buy what you need for your landscaping project. Both of these sources are more likely to have rare plants and other products that area stores don't carry. You may also find a good deal, but be careful to pay attention to shipping costs before you purchase. | + | Windmills are capable of creating electrical energy without polluting anything. Purchasing your own windmill can be expensive, and there may be restrictions on putting one up where you live. If you can install your own windmill, you will be able to sell excess electricity to your local power company and recoup some of your costs. |
- | When you first begin growing plants, it may be wise to grow smaller plants. Not only do they require less watering, but they are easier to take care of. Once you get use to these plants, you may think about extending your plants by getting bigger ones, as long as you are prepared to care for them. | + | Take an active part in your local community if you find that green energies are a common concern. You will learn more about alternative energy solutions and get a chance to convince local authorities to adopt green energies or offer tax incentives and other advantages. |
- | To help pay for your project, you should divide it into different stages. You will only have to pay for one stage at a time. If landscaping is a hobby for you, taking your time is important since creating the landscape is often more fun than maintaining it on a regular basis. | + | Reduce energy in your home by checking the amount of insulation in your attic, crawl spaces, basement walls, floors, ceilings, and exterior. Look for any cracks or holes in and around walls, windows, ceilings, doors, light and plumbing fixtures, switches, and other electrical outlets which can leak air in and out of your home. |
- | When planning out your landscape design, carefully consider the colors of the flowers, trees and grasses that you intend to use. You may discover that limiting your palette to only one or two colors has the greatest visual impact. Choosing too many contrasting colors may make your landscaping appear disheveled and wild. | + | [[http://pawn.tom.ru/wiki/index.php?title=Small_Steps_To_Living_A_More_Sustainable_Life|Comflor Alistage]] Turn off appliances when you aren't using them. This will eliminate much of the unneeded heat that is generated in your home. Make sure to also unplug everything when it is not in use; this will lower your energy costs because appliances still pull a bit of power from the outlet even if the appliance is off. |
- | [[http://info.action.or.kr/index.php?title=Tips_For_How_To_Do-It-Yourself_Landscape_Your_Home|Porous Pavers Patio]]Think about how big your plants will eventually get, before deciding where to place them, or whether you should use them at all. This is vital, so that you do not use plants that end up outgrowing their planting space, and overshadowing their neighbor plants. Plan now so you do not have to move plants around later. | + | Contact your current energy provider and see if they offer an option for you to use renewable-energy sources. Many providers harness renewable energy through solar or wind power and therefore, have this option available for their clients. However, you should keep in mind that this may cost a little bit extra. |
- | Many people put most of their landscaping efforts into their front yard. A front yard is noticed by more people, and it gives people their first impression of both the home, and the home's owners. A well-designed front yard landscape will not only showcase your home, it can also enhance the physical appearance of your home. To find ways to improve the landscaping of your front lawn, peruse landscaping, and books to garner new ideas. | + | A significant green energy initiative is to is having a professional do a home energy audit. These professionals will assess your home and find areas where you can save money and conserve energy. Some power companies even offer this service for free to help reduce the impact of their customers on their energy supply. |
- | If you are doing any landscaping projects that include lumber you may want to consider waiting until winter to purchase it. Lumber is the cheapest during the winter, which could get you the highest quality lumber for the price of much lower quality lumber during the prime summer months. This might mean waiting to complete your project, but the savings will likely be worth it. | + | Try heating your home with a wood pellet stove. The pellets burned in a pellet stove are made of highly compact sawdust. They burn so cleanly than they are not required to get an EPA certification for emissions. Be aware, however, that the cost of the pellets may be high in some areas. |
- | Use stones, and pebbles to decrease the amount of grass on your lawn. Stones and pebbles are attractive additions to any yard, and they do not require regular maintenance. Grass requires regular mowing, watering, and fertilizing. Reducing the amount of grass in your yard can help to save you time, and energy. | + | Clean the filters in your air conditioner and dryer. Clean filters mean that your appliances use less energy, and less traditional energy means greener energy. Schedule a time to clean the filters so you don't forget. You might, for example, clean the filter for the dryer and air conditioner once every week. |
- | Do not plant too much of the same plant in your garden unless it is one that can withstand all type of weather conditions. If you place the same kind of plants throughout your garden and they die during an off season you will be left with a bare yard. | + | [[http://wiki.goodtogreatfoss.org/index.php?title=Why_Going_With_Green_Energy?_It_Will_Save_Your_Family_A_Lot_Of_Money|Corus Comflor 225]] Now that you've read a little about how to use green energy, you should have a few ideas in your head to make your home more green. Use the ideas in this article to get you started, and to give you concrete actions you can take today to make sure you are living green. |
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- | [[http://fr8pals.com/blogs/145754/265093/easy-landscaping-tips-for-the-no|Gravel Porous Pavers]]There are so many ways to have a great looking yard. This article has shown you the ease and simplicity that landscaping can be. Anyone can do some simple things to have a great looking yard. As you have read here, you can make some easy changes and have a much better looking yard. | + |