Here are some tips from article outlining 10 simple ways to Save you Green! It’s EASY, and does make a DIFFERENCE. So why not?
- Shed Some Light! Swap your standard bulbs for compact fluorescent. Changing 10 bulbs can save you $50 a year. If every Minnesotan swapped one bulb, it would save enough energy to power all St. Paul homes for 6 months.
- Captain Obvious: Regular maintenance on your furnace, air conditioner and air-source heat pump can help them run more efficiently.
- Unplug the Leeches! Every little green or red light you see on a home electronic item are sucking energy. They usually indicate the products are in stand-by mode, and this still consumes 40% of the energy it takes to run them. Unplug them completely, or use a power strip!
- One Good Turn: Programmable thermostats are common, but often not used to their full potential. For every one degree you turn your thermostat up or down, you’ll save 1 percent on your utility bill over 8 hours. Water heaters can also be cranked back.
- Freeze Your Assets! Replacing an outdated appliance with an Energy Star-rated one can save up to 15%. A 1980’s fridge in your garage can cost as much as $200 a year.
- Get the Remote Control: Volunteer energy-saving programs allow utilities to remotely turn air conditioners and electric water heaters on and off for brief periods during peak demand times.
- Tech Support: Some cooperatives and online businesses offer kilowatt-hour meters that show how much energy your home consumes, and tells which appliances are the worst offenders. Connexus Energy, a cooperative of Great River Energy, is testing an in-home monitor that shows when energy is at its lowest and highest prices, allowing the consumer to avoid peak demand times.
- Quick & Nerdy. There are many technologies on the market to help businesses, manufacturers and farmers conserve energy – energy-efficient motor startups, variable speed drives and refrigeration units to name a few.
- Love Your Auditor! Many utilities offer low-cost energy audits where an expert visits your home or business to review heating and cooling systems, insulation, doors and windows for potential energy savings. Commercial consultations are available for new construction and remodeling projects. Payoffs for simply eliminating drafts from homes are 5-30%!
- Vow to Renew: Many consumers are beginning to supplement their energy needs through geothermal heating systems, solar panels, and wind turbines. Today, they’re the exception. In the future, they may be the rule!
www.energystar.gov has more conservation tips and cool feature to compare your energy bill to the local average. Click on “Home Energy Audit” and type in your ZIP code.
Source article: Initiative Quarterly, Fall 2008
