With the high cost of energy today, there is more incentive than ever to keep our own energy consumption in check. But perhaps more importantly, energy conservation is good for the environment and reduces our family's "carbon footprint."
Following are a number of ideas that fathers can try to implement at home that cost little to nothing and can make a big dent in our energy consumption at home.
Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. Compact fluorescent bulbs are a little more expensive than regular light bulbs but they last longer and can cut lighting costs by 75%. If you haven't used them, they do take some getting used to, but once they are part of your regular life, you won't even notice the difference.
Unplug chargers when not in use. I had no idea that my cell phone charger, my PDA charger or other small electronics chargers consumed energy when they were not plugged into my device. But they do, and the energy consumed has zero positive impact on my life. Unplugging them will save electricity.
Reset thermostats. Often we use power and natural gas to heat and cool our homes to a level of comfort beyond what we need. Even just rolling back the thermostat five degrees at bed time until morning can make a difference in your consumption. Setting them a little lower in the winter and wearing sweaters or sweatshirts in the house can save you money.
Turn water heaters to normal or 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Many of us keep our water heaters set at higher levels than necessary. Most experts believe that 120 degrees is an optimal setting to give you enough hot water for household use.
Turn off lights when not in use. My pet peeve, I admit, is burning lights serving no value. Help kids learn to turn them off automatically when leaving a room. For rooms like the garage, pantry and utility room, consider adding motion sensor lights that will turn on when someone comes in and turn off when left alone.
Turn off computers and monitors when not in use. This is one that I have trouble with because I hate the waiting time at computer start-up. But it does waste energy to have these units running when not in use. Check the power management settings on your computer and set it to shut off automatically after a given period of non-use. Also, laptops consume only about 25% of the energy of desktop computer systems.
Run full laundry and dishwasher loads. In general, energy cost for running a clothes washer or a dishwasher are the same, whether running a full load or a small load. Try to run them only when full to conserve energy.
Wash at lower temperatures where possible. About 90% of the energy consumed by washing machines is used for heating water. So check your clothing labels and try to wash in cold or warm water whenever you can.
Clean and replace filters. The lint filter on your dryer and the air filter on your furnace need to stay clean or be replaced regularly. Furnace filters should be replaced monthly and dryer lint filter should be cleaned after every load. Keeping these filters clean will save energy and increase the life of your appliances.
Saving energy is a benefit for our own family budgets and for the environment. Putting into practice a few simple steps will help your family be more "green" and save money at the same time.
