20 free ways to save energy
Monday, September 25th, 2006Consumer Reports’ "Complete Guide to Reducing Energy Costs" is
crammed with ways to cut your energy bills. Some take a little money
and effort, such as weatherstripping your windows. Some take a little
restraint, such as picking a sedan instead of an SUV. Others require
investment, such as choosing the more-efficient refrigerator, even if
the price tag is a bit higher. Of course, the best ways to save energy
dollars are the ones that take no money and little or no effort. That’s
what you’ll find in this excerpt–20 simple things you can do to start
saving money right this minute, without having to reach for your wallet.
As
the cost of heating your home and running your car continues to climb,
we hope this book will help ease the burden on you and your family. And
it’s nice to know that saving energy does more than save you money: It
helps save resources. Using less energy pollutes less, creates less
acid rain, and results in less global warming. Even if you do nothing
more than the 20 free things listed here, you will have made a
difference in your budget and a difference in the world. Not bad for
free.
- Wash clothes in cold water. You might guess that
most of the energy used by a washing machine goes into vigorously
swishing the clothes around. In fact, about 90 percent of it is spent
elsewhere, heating the water for the load. You can save substantially
by washing and rinsing at cooler temperatures. Warm water helps the
suds to get at the dirt, but cold-water detergents will work
effectively for just about everything in the hamper. - Hang it up.
Clotheslines aren’t just a bit of backyard nostalgia. They really work,
given a stretch of decent weather. You spare the energy a dryer would
use, and your clothes will smell as fresh as all outdoors without the
perfumes in fabric softeners and dryer sheets. You’ll also get more
useful life out of clothes dried on indoor or outdoor
clotheslines–after all, dryer lint is nothing but your wardrobe in the
process of wearing out. - Don’t overdry your laundry.
Clothes will need less ironing and hold up better if you remove them
from the dryer while they’re still just a bit damp. If you are in the
market for a dryer, look for one with a moisture sensor; it will be
less likely than thermostat-equipped models to run too long. - Let the dishwasher do the work. Don’t bother prerinsing dishes with the idea that your dishwasher will work less hard. Consumer Reports
has found that this added step can waste 20 gallons of heated water a
day. All you need to do is scrape off leftover food. Enzyme-based
detergents will help make sure the dishes emerge spotless. - Put your PC to sleep.
Keep your computer and its monitor in sleep mode rather than leaving
them on around the clock. You stand to use 80 percent less electricity,
which over the course of a year could have the effect of cutting CO2
emissions by up to 1,250 pounds, according to EPA estimates. - Turn down the heat in the winter, and turn down the cool in the summer.
Lower the thermostat 5° to 10° F when you’re sleeping or are out of the
house. "A 10° decrease can cut your heating bill by as much as 20
percent," says Jim Nanni, manager of the appliance and home-improvement
testing department of Consumer Reports. And before you put on a
cotton sweater to ward off a slight chill from the AC in summer,
consider that for every degree you raise the thermostat setting, you
can expect to cut your cooling costs by at least 3 percent. - A cold hearth for a warmer house.
A conventional fireplace draws a small gale out of the room and sends
it up the chimney. Assuming the indoor air has been warmed by your
central heating system, that means your energy dollars are going up the
chimney, too. Instead, consider a direct-vent, sealed-combustion gas
fireplace. Consumer Reports has found that those units have an
energy efficiency of about 70 percent–and the sight of the flames is a
lot more warming than staring at a radiator. - Lower the shades and raise the windows.
Not at the same time, of course, but your windows and shades are great
tools to help moderate temperatures in the home. Because of central air
conditioning, we tend to forget these time-tested, traditional ways of
making the house comfortable. Shades are particularly helpful in
blocking the sun from west-facing rooms in the afternoon. At night, if
the forecast calls for cooler temperatures and low humidity, give the
AC a rest. Open windows upstairs and down, and use window fans or a
whole-house fan. - Put a spin on home cooling. You
can operate a couple of fans with a fraction of the electricity needed
for air conditioning, and their cooling effect may make it possible to
cut back on AC use. - Take care of your air conditioner, and it will take care of you.
Your air conditioner will run more efficiently if you clean or replace
its filter every other week during heaviest use. Keep leaves and other
debris away from the central air’s exterior condenser, and keep the
condenser coils clean. - Spend less for hot water.
Set the hot water heater at 120° F (or the "low" setting), which is hot
enough for most needs. If the tank feels warm to the touch, consider
wrapping it with conventional insulation or a blanket made for that
purpose. To help conserve the water’s heat on its way to the faucets,
insulate the plumbing with pipe sleeves; with these, you can raise the
end-use temperature by 2° to 4° F. - Think twice before turning on the oven.
Heating food in the microwave uses only 20 percent of the energy
required by a full-sized oven. And while the second-hand heat from the
oven may be welcome in winter, it can put an added load on your air
conditioner in warmer months. - Use the right pan.
When cooking on the stovetop, pick your pan, then put it on an element
or burner that’s roughly the same size. You’ll use much less energy
than you would with a mismatched burner and pan. Steam foods instead of
boiling. If you do boil, be sure to put a lid on the pot to make the
water come to a boil faster. - Read the label. The
EnergyGuide label, that is. When you shop for a new appliance, look for
the label that gives an estimate of annual energy consumption. To help
you make sense of that statistic, the label also states the highest and
lowest figures for similar models. - Dust off the Crock-Pot. Slow cooking in a Crock-Pot uses a lot less energy than simmering on the stove.
- Clean the coils on your refrigerator using a tapered appliance brush.
Your fridge’s motor won’t have to run as long or as often. In addition
to saving energy dollars, you’ll prolong the life of the appliance. - Drive steadily–and a bit slower.
Hard acceleration and abrupt braking will use more fuel than if you
start and slow more moderately. Keeping down your overall speed
matters, too, because aerodynamic drag increases dramatically as you
drive faster. If you travel at 65 mph instead of 55, you are penalized
by lowering your mileage 12.5 percent. If you get your vehicle up to 75
mph, you’re losing 25 percent compared with mileage at 55 mph. - Roof racks are a drag.
Most cars are reasonably streamlined, but you work against their
slipperiness if you carry things on the roof. A loaded roof rack can
decrease an SUV’s fuel efficiency by 5 percent, and that of a more
aerodynamic car by 15 percent or more. Even driving with empty ski
racks wastes gas. - Stick with regular. If your
car’s manufacturer specifies regular gas, don’t buy premium with the
thought of going faster or operating more efficiently. You’d be
spending more with no benefit. Most cars have built-in sensors that
adjust the engine timing to the gas in the tank. Even if the owner’s
manual recommends high-octane gas, ask the dealership about switching
to regular. - No loitering. Don’t let the engine
run at idle any longer than necessary. After starting the car in the
morning, begin driving right away; don’t let it sit and "warm up" for
several minutes. An engine actually warms up faster while driving. With
most gasoline engines, it’s more efficient to turn off the engine than
to idle longer than 30 seconds.
And if you don’t mind spending a few dollars:
- A tighter home is a toastier home.
Insulation is your home’s first line of defense against the weather,
right? Wrong. Before you bulk up with fiberglass blankets, seal the
leaks. Inexpensive foam strips and caulking can cut your heating and
cooling bills by 5 to 30 percent. - Try do-it-yourself low-E windows.
If your windows don’t have a low-E coating, consider applying a
self-adhesive film on the glass. This treatment is a lot cheaper than
replacing the units, and better-quality films are quite durable. - Use a programmable thermostat.
Roughly half of the typical home’s energy bill goes for heating and
cooling, according to the Department of Energy. The easiest way to
save, short of sweating or shivering, is to use programmable
thermostats. They can pay for themselves in about a year. - Switch to those funny-looking fluorescents.
You may not be familiar with compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), but give
them a try. A single bulb can save from $25 to $45 over its life. And
it’s a long life: Manufacturers claim that CFLs last between 5 and 13
times longer than standard incandescent bulbs.
