Improving the energy efficiency of your home can do more than reduce energy consumption and help protect the environment.  It can also help you reduce drafts and noise, fix moisture and condensation problems, improve your indoor air quality and comfort level, and help save your family money year round.  Regardless of where you live or the type of house your family calls home, there are a number of energy saving tips you can use to help you save money, save the environment, and reduce your energy use by as much as 47%.

Appliances:  Replace and recycle older refrigerators, freezers, electric ranges, and dishwashers with newer Energy Star rated models.

Buy Locally:  Not only is it good for the local economy, it will save energy because products haven’t traveled across the globe to get to you.

Carbon Monoxide Detectors:  If you have a furnace, fireplace, or gas heater, have them checked regularly to prevent deadly fumes and install a carbon monoxide detector.

Car pool:  Car pool whenever possible.

Cleaning Products: Use non-toxic cleaning alternatives in your home, such as the new green cleaning products.

Faucets/Showerheads:

·        Mend any dripping taps or leaking pipes immediately.

·        Install water saving devices for your taps and showers.  Energy saving shower heads can save up to 20% of hot water usage and cut your electricity bills.  A faucet aerator will reduce the flow without reducing the water pressure.

·        Don’t leave the tap running while brushing your teeth or shaving.

·        A shower (about ten minutes) uses 2/3 the amount of water as a bath.

Fireplaces:  If you own a fireplace or woodstove, replace any leaky dampers and repair chimney flues. 

Also consider switching to more energy efficient options such as an electric fireplace insert, EPA rated insert unit or direct vent natural gas fireplace insert.

Furnace:  Consider upgrading your furnace or boiler to a new higher efficiency unit.

Furnace Filters:  In the winter, change your furnace air filters once a month.  The heater uses more energy when it is full of dust.

Home Furnishings:  Furnish your home with furniture made out of natural fibers, wood, metal, and glass.

Insulation: Insulate your home against heat loss and periodically check insulation.  Fix air leaks with weather stripping and caulking everywhere, including foundation, walls, attic hatches and doors, around window and door frames, at ceiling penetrations, around light fixtures and wiring, and around service penetrations through exterior walls.  Plus, seal the joint between the window frame and wall, and keep weather stripping and storm windows in good repair.

Laundry

·        Save water with powder detergents.  Switch from liquid detergents to powders.  Laundry liquids are mostly water, approximately 80%.  It costs energy and packaging to bring this water to the consumer.

·        Only do full loads of laundry and use as little water as possible.

·        Up to 90% of the energy used for washing clothes goes to heating the water.  A warm wash and cold rinse will work just as well as a hot water wash and a warm rinse on nearly all clothes.

·        Front loading washers reduce water consumption, (using less water that needs to be heated) and reduces dryer time.

·        If you use a dryer, clean your dryer’s lint trap after every load to keep the air circulating efficiently.  Lint buildup is also a fire hazard.

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Lawn and Garden Tips

·        If you must water your lawn and garden, water in the morning or at night to prevent evaporation.  One inch of water a week is better than several short showers.

·        Grow ground cover or use mulch to cut down on water use; this also helps control weeds.

·        Put a barrel under your eaves trough downspout to catch water when it rains and you can use this to water indoor plants, your garden, or to wash your car.

Light Bulbs: Replace three frequently used light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs.  This will save approximately 300 pounds of carbon dioxide and $60 per year.

Painting:  Choose water based latex paints over solvent based paints when painting your home.  Never use lead based paints.

Shopping Bags:  There are many reasons to avoid excess packaging.  The obvious ones – overflowing landfills are just the beginning.  Almost all plastics currently on the market are made with petroleum – a non-renewable resource that takes a toll on the planet during its extraction, manufacture and disposal.  The solution?  Start by bringing your own bags to the grocery store, as well as, other shopping.

Thermostat:  Conserve fuel by turning down the heat at night and while you are away from your home, or install a programmable thermostat.

Toilets:  Save energy and water by installing low flush or dual flush toilets.

Toxic Household Waste:  Do not throw out toxic household wastes such as paint, paint thinner, and car fluids in the garbage or down the drain.  Check with your local facility for proper disposal and try to avoid these products in the future.

Ventilation:  Ensure you have good ventilation and balanced humidity in your home to prevent the growth of mould and mildew, which can be harmful to your health.

Water Heaters:

·        Insulate your electric hot water heater.  Do not however, insulate gas water heaters.  

·        Keep your water heater thermostat no higher than 120 degrees.    This is hot enough to kill bacteria and still save energy. (Save 550 pounds of carbon dioxide and $30 per year.)

Water Pipes: Cover hot water pipes within nine feet of the hot water tank with pipe insulation, and if possible, insulate all accessible hot water pipes.

Windows:  Consider upgrading to more energy efficient windows to prevent heat loss, greatly improve comfort levels, and reduce maintenance needs.

Bottled Water Problems

A new report encourages America to take back the tap.  Choosing tap water over bottled water is better for consumers’ health, their pocketbooks, and the environment.

·        Bottled water costs about 1000 times as much as tap water.

·        The bottled water industry spends billions on advertising that promises purity in a bottle while implying that tap water is somehow less safe, something that is simply not true.

·        “Bottled water generally is no cleaner, safer, or healthier than tap water.  In fact the federal government requires far more rigorous frequent safety testing and monitoring of municipal drinking water.  Rather than buying into this myth of purity in a bottle, consumers should drink from the tap”, reported the Executive Director of Food and Water Watch.

·        More than 1.5 tons of non-biodegradable plastic was used to package 6 billion gallons of bottles water sold in the U.S. 

·        Making bottles requires more than 1.5 million barrels of oil annually. 

In the trial of Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation vs Nestle Waters North America, the taking of spring water by Nestle, Ice Mountain, is diminishing the flow and level of a stream and two lakes, and reducing the stream width according to the Mecosta County Circuit Court.  When you drink bottled spring water, you are drinking water that would feed the headwaters of a stream. 

So Please - Use a water bottle that you can reuse.

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