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13 Steps to Greening Your Home

Green Living — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 08:37:04 +0000

There has been, and continues to be, much conversation about conserving energy in your home. Conservation is necessary to ensure there are enough resources for our future and the future of the next generations.

When the discussions about energy conservation began, people were overwhelmed and confused – to incorporate energy conservation in homes seemed complicated and expensive. As time passed, costs decreased and families are now able to incorporate energy-saving tools for much less money. Also, we have become more educated about conserving energy; it’s becoming a way of life.

Following are 13 steps that you can do to conserve energy, money, and green your home.

Unplug anything in your house that you are not using or have finished using for the day – examples – lamps in unused rooms, hair dryer after using for the day, televisions, coffee pots, toasters – the savings add up quickly.
Install or learn to use a programmable thermostat for heating and cooling.
Turn off lights each time you leave a room.
Contact your utility company to set up a free assessment of your energy usage and how to use energy more effectively. Utility companies are generally set up to render this service at no cost.
Change out standard light bulbs for energy efficient compact fluorescent bulbs that have a longer life. These light bulbs have become more cost efficient – watch for sales or rebates from your utility company. If everyone in the United States replaced all their standard bulbs for compact fluorescent bulbs this would be the equivalent of taking 1,000,000 cars off the road.
Determine if your utility company has different rates for using your utilities at different times of day; e.g., on-peak and off-peak hours.
Replace appliances with energy star products.
Recycle everything you can think of – cans, plastic bottles, wrapping paper, newspapers, magazines, cardboard boxes, etc. If your community does not have a recycling program, contact them to see if one can be started – if not, get creative – recycle anyway.
Run dishwasher when the dishwasher is full of dishes versus half full.
Buy and use BPA-free water bottles instead of buying water in plastic bottles.
Turn off your computers at night versus putting them to sleep.
Keep your tires inflated always; you will save money on fuel and go farther per mile.
Use cloth napkins during your meals versus paper napkins.

This is a short list of ideas for greening your home. It does not take a lot of extra work or money but it takes living life consciously to determine where you can begin to be conservative. Everything you do will make a difference. If you begin to incorporate the above suggestions, you will make an impact on the life and quality of our planet.

Energy Saving Laundry Tips: Hot Water vs. Cold Water Washing

Green Living — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 11:26:38 +0000

Many people are still of the old school mentality and want to wash their clothes in hot water to get them clean. One of the time honored tips on going green is to switch to cold water when washing most your clothes. Not only will this save you money, it saves energy too.

Some research has found that using hot water for a load of laundry is equivalent to driving nine miles in an automobile. While this doesn’t seem like a lot, multiply that times the number of loads of laundry you do in a week, and it adds up quickly. If everyone switched to cold water wash, we could eliminate over $3 billion dollars in energy costs, and reduce carbon emission by 1%.

Since cold water is less harsh on clothing, the savings to replace faded worn clothing also adds up for the family budget and the environment.

The first trick to have clean clothes using cold water is to use a quality eco-friendly washing detergent. Read the labels and look for a brand that states it can be used in cold water.

Certain types of clothing need to be washed in hot water, so sort those out and do them all at once in one load. Baby diapers and clothing should be washed in hot water to remove stains. Since chlorine bleach is a toxin, using hydrogen peroxide or vinegar as a pre-soak is much safer and eco-friendly for your baby and the environment.

Greasy clothing may need to be washed in hot water, but soaking them in an enzymatic product before washing may eliminate most of the stains. Often soaking clothes in plain water, vinegar or hydrogen peroxide will do the trick without using harsh detergents.

Use Proper Size Loads

Most modern washing machines allow you to choose the level of water to match the size of the load. Since the washer runs the same amount of time whether it is full or partially full, (except for the filling time), washing a full load is always more economical.

The new front-loading washing machines are much more energy efficient and are capable of sensing the laundry load and adjusts the water level automatically.

Overloading you washer is just as bad. Heavy loads put a strain on the motor and spinning gears and overloading could cost you a hefty repair bill. In addition, filling the washer with too many clothes reduces its efficiency. The clothes do not have room to agitate and will not come out clean even if you were to use hot water.

The Settings

Factory settings on washers are often set too high, even on the newer energy efficient washers. Many new ultra energy efficient washers default to warm wash and must be changed each time. Some even have a default warm rinse option which is a total waste of time. Rinsing in cold water has actually been proven to be more effective than at warm water rinse and will save on energy costs too.

Energy Star Rated Water Heater

When it comes time to replace your water heater, be sure to choose a Energy Star Rated model, or an instant water heater. The cost of upgrading can be offset in energy savings in just a few years. These newer models use on average 50 % less energy than the older models. If you are still not convinced that eliminating the use of hot water in your wash is the best thing, at least lower the temperature. The factory settings are usually set too high. Drop them by 10-20° for peak efficiency.

Location-Location-Location

If possible, locate your clothes washer as close to your hot water tank as possible. Heat is lost through the piping. Long pipe runs results in loss of energy before it ever gets to the end usage. All pipes in your home should be insulated, to prevent heat loss.

Following at least a few of these tips for going green when it comes to your washing machine, will save you money and will certainly be great for the environment.

10 Ways To Go Greener In Your Kitchen

Green Living — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 10:21:56 +0000

When it comes to living more sustainable and making a difference towards the problem of global climate change, every little thing you do counts. So here are some tips for small, easy changes you can make in your kitchen that will help to reduce your energy consumption and lessen your environmental footprint.

Only fill your kettle with as much water as you need. The more water you boil, the more energy that’s required, and if that water isn’t going to be used, you’ve wasted the extra energy it takes. Remember some of the water is going to escape as steam, so if you want a cup of tea, just add a cup plus a tablespoon or so more.
If you’ve just boiled the kettle and you have extra water left over, use it in soups or for boiling vegetables instead of using cold water from the tap.
Put lids on your saucepans when cooking. This conserves heat and lets you cook at a much lower temperature. Simmering in a covered saucepan will cook your food just as quickly as rapidly boiling it in an uncovered pan.
When cooking on the stove top or in the oven, turn off the heat 5-10 minutes before you normally would but leave the food in the oven or on the element in a covered saucepan. Your food will continue cooking because of the heat trapped inside the pan or oven and the heat that’s still in the elements.
If you tap water takes ages to run hot, heat water in the kettle instead for doing the dishes or using in recipes.
Open and close the oven door as quickly as possible. Every time you open it, the temperature drops by about 20 degrees.
Run your dishwasher only when it’s full, on the economy cycle. If there is food left on plates, etc rinse them under cold water before putting them into the dishwasher, especially if they will be sitting for while before you turn it on. Avoid rinsing in hot water as that alone can use as much energy as a full wash cycle.
When washing up by hand, use as little water as possible and don’t leave the tap running when you’re rinsing. The best thing to do is to have 2 plastic bowls in the sink, one with hot soapy water and the other with clear rinse water to dip the washed dishes into.
Check the seal on your refrigerator to make sure it’s working properly. If you can close the door on a piece of paper and run it around the edge, you need to replace the seal. Also be careful not to fill your fridge too full, especially with items in the door trays as this can prevent the door from closing properly.
Turn off all appliances at the wall when not in use. The amount of energy used by always-on clocks, lights and LEDs is significant.

The trick is to make a conscious effort to implement these simple tips, until you have replaced your old habits with these new, energy-saving habits.

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that because you have to engage in activities that use excessive amounts of energy at work, that there’s not point in turning your appliances off at home. Every change you make towards a more sustainable lifestyle, no matter how small, makes a difference. In fact, changing the things you do have control over helps to offset the damage done by those things you don’t have control over.