The “Going Green" phenomenon is taking the nation by storm. Every where you
turn these days there is some corporation, organization or individual showing
their participation in conserving.
Even at the grocery store, customers are now being encouraged to use a more
eco-friendly bag when carting groceries home from the store. The majority of us
have been lectured since the creation of Earth Day about ways to recycle. We
have mastered recycling. We know we can recycle cans, plastic, newspaper, etc.
But do we know how to conserve energy inside our homes? Here are a few tips.
Kitchen energy conservation
Only use the dishwasher for full loads. Scrape food off dishes. Soak or
pre-wash only if food is burned or dried on. Reduce dishwasher energy usage by
manually air drying dishes. In your oven, make sure the over door seals are in
good condition. Do not preheat oven unless necessary and thaw frozen foods so
they will cook faster.
Laundry Energy conservation
Wash full loads only, but do not overload. Wash and rinse in cold water
instead of hot water. Clothes dryers are at the top of the list for energy
consumption so try to conserve energy by drying loads one right after the
other. Clean the lint filter after each load. Another trick is to put a dry
towel in with each load. It should help clothes dry faster.
Home Energy conservation
Turn off home office and entertainment equipment when not in use. I am
guilty of not doing this one. Most electronics still use electricity even when
turned off. Make sure you unplug appliances when on vacation.
Central Air conditioning conservation
Install seven day programmable thermostats to control air conditioning
usage. Set your thermostat as high as comfortable. Use fans whenever possible.
Change your filter once a month.
Water Heater conservation
Turn down your water heater thermostat to 120 degrees. Insulate your water
heater. Wash dishes in a sink instead of using running water. Install low flow
shower heads and faucets. These can reduce your water usage by half. You can
also install timers in the shower to shorten the amount of time in the shower.
I am really guilty of this waste. I am known for taking super long showers so
this would be a hard task for me to do.
These are just a few suggestions to aid your quest to go green. Feel free
to include any other tips for conserving around the home in the comment
section.
