There are a lot of reasons to go green and save energy at home, but at the top of my list is the cost savings. Dozens of books have been written on how to save energy in our daily lives, but who has time to read all of those books? Here’s my list of 8 tips on saving energy at home, all repeated time and again in every green living book I’ve read…
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Moderation is key when you’re trying to save energy at home, especially in terms of your thermostat. You don’t have to freeze during the winter, or swelter in the summer, but do you need the air conditioning set to 62 degrees? No. Keep it at 65 to 68 in the winter, and 68 to 70 in the summer. Moderation!
If you’re looking to save water and shrink your carbon footprint, you may want to consider a vegetarian diet. Meat takes a lot more energy and water to cook and store, and the livestock that we turn into meat releases tons and tons of methane gas into our atmosphere.
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Insulation isn’t cheap, but neither is trying to heat or cool a home that’s got old or missing insulation! If you have an attic, basement, or cellar (or even a crawl-space), you may want to check to make sure your home is properly insulated.
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Did you know your toaster still draws electricity if you leave it plugged in while you’re not using it? The same can be said for just about any other appliance, including your TV, computer, printer, and blender. Unplug them, and consider using a power supply with a switch you can turn off at night, and on in the morning. That will save a LOT of electricity! And when you buy new appliances, make sure they’re extra energy efficient, with the EnergyStar symbol…
Yes, those spiral light bulbs look odd, but they save a lot of energy, too. Don’t swap your old bulbs for the new ones until they burn out, though, because that would be wasteful. Keep a box on hand to replace your old bulbs as they go, and enjoy the energy savings…
A lot of us tend to turn on the lights out of habit, not really out of necessity. Ditch the long, dark velvet drapes and opt for sheers or even roman shades instead, and use natural light when possible! You’ll save energy, and will likely get fewer headaches, too!
If you took my advice in item #3, and installed insulation, you may also want to consider buying new windows to save energy at home. Most older windows aren’t as energy-efficient as the new vinyl ones, and you could also be losing energy in the tiny spaces around your doors and windows, too!
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Did you know that for every two minutes in the shower, you use as much water as the average person in Africa uses in their entire day, for everything — cleaning, cooking, washing! That’s amazing… so be aware of how long your showers are, and also, turn off the water while you brush your teeth…
Those are just a few ways to save electricity and water at home, but if you want to learn even more ways, read “The Green Book” by Elizabeth Rogers and Thomas M. Kostigen. There are so many more tips, and so much information, in that one tiny book! Start with these 8 tips, though, and you’ll notice your electric and water bills shrinking… which of these do you already do? Or do you have another tip on saving energy at home? Please share!
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