Sure, electricity does a great job making things convenient. Try washing your clothes by hand, taking cold showers, or having only candles to light your home after sunset for a week and you’ll realize what a marvel electricity is. Yet it can make things too easy. We leave lights on when no one is in the room, refrigerate food we forget about until long after it has gone bad, and keep our houses at unseasonable temperatures because it’s easy and comfortable.
Because all it takes is flipping a switch, it is easy to forget that all the electricity is generated somewhere. We don’t see the irony in burning coal (to steam water to turn turbines to generate electricity to power a freezer) to keep our ice cream frozen. But every month the power and gas bills come and we have to pay a price for our convenience. So whether you want to slow down your use of natural resources or just slow down the leak of your cash resources, here is a list of some of the easiest things you can do to become more energy efficient.
Water Heaters
Water heaters come in both electric and gas, so your savings may show up on a different bill than the other ideas in this article. But regardless of what form of energy you’re saving, water is a surprisingly good place to start. Around 25% of the energy used in an average home goes toward heating water. Think about it: hot showers, washing clothes, the dishwasher, even washing your hands with lukewarm water requires energy. To cool this down, consider washing your clothes in cold water, taking shorter showers, and generally being conscientious of turning the spigot to the right. As for your dishwasher, if the need to get your silverware back in its drawer as soon as possible isn’t stressing you out, consider letting your dishes air dry instead of using a heat cycle.
Light Bulbs
It took a long time to improve on the design Thomas Edison gave us, but it has finally been done. Over the last few years, two types of more efficient light bulbs have emerged on the market: CFLs and LEDs. CFL (compact fluorescent) light bulbs are the modern looking, twisting spiral light bulbs that are making their way into mainstream American life. Though they cost slightly more than a regular incandescent light bulb, they make up the cost many times over as they use about a quarter of the energy and last up to ten times longer. LEDs are the newest in light bulb technology, lasting longer and using less energy than even CFL bulbs. However, they still cost several times more (from $14). With either bulb, you will save money (around $30 for a CFL bulb) in the long run because of how long it takes before you have to buy a new bulb, and because they suck so much less energy. Thomas Edison won’t be offended.
And remember the best way to be energy efficient with your light bulbs: just turn them off when you’re not using them.
Computers
At the end of a long day at work or a long night of social media socializing, it can feel burdensome to turn off the computer. You have to go through all the files you have open, one by one, save them and close them, then wait to make sure your computer powers down without any notifications. And, you justify, you will just have to turn it on again in the morning and open up the same files. Easier to just leave it on or let it go into sleep mode. What you don’t realize is that your computer will be sucking energy all night.
A desktop computer has two energy-exploiting components: the computer and the monitor. Both have “sleep” modes that can power the devices down automatically when not in use. If you do not currently utilize the automatic sleep option, you could be saving a lot of energy. For a PC, go into Control Panel and Power Options to set the sleep options. On a Mac, hit the apple symbol, then go to the System Preferences and Energy Saver tabs. If this is already operating on your computer, consider reducing the time of inactivity before your computer goes to sleep.
If you are going to be away from your computer for a short time, sleep mode saves energy versus running full blast and makes it convenient for you to restart. If you are away from your computer for two hours or more, however, it is best to turn your computer completely off. This saves energy and also extends the life of your computer, which needs time to physically cool off. The timeframe for your monitor is even shorter—if you are not using it for 20 minutes or more, go ahead and physically turn it off. There are rumors that turning off your computer frequently wears it out and that starting it up takes a lot of energy. While there is a surge when you turn on your computer, it is not as significant as the energy saved by turning it off, especially for extended periods. And your computer will become obsolete technologically before it gets worn out from being turned on and off.
Unplugging
Appliances use nominal amounts of energy when they are plugged in, even when they are not in use. But a nominal amount of energy multiplied over a few dozen appliances over the course of a year can become a lot of energy. Adapters and chargers are particular offenders. For appliances that get used infrequently (think blender, toaster, even your printer) consider unplugging them except when they are in use. For office equipment like computers, printers, and scanners, consider using a surge protector or a power strip and turning it off when they are not in use. This will keep them from becoming vampires and sucking energy in the middle of the night.
Ducts
In a typical home, 20 percent of the air in a heating or cooling system is lost to leaks in the air ducts. Poor insulation or old doors and windows can also be major sources of energy inefficiency. In the summer your cool AC air is being sucked outside and in the winter the heat you intend to keep your house comfortable is instead going to direct global warming. You can make your home more comfortable while keeping your energy costs down by sealing off leaks in your ducts, doors, and windows, and ensuring your house has good insulation.
For a stopgap measure, walk around your house on a cold day and feel where cold air is coming in under door cracks or around windows. Place a towel or tape plastic to cover those areas.
For a longer, less aesthetically harsh solution, consider calling a professional. You can get a check of your air duct system and a free consultation on energy use in your home. Then if it makes sense, you can have them fix the problem. Some of the cost may be subsidized by government energy efficiency grants. And consider the return. You may be surprised at how quickly you can make back the cost by the significant savings it produces.
