Unexpected Energy Saving Tips

Refresh your headspace and get in a green state of mind with these energy saving tips that you may have forgotten about – or never heard of before.    

Keep the air flowing

  To keep your heating and cooling unit operating at maximum efficiency, make sure drapes, furniture, dust, or other items are not obstructing your vents.    

Don’t be the dishwasher.

  Did you know that using the dishwasher is much more efficient than washing dishes by hand? Also, always run a full load and choose the air-dry option.    

Draft-proof your windows and doors.

  You can actually have some fun with this as people get quite crafty with draft-stoppers.    

Create your own shade.

  Planting a tree on the east or west side of your yard can provide the shade to reduce your air conditioning bill. According to the Arbor Day Foundation, this is just one of many ways that trees are offsetting carbon emissions.    

Use an electric lawn mower.

  Move over electric cars. It’s time to give electronic lawn mowers their 30 seconds of fame. But seriously, they can make a significant difference in CO2 emissions when you consider that gas mowers represent 5% of U.S. air pollution according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Or how about this fact from the EPA: “Over 17 million gallons of gas are spilled each year refueling lawn and garden equipment – more oil than was spilled by the Exxon Valdez.” Yikes.    

Beware what’s near the thermostat.

  Thermostats sense heat from appliances and can make your AC run longer. The culprit could be a lamp or TV near the thermostat. Who would of thunk?    

Make white or silver your favorite color.

  It’s common knowledge that hybrid and electric cars conserve energy, but did you know that the mere color of your car also makes a difference? A study by the Berkeley Lab Environmental Energy Technologies Division (EETD) revealed that cars with a lighter-colored shell, such as white and silver, reflect more sunlight and lower AC use. Using window film on your car is another – and even more effective – way to conserve energy.    

Use a laptop or tablet.

  There are still surprising amounts of people who use traditional desktop computers, which typically use 80 percent more energy than a laptop computer. Moreover, most people don’t use the “sleep” or “hibernate” settings on their computers, which also wastes energy.