The second of our tips to save energy
51. Taking a shower instead of a bath. According to a lot of experts, taking a shower actually conserves more energy than taking a bath. To ensure that this is the case though, it is best to make use of low-flow showerheads, instead of the power showers. They provide the same comfort and consume lesser amounts of energy.
52. Make it a practice to avoid using hot water. Heating water takes a lot of energy, which is why it is best to make it a practice to avoid using it. Lots of people heat water to take a bath. However, if you make it a practice to use regular water, then you can actually get accustomed to it eventually. Thus, if you want to save energy, then you should avoid using hot water from now on.
53. Insulating your home. Insulating the ceiling and walls in your home can actually help you save about 25 percent of your heating cost. However, it needs to be done properly. Thus, you have to research about it, if you want to do it yourself. On the other hand, you can also hire someone to do it for it you.
54. Walk. Keep in mind that using your car or motorcycle also requires energy. Thus, if you are trying to get to a place that is just walking distance from your place, then you should avoid using them. Aside from conserving energy, it can also help in saving the environment by using lesser amounts of fossil fuel.
55. Buy recycled paper products. There are lots of recycled paper products available in the market today. When you purchase them, you are basically saving energy, since it takes about 70 to 90 percent less energy, when it comes to recycling paper. Aside from that, you are also helping in preventing the loss of trees in a worldwide scale.
56. Do not throw away your shopping bag. Making use of reusable bags when you are shopping can actually help in conserving energy. Aside from that, it can also help in reducing the amount of waste that you introduce to the environment. Thus, it is time to make use of reusable bags, instead of accepting the disposable kinds each time you shop.
57. Plant a tree in your backyard. When you plant a tree in your backyard, it would eventually provide you with shade, which can reduce your air-conditioning bills during the summer time. Aside from that, it can also minimize the amount of carbon dioxide in the air. Thus, it does not only help you reduce your bills but also help the environment.
58. Use renewable sources of energy. When you make use of renewable sources of energy for your needs, you would be able to save more money when it comes to your electricity bills. Some of these sources are the wind and solar. This move can also reduce the amount of fossil fuel burned, which is helpful to the environment.
59. Start a carpool. When you share a ride with your coworkers or friends, it would actually reduce the amount of fuel that you would consume. There is no need to do it every day at the start. You can do it at 2 days in a week at first, and once you get the hang of it, increase the number of times that you do it, so that you can all help in saving energy.
60. Arrange your furniture items properly. It is important that the air circulation from your cooling or heating equipment is not being blocked by anything. This is to ensure that it works at its maximum efficiency. Thus, you have to arrange your furniture items with that in mind, so that you can ensure lesser energy consumption.
61. Use your fireplace. During the colder months, do not forget to make good use of your fireplace. By doing that, you won’t have to make use of a lot of energy in order to bring up the temperature inside your place. Just take out the fire though once you go to bed, so that you can also conserve firewood.
62. Kitchen fans. Whenever it is hot and you have turned on your air-conditioning system, you should not make use of the electric fan that you have in your kitchen. This is because, it can make warm and moist air go towards different parts of your place, and make your AC system work harder.
63. Clean your air-conditioning systems regularly. Cleaning the filters of your air-conditioning system and cleaning the system itself are two different things. When it comes to cleaning the AC, it is best if you hire someone to do it for you. Do it regularly, so that it would be able to work as efficiently as possible.
64. Use your pressure cooker. If you don’t have a pressure cooker, then it is time to purchase one. This is because, using a pressure cooker can help you save energy. With a pressure cooker, you would be able to cook food faster, since you would be applying pressure on it, aside from the fact that it would also make the temperature go up fast.
65. Inspect the indoor and outdoor coils of your air conditioner. There are two coils that you need to inspect regularly when it comes to caring for your air conditioner. The indoor coil should be checked and cleaned always, since it gets wet during the process of cooling, aside from attracting dust. Dirt buildup on it can make the AC work harder, which is why it should be kept cleaned always. This is also the same with the outdoor coil.
66. Prevent excessive cooling. There are times when you set the thermostat of your air conditioner beyond your desired temperature. You may simply become adjusted to it by using a blanket when you sleep. However, it is best if you bring down the thermostat level instead, since making your room cooler than you need it to be would make you consume more energy.
67. There is no need to make use of air conditioners during the entire summer season. Although it is summer, there are times when the weather can be milder. It is during these times when you can substitute your air conditioner with just an electric fan. By doing that, you would be able to reduce your energy consumption by 40 to 60 percent.
68. Choose the right power for your room air conditioner. Room air conditioners are available in different horse powers these days. You can choose from half, one, one and one half, and many more. When it comes to this, you need to consider the size of your room to be able to select the right horse power for your air conditioner. It is best that your AC has just the right power for your room, since too low or too high can make you consume more energy.
69. Properly installing your air conditioner. It is very important to ensure that professionals are the ones to install your air conditioner. This is because, its installation is a factor that can affect its efficiency. The air conditioner has to be installed on a flat surface, since it would help its drainage system and other mechanisms to work properly. See that it is installed properly, so that you won’t be consuming more energy than you should be.
70. Using a window air conditioner. If you are using a window air conditioner, it is best if you set the fan speed on higher levels. However, if you can feel high humidity, then you should set it to low. Lower fan speed can actually make you feel more comfortable during warmer months, since it can help removing moisture from the air.
71. Check your car’s tires weekly. You should make sure that your car is fuel efficient, in order to save energy. One of the factors that can affect that is its tires. With that, you need to check the tires of your car weekly, so that you can ensure that it has proper inflation. When that is the case, then you would be able to save energy by making your car more fuel efficient.
72. Read more books. Reading more books can help you reduce your energy consumption. This is because, it would greatly reduce your time spent in front of your television. With that, it is best if you encourage your kids and your spouse to follow your lead, so that they can all contribute in saving energy.
73. Do not place your TV set or your lamp near your air conditioning thermostat. It is not a good idea to situate a television set or a lamp near your air conditioning thermostat. This is because, these appliances can give off heat towards the thermostat. When that happens, the thermostat would try to work harder than necessary to cool down your room’s temperature.
74. Make your company as paper less as possible. Making your company as paper less as possible can help you conserve energy. This is because, each time you need to print something, you would be consuming more electricity. Aside from making your company reduce electricity bills by becoming paper less, you can also help the environment.
75. Unplug your air conditioner during winter. It is a fact that you won’t be using your air conditioner during the winter times. Thus, it is best if you can unplug it, so that you can ensure that it won’t be consuming any kind of energy. It is also better if you can cover it with something, so that you would be able to preserve its quality.
76. Do not forget the seal between your AC and your window. It is important to constantly check on the seal between your air conditioner and the frame of your window. This is because, the seal can get easily damaged with moisture. When that happens, the seal can eventually have holes, which would let cool air from your room escape.
77. Drain water from your hot water tank. Draining water from the hot water tank regularly can help a lot when it comes to saving energy. This is because, sediments inside the tank can reduce the efficiency of your tank. Draining even just a quart of water from the tank once every two to three months would already help a lot.
78. Cover your foods when you store them inside the refrigerator. It is important to cover or wrap foods that you store inside your refrigerator. This is because, foods that are uncovered can release moisture inside the cooling unit. When that happens, it actually makes the compressor work harder, which means more energy consumed.
79. See if you have a butter conditioner insider your refrigerator. It is always best to check on your user’s manual, even when it comes to making use of your refrigerator. This is because, it can also help you determine if your unit has a butter conditioner. This part of a refrigerator is actually a heater, and it is best if you can turn it off.
80. Don’t keep your old refrigerator running. It is possible that you are still using your old refrigerator at your garage, especially in times when you need extra space. However, it would actually serve you better if you just obtain a new unit, even just a small one. This is because, old refrigerators can actually consume a lot of energy, due to their being inefficient.
81. Attain the ideal temperature for your refrigerator. If you are going to make your refrigerator cooler than you need it to be, then you would be consuming more energy than necessary. With that, you have to take note of the proper temperature for the different parts of it, such as the freezer and the fresh food compartment. To check on their temperatures, just make use of a thermometer for it.
82. See that your refrigerator’s door seals are tight. You have to make sure that your refrigerator seals are really tight, so that cool air would not escape through it. One of the best things to do for it is to close the door while letting a paper hang half inside the unit and half outside of it. If you can pull the paper out easily, then it means that the door seals are not airtight.
83. Don’t let your kids leave their TV sets turned on. If your kids have their own rooms and each of the rooms has a TV set inside, then you should make sure that they are turned off when no one is using. With that, you should constantly remind your kids that they have to turn off the TV sets when they leave their rooms. Aside from that, make it a practice to constantly check on their rooms, just to make sure.
84. Make use of ceiling fans. If you want to have a substitute for air conditioning, you can actually install ceiling fans inside your place for it. Ceiling fans can actually make a room more comfortable by providing sufficient movement of air. Because of that, you won’t have to turn on your air conditioner a lot of times.
85. What to do with your guest room. Having a guest room inside your house can increase your energy consumption, especially if you don’t make adjustments when you don’t need it. To conserve energy, see to it that the guest room’s light is always turned off. Aside from that, keep in mind that attaining desirable temperature in it would not be needed as well.
86. Install tempered glass doors for your fireplace. In having a fireplace, you want to make sure that heat loss would be reduced. This is because, if you can achieve that, it means that you would be able to reduce energy consumption of your heating equipment. With that, it is best to install tempered glass doors for your fireplace, so that heat loss is avoided, and efficiency is improved.
87. Small portable heaters. Making use of portable heaters that are small in size is good if you use it for a shorter period of time. However, if you need heaters for the long haul, then it is best to make use of a baseboard heater for it. This type of heater is best for long term use as it consumes lesser amounts of energy.
88. It may be time to buy a new thermostat. Always remember that as your thermostat becomes older, its efficiency would also reduce. With that, if you are using an old thermostat, then it may be time to replace it. By using a newer thermostat, you would be saving more energy, which would also help you save money in the long run.
89. Buying the right heating product. When it comes to buying the right heating product, you should check its features first before making the final decision. Aside from checking on the features of the product, you should also check reviews about it. Reviews can be found online, which can help you decide when you are turned between two products.
90. Using your dishwasher. It is always best to use your dishwasher with a full load. Doing it this way can help in conserving energy. Aside from that, keep in mind that using a dishwasher actually consumes lesser amounts of water as well as energy than washing the dishes manually. Thus, if you have enough dishes to wash, then use your dishwasher for it.
91. Use hot water only if it is really necessary. One of the biggest factors that can make your electricity bills spike is the use of hot water. With that, it is best if you only use it if it is absolutely necessary. Thus, when it comes to washing your clothes, only use hot water when you are trying to clean extra dirty ones.
92. Adjust your washing machine properly. If you are used to washing a lot of clothes with your washing machine, then you may always be setting it a higher levels. Keep in mind that doing this can make your equipment consume more energy. Aside from that, the said setting can also ruin delicate clothes. With that, it is always best to check on the equipment’s settings, so that you won’t be damaging your clothes and wasting energy.
93. Drying towels. When you try to dry your towels with the use of your washing machine’s dryer, then you would be using more energy. This is because, it would need to work harder, for towels and blankets can become heavy with water. To save energy, then it would be better to dry them on a separate load, or just simply air dry them.
94. Always read your oven’s manufacturer’s manual. Keep in mind that electric ovens today have different operating features. In other words, there may be features that you can use in order to cook certain types of foods easier. With that, it is best to check on its manual, so that you can ensure that you won’t be using more energy whenever you are cooking.
95. Try not to open the oven door. Whenever you are cooking up something with your oven, you may be tempted to open its door from time to time. Keep in mind that whenever you open up the door, your oven’s temperature could actually drop by 25 degree Fahrenheit. Thus, you would be making it work harder. Just check on the oven’s timer instead or the clock for its progress.
96. Turn your drinking water heater off. If you do not need to drink hot water, then you should turn off your drinking water heater. Keep in mind that heating the water constantly would consume a lot of energy. Even if you are not consuming hot water, as long as its turned on, it would still constantly consume energy.
97. Soak beans overnight. If you are planning to cook beans in the morning for breakfast, then soak them overnight. This is because, soaking it would allow the beans to absorb water. Because of that, the time you would consume in cooking them would be reduced, as well as the energy consumed.
98. Boiling hot water. When it comes to drinking coffee, you may want to boil water for it. With that, it is best to boil just enough hot water for your needs, so that you would conserve energy. Thus, if you only need a cup of coffee, then boil just a cup of water for it, so that you would save time and energy.
99. Turn off decorative indoor and outdoor lights. If you have decorative indoor and outdoor lights, then you should turn them off, whenever you don’t need them. Only use these types of lights when you are having a party or you are expecting guests. By doing that, you would not just save energy, but also prolong the lifespan of your lights.
100. Get the whole family involved. It is best if you get your whole family involved in your quest to conserving energy. This is because, all of you would be consuming energy each day. Talk to them about the benefits of saving energy, as well as the consequences if you would not take action for it. Explain things properly, and make sure to make it clear to them on how you are going to go about it.