Heating your home is necessary for the cold months of winter, but it can use a lot of energy and has an impact on the environment. If you want to be more eco-friendly while staying comfortable, there are a few ways you can reduce your carbon footprint.
Use Solar Heat
You’ve heard of solar energy, but why not use solar heat to keep your home warm? Solar panels can create energy, but they can also be used to create heat for your house. Some people use solar water heaters to warm water for use in the home, but the hot water is also pumped through pipes and radiators to add heat to the environment. This can all be done with the power of the sun, so it’s quite energy efficient.
Lower the Temperature
It may be time to consider turning the temperature down slightly. You may be surprised at how much energy you can save by doing this. It’s estimated that you save roughly 1% on your energy for every degree you lower your thermostat over an 8-hour period. If you reduce the heat by 5-10% and wear a sweater instead, it’s relatively easy to save up to 10% on your heating bill and that means you’re also using less energy. This saves money and improves your environmental impact.
Use a Biomass Boiler
Biomass boilers are another option for heating your home. These boilers use renewable organic materials in place of gas or oil, which have a bigger impact on the environment. Renewable energy sources such as wood are actually carbon neutral due to the amount of carbon that is absorbed when the tree is growing. These boilers are quite efficient and do an excellent job of heating your home with minimal impact on the environment.
Install a Heat Pump
Another method of keeping your energy use down while staying warm is using a heat pump. There are multiple methods of collecting heat from the surrounding environment. This is possible by using heat from air or water, or even underground. The natural heat is collected and pumped through the house to keep it warm.
Taking steps toward being more environmentally friendly benefits not only your energy costs but also the world as a whole. If everyone makes an effort to use more renewable sources of heat for their home, it could really have an impact.
Are you ready to make some changes in how you heat your home? Contact Smart Heat today for more information.
