5. UNPLUG YOUR APPLIANCES
(Thanks to James Hall, New Hampshire Chapter)
“Phantom loads” are drawn from appliances that appear to be off but aren’t really completely off, such as a television set. Anything having a clock, indicator light, remote control, or
transformer box on the plug is constantly drawing a small amount of power. This includes nearly everything in your home office and entertainment center, and many kitchen appliances.
Plug these items into power strips with a switch and turn off the switch when the appliances are not in use. You might save the equivalent of a 100-watt light bulb left on all the time. Some power strips, such as the Smart Strip, are ideal for use with home office equipment and entertainment centers because they detect low power consumption and automatically power down.
6. WASH YOUR CLOTHES IN COLD WATER
(Thanks to Allen Hoffman, New York-North Jersey Chapter)
You may need to try different detergents to get good results with cold water washing, but if you do five loads a week with a warm wash and cold rinse in an older, top-loading machine, you can avoid heating as much as 3,000 gallons of water each year by switching to cold water for both wash and rinse cycles. To increase your laundry savings, upgrade to a front-loading, low water consumption washer, and consolidate your loads. You’ll save water, energy, and drying time.
7. USE A LOW-FLOW SHOWER HEAD AND FAUCET AERATOR
(Thanks to Gus Harrington, New Hampshire Chapter)
Low-flow shower heads and faucet aerators will reduce the amount of both hot and cold water you use. These inexpensive, easy-to-install items will reduce your water supply and waste disposal costs as well as water heating energy. Try the faucet aerators with the “flip-drip” lever that lets you reduce the water flow to a trickle while maintaining the temperature setting at the tap. If there are three average water users in your home, an investment of under $50 will go a long way.
Shrink your carbon footprint. Photo by Christopher Percy Collier.
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