Simple ways to save energy and utility costs
1. Use power strips. With today’s technology we have got more than lights to worry about. At least when you turn a light off, it is off. Not so with your TV, your computer, you’re VCR, fax, copier, stereo and dozens of other appliances. (You can use a gadget called Kill-a-watt to check out you usage – it costs about $25)
Check it out. Wait until your laptop is shut down and check it out. Lights still on, right? And check out the power adapter. Maybe it's warm? That's because it's still using electricity. It's called phantom power, but on your electric bill, it's definitely real -- a few bucks a year per plug. If you have as many electronic gadgets as I do, that adds up fast. To save that money -- and the environment -- use power strips, and turn them off when you're not using what's plugged into them. Utilize energy saving power supplies. Fax/Copy machines, computer and monitors that power down automatically.
2. Buy fluorescent bulbs. (The incandescent is going to be outlawed in the near future) If you have tried fluorescent bulbs before and hated them, it's time to try again. They are also available for flood/spot lights. They are not the huge, clunky, and slow-to-turn-on, like they used to be. The newest ones -- twisted like a soft-serve ice cream cone -- turn on instantly and cast a warm light. Yes, they're more expensive (around $2-$5 each), but they use about a quarter of the electricity of a traditional incandescent bulb and last 10 times as long, so they end up saving you a ton of money.
Replacing just six incandescent bulbs will cut your annual carbon dioxide emissions by 600 pounds and trim your electric bill by as much as $35 each year. Install occupancy sensors indoor and or photocell for outside lighting; utilize solar/photovoltaic light fixtures and or LED for exterior lighting.
3. Buy 'green' energy. Almost every utility company now offers alternative sources of energy -- and some of it is green. (Your local utility will continue to bill you for the power. It will also charge you a per-kilowatt-hour fee for delivering the power. So be sure that when you compare prices, you are comparing the cost of the green power with what your utility is charging for supplying conventional power, not for delivering it.) Many power companies are mandated, to offer clean, emission-free electricity from several different providers. Signing up is a breeze. Our electricity now comes from wind and hydroelectric, and it costs us just a penny or two more per kilowatt hour than traditional power. (Check various economic tariffs available to you by the utility company).
4. Put plastic on your windows and caulk and putty. It can cost a fortune to replace old, leaky windows. But you can save significant amounts of heating oil much less expensively each winter with a simple clear-plastic-and-sticky-tape window insulation kit. If your windows, like mine, are too big for the standard sizes, get a patio door kit.
Once up, the insulation is almost invisible. For a small fraction of the cost of new windows, it will save you about half the energy that new windows would. For even greater savings, buy a programmable thermostat -- and program it. Surprisingly, about two thirds of the people who buy programmable thermostats never actually use the feature. Install ceiling fans. Outside the windows you can install awning or plant trees.
5. Buy polyester. Yes, really. A recent study by some Cambridge University scientists found that -- over their respective lives -- a polyester blouse uses about 45% of the energy of a cotton T-shirt. True, the study makes some assumptions that may not apply to you: that you drip-dry the blouse and tumble-dry and iron the T-shirt, for instance. But the point is that the obvious environmental choice may not be the best one. Polyester takes a lot more energy than cotton to manufacture, but much less to maintain. When thinking about a product's environmental footprint, you need to look at its entire life cycle, from manufacture to disposal.
6. Put up a clothesline. To drip-dry all that polyester -- and your cotton, too -- try taking a page out of your grandmother's book and hang it on the line. Air-dried fabrics smell wonderful -- and those fresh breezes help to discourage wrinkles.
If you don't have a lot of outdoor space, get an umbrella dryer, which folds up when not in use. You'll save yourself about $85 a year -- and keep more than 1,500 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.
7. Start a compost heap. Disposing of garbage -- whether by dumping it in landfills or by recycling it --
Takes energy. You can save that energy, and feed your garden, by using it for compost instead. No room in your garden? Or no garden at all? Get a worm composter; it will turn your kitchen scraps and shredded newspapers into rich, dark soil that your houseplants will love. (And no, they don't smell.)
8. Wrap your water heater. Americans spend $18 billion a year to heat water, and some simple measures could save about two-thirds of that cost.
You can cut the amount of fuel you use to heat the water (and save about $30 a year) by insulating your water heater with a simple jacket (available at most hardware stores for around $20). To save further, think about ways of using less hot water: fixing leaks, installing efficient showerheads, washing your clothes in cold water. When replacing water heater, use tankless system – you save energy and calcification of the pipes.
9. Dam your toilet. If you're concerned about the environment, you need to worry about cold water, too, since water itself is becoming an increasingly scarce resource.
Americans are water hogs; we use about 100 gallons a day each. And roughly one-third of that goes straight down the toilet. A toilet dam, which stops some of the water from leaving the tank when you flush, can cut that by as much as 20%, but it's a specialty product.
A more readily available product is called a "tank bank" -- a glorified plastic bottle with a valve that keeps some of the water in your tank from going out when you flush. The goal is to save water by preventing the tank from emptying completely each time you flush. You can even use an old plastic bottle from your recycling bin. Cost: $0. Utilize rainwater and shower waste water to water your lawn.
10. Buy antiques. Any time you buy a used product instead of a new one (especially from a local seller), you're making sure one less product has to be manufactured, packaged and shipped, with all the emissions those processes cause. In most cases, you'll save money as well.
Most manufacturers sell refurbished appliances that work as well as the new ones and cost a lot less. Some even come with the same warranty as a new one. For furniture, try Craigslist. For clothes, check out your local vintage shops. Chances are you'll not just save money, and the earth -- you'll get something with more style, too.
11. Insulate your attic and your HVAC ducts, Install attic fans, humidifiers, dehumidifiers and ERV – Energy Recovery Ventilation (it brings in fresh air and takes out stale polluted air from indoors)
12. Many utilities and governmental agencies offer incentives, rebates, tax credits and financing for implementing energy efficiency and conservation (some offer free CFL light-bulbs and energy audits). Take advantage of those programs.
