Living Green and Saving Energy: How to Barbecue the Energy Hogs in Your Home

December 26, 2010 | By In living green | Comments(0)

Reducing energy usage is a crucial part of creating a greener lifestyle. Since energy costs are rising every year, cutting your energy use will also save you money, and the amount of savings will grow year after year as your utility annually raises the price of power per kilowatt.

If you want to save energy in your home, it pays to focus on the biggest energy users–the energy hogs, in vernacular terminology–for achieving a meaningful reduction in energy usage.

What are those energy hogs?

Here are the three most voracious porkers that are hogging your energy and driving up your electricity bill.

1. Air Conditioning and Heating: The heat and the AC are away the biggest energy drains you have, especially if you have and use air conditioning. Finding ways to reduce their usage will have a large impact on your overall power utilization.

2. Refrigerator: Typically your fridge is the second biggest energy hog in the home, right behind the AC. One of the reasons the refrigerator has such a large impact is that it has to run 24/7 to keep that food from spoiling.

3. Washers and Dryers: The energy impact for washing clothes is far larger than that for dishes. Most of that energy goes toward simply heating the water used rather than for running the washing machine.

By just focusing on how to use only these three appliances more efficiently, you can cut your electric bill in a major way. Here’s how.

1. Set your thermostat wisely, according to the season and when you are actually at home. By maintaining the temperature in your home a few degrees warmer in the summer months, you will save you a surprising amount. Keep the thermostat around 80 degrees Fahrenheit if you are at work or will be away from home for an extended period of time (for example, away on a vacation). Even better, consider investing in a programmable thermostat that will make the adjustments for you automatically.

2. Raise the temperature setting in your refrigerator by 1-2 degrees. Your fridge will have to work less hard to maintain that temperature. The ideal temperature is from 37 to 45 degrees Fahrenheit. If you are replacing an older refrigerator, always buy an Energy Star rated refrigerator. The new ones are much more energy efficient.

3. Wash your clothes in warm or cold water with a detergent designed to clean well at the lower temperature. Heating the water for washing consumes most of the energy. Most detergent makers have reformulated their products to clean at water temperatures of 30 degrees centigrade (86 degrees Fahrenheit), often with the addition of enzymes to improve the cleaning efficiency at the lower water temperature.

These three areas are responsible for most of the energy consumed in your home. Making a few small changes in how you set your thermostat, run your refrigerator, and use your washer will lead to large reductions in your average energy consumption. The changes are easy to do and will save you money as well.

And now I would like to invite you to claim your FREE Instant Access to my 7 days E-Course “How to Live Greener and Save Money” when you visit http://livinggreenandsavingenergy.com This e-mail course will give you valuable tips for saving money by cutting costs for energy, water, and other items as you create a greener lifestyle.Would you like to learn how to save more than $1000 per year for life by going green? Check out my ebook “6 Weeks to a Greener LIfestyle” at http://livinggreenandsavingenergy.com/ebooks where you will find the details.
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Living Green at Your Vacation Home

July 17, 2010 | By In living green | Comments(0)

During the week you do all the right things to encourage a green lifestyle. You diligently separate your garbage, recycle what you can, add to a backyard composter, use energy saving lightbulbs and use a programmable thermostat. Then, the weekend comes and off you go to your lakeside cabin and all of this green thinking goes out the window. Out come the paper plates, you crank up the electric heat, BBQ twice a day and throw all your recyclables into the garbage.

Green living, means thinking green whether you’re at home, at your weekend getaway, or even on holiday in Hawaii. Here are some tips to help keep you on the straight and narrow, even when you’re on vacation.

Use biodegradable detergent in your dishwasher and washing machine. A good rule of thumb is to find products guaranteed to break down in less than 30 days. When washing clothes, use cold water and use the clothes line for most drying.

Cut back on the barbecuing (even a little), to reduce CO2 emissions. Keep in mind that propane pollutes less than charcoal.

Save fuel by planning your meals and shopping only once on your trip. In fact, try to do your shopping on the way to your weekend getaway. Keep the reusable shopping bags in your car so you don’t forget them.

Wherever possible, buy produce from local growers at farmers markets or roadside stands. Often small stores will carry food from local sources. Once you start looking, you’ll be amazed at how many products are produced locally. Some farms even keep gardens going part way through the winter.

Just because you’re on holiday, doesn’t mean the disposable plates and cutlery have to come out. When you do use them, choose the biodegradable varieties.

Install water saving showerheads up at the cottage and opt for a dip in the lake instead of a bath everyday.

Use energy efficient CFL’s or LED lighting. Use motion lights outdoors to cut back on usage.

Use recycled toilet paper and bring up extra towels to replace paper towels. In fact, take a tip from Martha Stewart and keep a rag pail in your kitchen for quick wipe ups.

If your getaway is a regular escape, consider installing a composter for your organic waste, otherwise, capture it in a pail and bring it home. Bring extra containers for your recycling as well.

Get blinds or heavy currents and close them while you’re away to keep the heat in and the cold out. Use a programmable thermostat to regulate the temperature and not waste energy while you’re absent.

Consider installing solar panels for a supplemental source of energy.

When furnishing your getaway with appliances, look for those with Energy Star rating.

Is your vacation home located in a wet area? If so, you may want a rain barrel to capture some of that valuable water for your plants.

This second home is your relaxing getaway, you’ve got no one to impress here. Let your grass grow longer or replace some of it with mulch or native plants. Set your mower to three inches and mulch the cut grass.

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