Green Energy

Homes use a lot of energy. Most of that energy goes into heating, cooling and lighting, although if you've been watching Living with Ed on a plasma TV, you're using energy that way too. Most of these tips and tricks give you ways to decrease your energy consumption, which not only saves you money but also reduces the amount of greenhouse gases you are responsible for. Once you've reduced all of the energy use you can, there's another way to lower your greenhouse gas emissions even further. Consider using "green power" to keep your home running. Green power is electricity from renewable sources such as wind or solar that doesn't require burning any fossil fuels. I create my own green power from the solar panels on my roof, but there is a much easier way to get green power if you can't afford your own solar panels. In fact, it's as easy as checking a box on your utility bill or buying green power online. Now, it's important to understand that if you buy green power from your local utility, you aren't actually changing the way electricity is delivered to your house. Instead, you're funding the addition of green power to the electrical grid, which replaces power that comes from burning coal. It's not as direct as putting solar panels on your roof, but the effect is very much the same.