If you are in the process of turning your home more eco friendly, opting for some smart energy saving techniques would prove extremely beneficial as well as highly cost effective to you and your family. According to the latest reports released by the UNFCCC (United Nation’s Federation on Combating Climate Change) nearly 32% of our carbon footprint is the result of household energy consumption which can be effectively brought down by half through very simple energy saving measures. The UNFCCC has also ranked U.S as one of the prime consumers of household energy in the world and therefore a major contributor to green house gases.
The U.S government has recently launched several incentives in order to encourage home owners in making more eco friendly choices when it comes to buying as well as consuming energy on household items. One of the programs that have been successfully launched by the U.S Department of Energy across all states is the Star Program which offers consumers a wide range of discounts on the purchase of electronic as well as other household gadgets which have been starred under this scheme.
According to this program shoppers can pick up any household gadget which have been starred and avail discount on their purchase. The discounts vary across the U.S and are being decided by the state departments and the discount is available on gadgets such as air coolers, solar water heaters, refrigerators and several kitchen items that run on electricity.
Another beneficial scheme that has been launched by the DOE (Department of Energy) is the Lighting Incentive under which various households who are interested in reducing their electricity bills can switch to CFL lights and get a hefty rebate on the products while doing so. The use of CFL lights reduce power consumption by 30-60% depending on their efficiency, these lights are much more expensive than normal bulbs and tube lights.
The Lighting Incentive is therefore being viewed as a very efficient step towards the promotion of energy saving at the household level by making CFL’s more affordable and cost efficient for home owners. Consumers can also benefit from the usage of CFL lights in the long run as they help in generating much lower electricity bills.
The government has also come together with all the state housing apartments and has launched a very innovative scheme under which all home owners who are renovating their properties can avail a 15 – 35% rebate on the renovation costs if they have adopted green technologies in their houses such as solar water heaters, energy efficient heating and cooling systems as well as solar powered bulbs for outdoor lighting.
