This is where the average man has the greatest discretion when it comes to making environment-friendly decisions. You govern the thermostat, the lighting, the appliances and the water spigots, all of which control the use of valuable resources.
Spend more to save. A quick study of those energy-efficiency ratings (EERs) on new appliances can help make your purchase easier. Say you are considering two models, and the higher-rated model costs $100 more to buy but $20 a year less to run than the bargain model. Realize that you'll save the difference in five years. "Look at the purchase price as your down payment and the energy costs as monthly installments," says John Morrill, a research associate at the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. "You can easily save 20 to 30 percent of your energy bill with high-efficiency units," Morrill says.
Don't cool an empty house. When you leave the house, turn off the air-conditioning. It takes less energy to cool things down again later than it does to keep the machinery running. There are timers you can set to turn the unit back on so the house is cool again before you get home.
See it in a new light. Use highly efficient fluorescent light bulbs instead of energy-hogging incandescents, which give off 90 percent of their power as heat, not light. A 13-watt fluorescent bulb gives off as much light as a 75-watt incandescent. Fluorescents have come a long way since the days of those buzzing blue tubes that flickered overhead in high school. Today, they're quieter and give off a steadier, more natural light. They also come in sizes that fit in sockets designed for incandescents. Although these are more expensive (up to $30 each), they last around 10 times longer.
Use fewer bulbs. It's better to burn a few higher-watt bulbs than greater numbers of lower-watt ones. A single 100-watt bulb gives off 20 percent more light than two 60-watters, while using less juice.
Exit in darkness. Light-fixture lore has it that more energy is used turning on an incandescent bulb than letting it burn. Actually, this is true only if the bulb is less than 100 watts and if the light is turned back on within three minutes of being extinguished, according to Marjorie Lamb, author of 2 Minutes a Day for a Greener Planet. So if you're really leaving a room, douse the lights.
Do touch that dial. It's not news that you can save money by adjusting the thermostat. Jimmy Carter, sweaters, fireside chats--remember? But here's some incentive to endure a little less comfort: You'll save up to 5 percent on cooling costs if you set your air-conditioner between 70 and 82 degrees in the summer and up to 3 percent on your heating bill if your thermostat is set between 65 and 72 in winter. It's also been estimated that if everybody raised their A/C settings by 6 degrees, we'd save 190,000 barrels of oil daily. Lowering the heat by the same amount would save 500,000 barrels.
Nuke your food. The microwave typically uses a third to a half less energy than a regular oven to heat the same amount of food.
Resist the urge to peek. Opening the door on a regular oven while food is cooking causes the temperature inside to drop 25 to 75 degrees, making the unit work harder to finish the job.
Hand-wash dishes. At least the small loads. Hand-washing uses 10 gallons of water on average, as compared to the 14 gallons needed by most automatic dishwashers. For loads large enough to completely fill the dishwasher, however, the appliance is actually more efficient.
Cover with waxed paper. It degrades more readily than plastic.
Chill drinking water. Running the tap to get a cool drink can waste up to 4 gallons of water per minute. Keeping a pitcher of water on hand in the refrigerator not only wastes less, it also makes your drink colder.
Keep the refrigerator full. Every item on your shelves helps to cool the air surrounding it. Stock (but don't overstuff) your shelves and your appliance won't have to work as hard to keep the temperature down, particularly when you open and close the door. This trick works even better for freezers.
Use soaps, not detergents. Soaps are derived from natural sources like plants or animals, while detergents are petroleum-based. And among soaps, avoid synthetically scented types, which are made with more chemicals.
Don't call Mister Plumber. Clogged drain? Before reaching for a harsh, toxic pipe-clearing chemical, try dumping boiling water down the drain or using a toilet plunger.
Save water in the bathroom. About 75 percent of household water gets used here. Never just leave the water running: When shaving, fill the basin to wet and rinse your face and blade; when brushing, turn on water only when you need it. You could save 2 to 5 gallons of water each time you stand at the sink--enough in a day to take a longer shower.
Sink a bottle. Remember the principle of displacement from high-school physics? Put a quart bottle of water weighted with stones into your toilet tank, and you'll conserve a quart of water with each flush. Don't use a brick for this time-honored trick, however: It may break apart and damage the plumbing.
Save on suds. Most detergent-makers recommend you use more of their product than you need to get clothes clean. You'll have to experiment a bit to judge results using less detergent, but many environmental groups suggest you start by cutting the usual amount in half.
And don't forget to use blackout curtains at home!
No comments:
Post a Comment