Are you the type of person who wants their impact on the environment to be minimized? Does it seem confusing or too costly for you to get started? Now is the time to make the changes that you want to make. Forget about anything negative you might have heard about green energy and continue reading to learn more about this great technology.

Recycling is one of the easiest tasks that can make a greener home. Some towns automatically include costs for recycling in their garbage collection, so look into this! If not, certain states including Michigan will pay consumers to return bottles after use. Recycling is one of the best ways to cut energy costs!

Simply cleaning or changing the filter on your furnace can cut electricity costs significantly. Too much dirt or dust built up in the vents can make more heat necessary to warm the house. It only takes a short amount of time to clean these, and you will notice the change in your bills!

Remember that solar panels, whether you install them on your roof or anywhere else on your property, must be angled toward the sun to receive maximum exposure. In the Northern Hemisphere, this means facing them south with an angle of latitude plus fifteen degrees. Otherwise, your investment will not return as much energy as you hope.

Insulate your home. A pre-1950 home that isn’t insulated will use approximately 60 percent more energy than a house that was built after 2000. Adding sufficient insulation to your attic and basement will greatly improve your home’s energy efficiency. As well as keeping you warm in the winter, you will find that the home remains much cooler in the summer months, reducing the need for an air conditioner.

If you are planning a solar system for your home, be sure to calculate your potential energy production using the amount of sun to expect in the cloudiest month. When you do this, you understand how much you should be consuming on a daily basis during winter, and you won’t become surprised one day. An even better benefit is that you can sell your energy back to the grid in the sunniest of times!

In order to save energy at home, plug your electronics, including televisions and DVD players, into power strips and when you are not using them, turn off the power strips. Not only will you be preserving energy by doing this, but you will also be saving money on your electricity bill.

Keep your home better insulated and control warm and cool air better by installing storm windows and doors. Storm windows and storm doors reduce the amount of cold air entering the home in the form of drafts. Energy efficiency can be increased up to 45% in a home with storm windows and doors.

So now you should be able to understand what it truly takes to alter your home to become more green and environmentally friendly. The answers lie in the above article, but the onus is on you to begin utilizing the techniques that you have read. Once you begin the process of changing over to green energy, you will be surprised by the results!