TT#9: conserving energy

here

Let me just start by saying it has been soooo incredibly flippin' hot, muggy, and humid here lately! Thank you Maryland! How does almost 100 degrees with 100% humidity sound? Yeah, it's not pleasant. We went from 100 degrees in Southern California to 100 degrees here; the difference is that humidity factor. In the IE (Inland Empire) of Southern Cali where we lived, we had a dry, hot, desert like heat because we didn't live far from the desert. Anyways, we've been here for almost a month now but haven't yet received our electrical bill. We just put it in our name though so it should be here very soon. We're a little nervous what it's going to look like running these window air conditioners all the time. We have 2 of them plus one of those swamp coolers. It's not really a swamp cooler, but something similar that has to vent out the window. (I miss having central air!) I know these are not energy saving devices so I've been trying to figure out how we can cut back in other areas to make up for it. My 9th edition of Thursday Thirteen is all about what I've learned about conserving energy....

1. Air conditioners : Check and clean the air conditioner's filter once a month; make sure the air conditioning unit is the proper size for the room it is cooling; locate the air conditioner on the north or east side of a house in a shady area; ventilate the house's attic to reduce heat buildup; install ceiling fans to improve air circulation.

2. Dishwashers: Wash only a full load; turn off drying cycle, open door to air dry dishes.

3. Clothes washers and dryers: Use only with a full load; use warm or cold water, reserving hot water use only for heavily soiled clothes; use only full loads for the dryer and if a second load is necessary, dry that load immediately after the first to retain as much heat as possible; clean lint filter before each load.

4. Computers: Turn off computers when not in use or set the computer to energy-saving mode.

5. Lights: Replace incandescent bulbs with screw-in fluorescent bulbs, which use 75 percent less electricity and last at least 8 times longer; turn lights off when not needed; install light dimmers or photoelectric switches that automatically turn off lights during daylight or install timers to control use of lights; for lights used for home security, install motion detectors so lights come on only when motion is detected.

6. New appliances: Replace aging appliances with new, more energy-efficient models when possible; look for Energy Star label designating an energy-efficient appliance.

7. Ovens and stove tops: Use microwave instead of oven where possible; food in glass dishes can be cooked at lower temperature; preheating oven is usually unnecessary; on the stove top cook with covered pans and match pan size to the size of the burner.

8. Refrigerators: Check door seals to make sure there are no air leaks; clean condenser coils on the back of the refrigerator; keep refrigerator away from oven or dishwasher and give the unit breathing room; turn thermostat down to 37 degrees Fahrenheit; turn on energy saver switch.

9. Water heaters: Lower the heater setting to 120 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit; insulate the water heater and any exposed hot water pipes; use low-flow shower heads.

10. Windows: Modernize your windows. Replacing all your ordinary windows with argon filled, double-glazed windows saves 2.4 tons of CO2 per year for homes with gas heat, 3.9 tons of oil heat, and 9.8 tons for electric heat.

11. Trees: Plant shade trees and paint your house a light color if you live in a warm climate, or a dark color if you live in a cold climate. Reductions in energy use resulting from shade trees and appropriate painting can save up to 2.4 tons of CO2 emissions per year. (Each tree also directly absorbs about 25 pounds of CO2 from the air annually.)

12. Weatherize your home or apartment, using caulk and weather stripping to plug air leaks around doors and windows. Caulking costs less than $1 per window, and weather stripping is under $10 per door. These steps can save up to 1100 pounds of CO2 per year for a typical home. Ask your utility company for a home energy audit to find out where your home is poorly insulated or energy inefficient. This service may be provided free or at low cost. Make sure it includes a check of your furnace and air conditioning.

13. Reduce the amount of waste you produce by buying minimally packaged goods, choosing reusable products over disposable ones, and recycling. For every pound of waste you eliminate or recycle, you save energy and reduce emissions of CO2 by at least 1 pound. Cutting down your garbage by half of one large trash bag per week saves at least 1100 pounds of CO2 per year. Making products with recycled materials, instead of from scratch with raw materials, uses 30 to 55% less for paper products, 33% less for glass, and a whopping 90% less for aluminum.

(Information found here and here.)

If you care to know more, this site has 53 ways to conserve energy. Happy TT!!