It does not matter if you are looking for ways to reduce your carbon footprint and go green or if you are a total green living buff, everyone can use energy savings tips! Reducing electricity does not just save money it also helps our environment in a big way. Here is a list of 10 simple ways anyone can reduce their impact and reduce energy costs.
- Lowering the water heater temperature from 140°F to 120F° can reduce your water heating bill by 10 percent.
- Taking an 8-minute shower every day can indirectly create as much as 1,368 pounds of CO2 each year. By reducing shower time to 6 minutes, you can eliminate 342 pounds of CO2 from your annual total.
- Weather-strip and caulk around all entrance doors and windows to limit air leaks that could account for 15-30 percent of heating and cooling energy requirements.
- Turn your refrigerator to 37°- 40°F and your freezer at 5°F.
- Close heating vents and radiator valves in unused rooms.
- Put lamps in corners of rooms where they can reflect light from two wall surfaces instead of one.
- Do not use a screen saver when your computer monitor is active. Instead, let it switch to sleep mode or turn the monitor off.
- Use a power strip as a central “turn off” point when you are finished using electronics. This will eliminate the standby power consumption used by electronics
- If you’re looking to buy a new washing machine, consider using a front-loading or horizontal axis machine. These new units use 30 percent less water and 50 percent less energy to make hot water and wash clothes than regular washing machines.even when it is turned off. (Energy Star Rebates)
- Old refrigerators and freezers can use twice the amount of energy as new modles. Replacing an older model with a new ENERGY STAR® model can save $45-$65 per year on your electric bills.