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Reducing carbon dioxide emissions by increasing the use of energy efficient technologies and renewable energy resources like wind and solar power are necessary steps in the effort to slow climate change.
By being an active consumer you can influence your consumption of energy and also lower your costs. We all make use of energy in one form or another in our daily lives. You can influence your consumption in both very simple and more advanced ways. Here are some tips to help you make changes in your own home, find alternative sources of heating and information on sources of electricity.
Most homes are full of energy consuming appliances which can by simple means be used more effectively and economically. Appliances switched on in stand-by use more energy than is generally understood. The solution is simply to pull out the plug or switch off the main switch. Remember that that about half of any household’s consumption can be found in the bathroom, laundry room or kitchen (cooking).
Some general advice!
1 Check lights
Identify frequently used light fixtures that use incandescent bulbs; order fluorescent replacements bulbs. A low-energy bulb which is used 4-5 hours per day will save you as much as it costs in during one year. Sales of LED bulbs have recently seen a steady upswing on the market.
2 Check the temperature setting on your water-heater
Reduce the setting to 120°F (typically the “warm” setting; or halfway between the low and medium settings), if it is not already set to that temperature.
3 Use green power
Green power is environmentally friendly electricity that is generated from renewable energy sources such as wind and the sun. There are two ways to use green power: you can buy green power or you can modify your house to generate your own green power. Buying green power is easy, it offers a number of environmental and economic benefits over conventional electricity, including lower greenhouse gas emissions, and it helps increase clean energy supply. If you are interested, there are a number of steps you can take to create a greener home including installing solar panels and researching incentives for renewable energy in your state.
>> How to buy Green Power in the US
4 Turn off appliances that you are not using
Switch off TVs, computers, lights, etc. that are not being used and unplug items on “standby” (that use electricity even when not being used) , including TVs, video and audio systems, computers, and chargers (for cell-phones and other electronic equipment).Some of the things in your home use about half of all the electricity used while on stand-by as compared to when they are fully switched on and in use. Get a meter which measures the amount of electricity used to be able to see what should be turned off and what is ok to leave on.
5 Use an electric kettle
If you use an electric kettle to boil a liter of water a day instead of using the stove it will make a difference of about 17 kilos of CO2 per year. On the other hand if all you need is a cup of water use the micro-wave.
6 Use saucepans of the appropriate size and always with a lid
Make sure the saucepans you use are the same size as the hotplates on the stove. Your motto should be: Better a little too big than too small. A saucepan that is one centimeter too small can increase energy consumption by 20%. Another good way to save energy is to always use a lid when cooking, especially when boiling food. Using a lid you will use only a fifth of the energy you would use without a lid.
7 De-frost
Check the temperature of your freezer regularly. It should ideally be – 0F/-18C. Each degree colder increases energy consumption by 5%. De-frost the freezer at least twice a year.
8 Refrigeration tips
Don’t place warm food directly in the refrigerator or freezer without letting it cool first. On the other hand it’s good to allow frozen food to thaw in the refrigerator since the refrigerator will then absorb and make use of the cold and thereby diminish energy consumption. |
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