Great Green Idea: Green Energy: 20 Things you Can do Right Now to Conserve Energy

20 Things you Can do Right Now to Conserve Energy

1. Turn down the temperature level of your fridge. Refrigerators account for about twenty percent of the total energy consumption of any household, so be sure that yours is set at a temperature level that's just right for its use. Some refrigerators also have energy-saving saving modes that you can set just by using a simple switch. If yours has one, use it.

2. Set your clothes washer to the warm or cold water setting, not hot. Water heating consumes a lot of energy, and few textiles or materials actually need hot water for washing.

3. Make sure your dishwasher is full when you run it and use the energy saving setting.

4. Turn down your water heater. Using it at a high level will consume more power.

5. When you replace your old appliances, choose replacements that make use of energy-efficient technologies.

6. Be careful not to overheat or over-cool rooms. Air conditioning and heating systems should be set at just the right level so as to consume less power.

7. Clean or replace air filters as recommended. Old filters can clog your air conditioning unit, making it work harder to achieve a suitable room temperature. This will naturally lead to higher energy consumption for that particular air conditioning unit.

8. Buy compact fluorescent bulbs for the most frequently used rooms in your house. You can also find other kinds of lights which conserve power and reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emitted to the atmosphere.

9. Wrap your water heater with an insulating jacket.

10. Use less hot water by installing low-flow shower heads.

11. Weatherize your home or apartment, using caulk and weather stripping to plug air leaks around doors and windows.

12. Whenever possible, walk, bike, car pool, or use mass transit. This helps reduce carbon emissions from fuel-based modes of transportation.

13. Check the mileage of your car and make the necessary adjustments to help regulate your engine and minimize fuel consumption.

14. Recycle. Make sure you recycle your trash. Paper, aluminum and plastic are the most common recyclable materials.

15. When planning major home improvements, consider those that will increase the energy-efficiency of your home such as the installation of solar energy panels.

16. Insulate your walls and ceilings. This can help reduce the amount of air that goes out of your house thereby reducing the energy consumption of your air conditioning and room heating systems.

17. Modernize your windows. Some technologies for windows have been developed with the aim of reducing the carbon emissions of your heating and air conditioning systems. Make sure you explore these newer options.

18. Plant trees by your house and makes use of colors that can help warm or cool the room. You can paint your house a light color if you live in a warm climate or a dark color if you live in a cold climate.

19. Work with your employer to implement these and other energy-efficiency and waste-reduction measures in your office or workplace. Doing so can help reduce the energy consumption of your workplace.

20. Look for local environmental groups and advocates. Many people from different agencies including the government have been working on energy efficiency quite some time. Give these agencies a call to learn more about energy saving measures.