How Passive Solar Energy Can Help You Save Money                 If you are like most people, you are probably sick and tired of paying ever increasing amounts for electricity to your power company. The power companies continue to raise prices, and tell their customers that it is to "pay for the rising costs of energy." Any thinking person knows that the Sun can be a source of almost unlimited amounts of energy, but they may not know how to use it. Knowledge is indeed power, and there are ways you can begin using solar energy for a very low cost. If you talk to most companies that sell solar panels, they will want to charge you well over $20,000 to install them. For most people, this is not cost effective. However, even if you are living in an apartment, there are things you can do to at least lower your electricity bills. The money that you save from this may one day be used to purchase your own home with photovoltaic cells, allowing you to become independent of the power companies for good. The first thing you can do to begin saving money with passive solar energy is to avoid turning on any lights in your home until it is too dark to see. While this may sound like common sense, many people fail to do it, and it costs them. Another thing you will want to do is set aside a budget for solar energy products. Most people use solar energy radios, lights, flashlights, and battery chargers only when it is an emergency. Why not think outside the box and use these products each day? Solar powered battery chargers can save you fantastic amounts of money over time. The typical solar battery charger will last about 15 years. Though rechargeable batteries cost a little more than nonrechargeable batteries, a solar battery charger can recharge them over 400 times before they need to be replaced. If you do the calculations, you will be stunned by the amount of money you can save. Solar powered flashlights are also excellent. Instead of turning on the lights at night, why not use these flashlights? You could use the sun for lighting by day, and switch to solar powered flashlights at night. These flashlights get their energy from sunlight, and are similar to solar calculators. Combining solar powered flashlights with candles completely removes the need to turn on your lights a night, and will further lower your bills. To save money on the cost of water, you can use the sun to heat containers. You could place gallons of water in a container, paint it black, and allow it to absorb the light of the sun. This water can then be used for many things. In the winter you will want to use black sheets to cover your bed, furniture, and other objects. They will absorb the little heat that the sun provides and can keep you warm. The sun will also kill bacteria on dirty laundry that is exposed to it. When you use your computer or television, instead of using wall outlets, why not use large batteries with multiple ports? Your solar battery charger can be used to recharge the battery once they run out. The power company can only charge you for the electricity you use. Even if they raise the prices, using these tips will make you largely independent of them, and can help you save money.   Bookmark and share: