GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Living an environmentally friendly lifestyle is a growing trend as our climate crisis becomes increasingly evident. People are choosing to live more mindfully by adopting eco-aware ways of living.
The president and CEO of the Michigan Environmental council, Conan Smith, explained some simple tips to help you live more energy efficiently.
"The easiest intervention that we can do is weatherization. It's simple changes like caulking up the gaps in your home to keep the air in. In the winter we are all familiar with this because we notice drafts in our homes. This also works in the summer too. Caulking will help keep the hot air outside," explained Smith.
He went on to say that using things like shades and blackout curtains will keep the heat of the day outside the house. Helping both our environment and our wallets by using less energy.
Smith further explained, "The second thing you can do is adjust your thermostat. We often aren't paying close attention to what our thermostats are doing. So try to make simple changes like moving from 68 to 67 degrees or one degree warmer in the summer. That can reduce your energy use by up to 10%."
Our bodies will eventually adjust to these minor changes in our thermostats. Just basic weatherization work can save you on average $300 a year on your energy bill and help our planet.
If you want to weatherize your house in larger ways, such as putting in new insulation, Smith told 13 ON YOUR SIDE about a fantastic non-profit set up by the state of Michigan that will help you finance improvements on your home that involve renewable energy work. You can find this non-profit by heading to MichiganSaves.Org.
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