How to be Energy Efficient and Save the Planet
Top 10 Ways to be Energy Efficient
1. Drive less. Instead of driving your car, walk, ride a bike or take the bus to your next destination. Everyone knows that automobiles use a considerable amount of energy and output a heavy amount of carbon emissions. If you do have to drive, figure out ways that you can have more people in a single ride instead of driving by yourself. Car pooling is also an option.
2. Turn off the lights that are not being used. Keeping lights on in rooms of the home which are not being used is a constant drain and waste of electricity. If you need light in areas of the house to be able to see where you are going, consider investing in motion activated lighting.
3. Turn off appliances that are not being used. Computers, media devices, appliance charges use considerable amounts of electricity if left on, turn them off when they are not being used. Also consider unplugging devices, many appliances drain power even when they are off but are still plugged in.
4. Get energy efficient lighting. Replace your old incandescent light bulbs with more energy efficient lighting such as LED or CFL. During the day open your blinds and let natural lighting do the work for you.
5. Manage your water consumption. Use less hot water, heating water requires a great amount of energy use. Take shorter showers, turn off the tap when brushing your teeth and wash your clothes in colder water. Studies have also shown that the average person uses more water when washing dishes by hand, compared to a fully loaded energy efficient electrical dish washer.
6. Invest in energy efficient home appliances. Sometimes it makes sense to purchase new home appliances that will use less energy. Refrigerators, ovens, dishwashers, washers, dryers, display monitors and home heating solutions have become more energy efficient in the past several decades. Consider your options, especially if you are using older technology.
7. Prepare food in bulk. Create meal plans and cook more food at once, instead of cooking multiple times during the day. Anything that requires heating uses a lot of energy, consider meals that can be quickly reheated or try out meals that don’t require cooking instead.
8. Manage your house cooling and heating. Homes consume a lot of energy to stay warm during the winter and cold during the summer. Lower the temperature a degree or two during the winter and increase during the summer. Not only will you save electricity, but you will also save money. Also don’t forget to program your thermostat when you are away, so you are not constantly heating or cooling your home when you are away.
9. Check your home insulation. A large amount of energy is wasted through heat loss, make sure your walls are properly insulated. Check for any drafts in the home and seal any areas which are allowing heat to escape, especially during the colder months.
10. Use your stuff more effectively. Don’t waste your money on buying unnecessary products each year, sit down and consider what you really need and what you will never use. Lowering our overall consumption as a society is the only real way to be more energy efficient. Every product you buy requires the use of natural resources and energy in order to be created, packaged and transported. Be more considerate of what you really need and not what you want but will rarely if ever use.
Thank you for reading this article and I hope you found this information useful, feel free to leave any comments or suggestions.
