Want to help the environment AND save money? Of course you do, who doesn’t?
One of the easiest ways to save money, live green and preserve natural resources is to save energy, both at home and at work. In the next couple of blog entries, we’re going to pass on some helpful energy-saving tips that can put you on the road to both living green and making your wallet happier.
Some of these tips are simple and don’t require anything but your own resolve. No need to spend anything extra. But there are also other tips that require some financial commitment at first but will result in more savings in the long run. Without further ado, let’s jump right in!
Energy Saving Tips for Home
Turn off lights when no one is in the room.
Turn the water heater down to 120°.
Turn the thermostat down to 70° for heating and up to 74° for cooling.
Turn the heat/air-conditioning off when you’re out of the house or program it to start up again just before you get home.
Install a programmable thermostat.
Close-up any heating/cooling vents in rooms you are not using.
Open the window shades, keep lights off, during the day.
Seal off window/door drafts.
Install double-pane, energy-efficient windows.
Leave the refrigerator door closed while you think about what you want.
Fill a container or one side of the sink with water and put your dishes in there. One-by-one, soap all your dishes and then rinse them all off at once rather than having the water running the whole time.
Do all your laundry at once and only in full loads.
Wash your clothes with the Cold cycle so your water heater doesn’t need to work.
Turn off your sprinkler system for the winter. Use it on a one-time basis if necessary during a very dry winter.
Use candles for light and ambiance (when safe and appropriate).
Don’t use the dishwasher drying cycle. It’s even better if you don’t use the dishwasher at all. It uses a lot of water but still doesn’t clean as well as if you wash by hand.
Keep your showers to 15-20 minutes.
Charge your tablet and/or smartphone via USB on the computer rather than a wall plug.
Come back to find out how you can save energy and be green at work!
