Do you ever wonder how you can make a positive impact on the planet with your everyday decisions? Here, you can learn a few simple ways to lessen your power consumption.
Use Less Power Tip #5 – Switch To LEDs / Solar Power
LED lights take much less energy than incandescent bulbs, but turning off the lights still saves the most energy. Switch to LED Christmas lights. I’m not going to lie, I love Christmas lights, but LEDs take less power and give off even brighter colors. Once you trade your incandescent bulbs for LEDs, you should be able to see your electric bill decrease.
Solar power’s payback period is getting shorter every day. That means that the amount of time it takes for investing in solar power to pay off is going down. Eventually, solar power just becomes free energy. If you don’t have the lifestyle or the money to invest in solar panels, you can start with getting small solar chargers for your devices like your phone and computer.
Use Less Power Tip #4 – Stop Wasting Unused Energy
Whenever you leave a room, be sure to turn off the lights. If you’re using LEDs, they do not use too much power, but any amount of energy that you can save helps the planet and your utility bill. Unplug devices while you’re not using them; when electronics are plugged in but not turned on, they still take energy. If you only use your toaster in the morning, just plug it in while everyone gets their breakfast ready. When you go out of town, unplug things like your lamp and your chargers that you won’t be using on your trip.
Whether you enjoy watching the best live-action Disney movies or the best horror movies on Hulu, make sure you turn off your TV after you’re finished. It might seem like these choices will not make a big difference. The thing is, if hundreds, thousands, or millions of people adopt these habits, there will be a positive impact.
Use Less Power Tip #3 – Consolidate Energy-Intense Activities
When you plan to cook or bake something in the oven, try to use the oven for multiple dishes while it’s hot to save the energy it takes to heat up the oven. The same can be said for filling the dishwasher and the washing machine all the way before you run them. Think about what you want to take out of the fridge or freezer before you open the door to browse. This can save a lot of energy when you consider how much of the cold air is lost every second the door is open. Another thing to avoid is putting hot food in the fridge because then the fridge has to compensate for the extra heat and humidity.
#2 – Wash Your Clothes More Energy Efficiently
Try washing your clothes in warm or cold water instead of hot. Unless your clothes are extremely dirty, cold water should clean them just as well. Once you have your clothes all clean, hang them to dry instead of using a dryer. I hang at least half of my clothes anyway. If you get a drying rack, you might be surprised by how fast your clothing will dry. If you often do multiple loads of laundry at once, it can work well to hang everything that you want hung from each load and then combine what is left to put in the dryer instead of using that much heat to dry two separate loads. Here, you can read more about how much energy you can save by hang drying your clothes.
#1 – Regulate Your Home Temperature In An Eco-Friendly Way
One of the most important parts of this is insulating your home properly. Whether it’s a hot, summer day or a bitter cold winter night, insulation will keep your A/C and your heater from working too hard.
When the temperature outside is what you want inside, open your windows. For example, if you live somewhere hot during the day, open your windows in the evening and morning to let some of the cooler air in. If it’s too cold at night, maybe you can open windows during the day to let the warmth in.
Another way to use less power throughout the year is by setting your thermostat a degree or two cooler in the winter and wearing extra layers. In summer, you could try setting it one or two degrees warmer and wearing lighter clothes. Play around with what is comfortable for you and your household.