Okay, so you've bought into the idea of "going green." You've decided to replace a few light bulbs with more energy efficient CFLs and committed to turn off the lights and appliances when not in use. Give yourself a pat on the back. You've taken a good first step.
But you've only just begun. Whether you're into "saving the planet" through reducing greenhouse gases or just want to save on your bills, the two goals have about the same path. In other words, by doing one of those, you are in effect doing the other at the same time. If you choose to actively look for ways to reduce your energy bills, you are also conserving energy and thus "going green."
By the way, as a side note, I don't particularly care for the term "going green" as you may have noticed since I've decided to place the term in quotes. Whenever I think about "green" I think clean or fresh, like a field of grass wavering in the wind. It just doesn't translate well (for me at least). Plus, the term conjures images of far leaning conservationists who don't have a foot in reality anymore.
So, now that we can say "going green" will also save on energy, let's talk about the relationship between the two. In other words, how do both accomplish the same thing?
Okay, well first, if you lessen your energy usage around your home or workplace through conservation and through energy efficient appliances, your bill will be lower. Bonus for you. By lowering the demand for energy on your end, the energy company delivers less energy to you. If more than a few homes do this, the energy supplier generates less power to supply to you. Rather than deal with an excess, in theory, production is cut. By reducing the amount of energy that is sent out, energy companies pollute less. That's the basic idea.
You can see from this 1000 foot view that it takes more than just turning off a few lights in your home to curb the energy supply from the utility company. It takes hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of households to do the same thing. It requires everyone to be energy conscious. You can do your part around the home, too, by doing more than just turning off lights and replacing bulbs. If nothing else, you will see a reduction in your energy bill.
First, lower your thermostat in the winter and raise it in the summer. Remember, the closer the temperature of your home is to the outside temperature, less energy will potentially be lost since it won't be readily transferred. This isn't practical - especially in the winter. But it bears mentioning.
Next, only keep appliances plugged in that you use. Almost all appliances now have some sort of timer or clock or "standby" mode. This uses energy, even when not plugged in. Unplug it if you don't need it.
Avoid over using appliances that are energy hogs. Big offenders are microwaves, electric stoves and ovens, inefficient air conditioners, washers and dryers. All that is required here really is habit change. If you microwave something remove it and use it promptly. Letting it sit may require you to reheat it. Same thing with washers and dryers. When you use them, remove the loads promptly. Letting them sit may require you to reuse the appliance for no good reason.
Finally, consider putting outdoor lights on timers, motion detectors, or converting them to solar power. This way, you are either removing the lights from the public power grid entirely (as the case with solar cells) or activating them only when absolutely necessary.
David Anderson continues to be so completely obsessed with home energy and finding ways to reduce energy bills that he's now losing sleep over it. He is a regular contributor to the Utility Bill Busters Blog, a site updated (almost) daily with a ton of free tips and resourced for helping homeowners save money on their energy bills. It can be found at http://www.utilitybillbusters.com
No comments:
Post a Comment