Today's tips are on how to save energy. It's not that I'm trying to be "green," although that is a definite benefit, but more on the little things I can do to save money.
First off, this tip is pretty simple, but it's one that I'm having trouble getting the rest of my family to follow. When you leave a room, turn off the light. Simple isn't it? Of course, don't turn out the light if your husband is in the room reading, or if your DD is trying to take a shower, but if you are the last one in the room, turn out the light.
Second, we've switched almost all of our lightbulbs to the compact florescent bulbs. They are supposed to last longer, and they are supposed to save you lots of energy and money.
Third, if you are not using a charger, unplug it. In this day and age, almost everyone has a cellphone or a laptop. Once you have charged your phone, unplug the charger. Once you are through with your laptop, turn it off and unplug the power cord. Those things pull power even if they aren't charging anything.
Fourth, unplug your microwave. *shock* I can hear you saying, "What? Are you crazy?" No. That little clock on your microwave draws power. Unplug it to not use so much power.
Fifth, lower the temperature on your hot water heater. You'll save so much per year, you'll be shocked. You don't have to set it at the recommended 120 degrees, but you also don't need it to be set at 200 degrees either.
And right along with the hot water heater is a dishwasher tip. You'll want to read the instructions on your particular dishwasher, but most newer models don't require prewashing. You save water and energy that way. Also, try not to wash your dishes between the "prime" hours of 12:00 pm - 8:00 pm. (I say this at 11:54 am knowing that I have to go wash dishes later.)
When you are cooking, try to match your pot size to your burner size. Turn off the burner a few minutes before you're "done." Your food will still cook and you'll use less energy.
Now for the tips that we're still working on implementing in our house.
Set your thermostat lower in the winter and higher in the summer. I have a problem with this, because I absolutely can't stand being warm. So I have to sit under a fan and wear shorts, but I'm trying to keep the thermostat higher. I don't expect it to be as much of a problem once winter hits full force, and with the onset of cooler fall temperatures, I expect to see a decrease in our bill.
This one is a bit more complicated. Basically, put all of your electronic devices on a power strip, and when you are through with them for the night, turn off the strip. We have a hard time with this one, but I really couldn't tell you why.
Oh, another tip that we don't use, but it's only because we have a "community" laundry room in our apartment complex. When you use your dryer, do one load right after the other, using the residual heat from one load to the next.
These are just a few of the tips I've been working hard on trying to implement. When we moved here, one lady said her energy bill was $300 in the summer. Ours has been $160. So, if you think these will work for you, go for it.
The following links are where I did my research. You may or may not find other helpful tips by following them.
http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/save_energy/
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/tips/
http://www.nbc4.com/news/13648928/detail.html
http://okc.about.com/od/shoppingandservices/a/energyconserve.htm
http://www.nbc4.com/news/6629170/detail.html
http://energyhawk.com/
http://www.ontariotenants.ca/apartment_living/electricity-savings.phtml
http://www.avistautilities.com/saving/saving_tips.asp
http://www.nh.gov/oep/programs/energy/conservation_summer.htm
http://www.energy.gov.on.ca/index.cfm?fuseaction=conservation.tips
http://realtytimes.com/rtcpages/20050905_energyconserve.htm
http://wings.buffalo.edu/ubgreen/content/programs/energyconservation/energysavingtips.html
http://earth911.org/california/flex-your-power/
http://www.caiso.com/docs/2001/08/17/2001081715582220465.pdf
http://www.energy.state.md.us/news/gas_conservation.pdf
And that's what works for me!
Hugs,
Melinda
7 comments:
Wow, great tips, and an incredible list of resources at the end. Thanks!
Hey there....posted a comment under the placemat purse...go check it out. :D
Yea for saving energy!! :D
It's okay to be green. It ain't easy though, as a frog I know once said. But it is better for our future and our children's future. :D
Thanks for the good reminders. I learned a few things. I'm off to Texas today. Pray for me. I hate flying. Now....I'm must go an unplugg my microwave.
Love you and hugs back.
Hats off to you for teaching America to save energy! I'm from the Netherlands myself, where loads of these things have been normal for 10 years. I'm always shocked to see how much energy is wasted when I get to the US. So thanks for sharing these tips!
Great list Melinda! You don't have to be green all at once... it's easier to develop new habits a little at a time.
We've used the compact fluorescent lights since they came out ?in the 80's. The only old fashion bulbs we have would be the one in the refrigerator and that came with the unit. Even the lights on the front porch and at the back door are fluorescent.
The compact lights do last a long, long time. We have some in this house we put in when we first moved here in 1991. Those weren't as compact as the ones you can get today.
Setting your thermostate back a bit is easy - especially if you put more clothes on. My DD drove me nuts when she visited from Hawaii during the winter - she had on short sleeve shirts and complained it was cold! Having an automatic setback thermostat makes life easy, easy, easy. You can set a cooler temp and if you need to poke it up a degree or two - that's easy to do.
A lot of community utilities will come to your residence and do an energy audit and give you recommendations on how to save money.
Nice job on providing all those links!
Those are great tips. Thanks for sharing your research.
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Hugs,
Melinda
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