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It’s the Little Things - Energy |
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Every Little Bit Helps - To Save Energy
This week, we'll be highlighting some "little" things that we can all do to help save the planet. Try one or all of the ideas mentioned (if you aren't already doing them) and keep in mind that there are millions of others. Come up with your own and whatever you do - do it today!
Saving energy usage in our homes is a great place to start making a difference. There are many easy steps to take to reduce the amount of energy we use at home.
What Makes It Green?
Saving energy saves us money on our monthly power bill. It also reduces the demand for electricity, which saves fossil fuels. By burning less of our fossil fuels, we can cut down on the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other harmful pollutants being released into the environment.
What You Can Do
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
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Unplug power adaptors and battery chargers for cell phones, laptops and battery-powered tools when not in use (inactive items still draw electricity).
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Turn off lights when you aren't at using them - install dimmers, motion sensors or timers (especially outdoors).
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Set your computer to go into "sleep mode" so it uses less power when it's not active and set it to "hibernate" after 30 minutes of inactivity.
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Swap out incandescent bulbs for CFL bulbs (Compact Florescent) which use 75% less energy or LED bulbs (Light Emitting Diode) which last 10 times longer than CFL bulbs.
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Set your thermostat to 68 degrees F in the winter and 78 degrees F in the summer. Use ceiling fans (while in a room) to help you feel cooler or create an updraft that will push warm air down in the winter.
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Keep shades down in the summer to keep out the heat and open them in the winter to let the sun help heat your home.
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Check your air filters each month to make sure they're clean and change them at least once every 3 months.
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Cover your water heater with an insulating jacket and set it's thermostat to between 120 and 130 degrees F.
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Turn your refrigerator down to 37 degrees F and the freezer to 3 degrees F.
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Shut the flue when the fireplace isn't in use. Launder only full loads and wash in cold water.
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Clean the dryer's lint filter after each use and make sure the exhaust hose is clear of lint.
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Wash pots and "tough" items by hand (in a full sink of water -not individually) instead of using your dishwasher's Heavy Scrub cycle, which uses more energy than a standard cycle.
The average American produces 40,000 pounds of CO2 emissions per year. Together, we use nearly a million dollars or energy a minute.
We put an attic tent over our pull down attic stairs to block air from leaking from the house into the unconditioned attic space. We noticed right away that this simple and inexpensive step made a difference in the air temperature upstairs. The difference also showed itself in lower energy bills.
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