Energy conservation doesn’t have to be hard. Many of the measures you can take don’t involve a massive lifestyle change and can help you feel good about helping the planet. Here are a few of the easy ways of energy conservation.
Energy-Efficient Light Bulbs
The United States is placing limits on the sale of incandescent light bulbs, which may be news to some. Starting in 2012, you won’t be able to get any general purpose bulb that isn’t 30% more efficient than an incandescent bulb from 2007. So why not switch early, and start reaping the savings now? [1]
Light bulbs are one of the few areas where you can save money and go green at the same time, all while not changing your lifestyle at all. While CFL bulbs may be significantly more expensive than their incandescent counterparts, if you factor in energy usage over their lifetime, the CFL bulbs are actually less expensive. [2] This easy way of energy conservations saves money and the planet at the same time.
Watch Energy Consumption With a “Kill-A-Watt”
Worried your gadgets are drinking too much juice? The Kill-a-Watt device can track how much energy each of the gadgets is consuming.
The Kill-A-Watt is an energy-monitoring device that connects to an outlet and electronic gadget or appliance and reports how much energy is consumed in kilowatt/hours. For even more information about the amount of energy your electronics are using, try the Save-A-Watt. Not only does it show how much power a gadget consumes, it also lets you set a timer to automatically turn it off, such as at night when you aren’t using it. [3]
Turn Off Your Computer at Night
The convenience of instantly starting up your computer every morning may be immensely appealing, but turning off your computer saves a fair amount of energy every day, especially if you have an older desktop or laptop.
Desktop computers consume a large amount of electricity. A typical desktop alone consumes 60-250 watts an hour when on, which doesn’t even factor in your monitor. [4] Putting your computer to sleep does improve matters significantly, but your machine will still be draining a few watts an hour from your outlet. It’s a simple thing to turn off your computer when you leave work or before you go to bed, and the only side effect is a one-minute wait in the morning. Energy conservation can easily be achieved this way.
Get an Energy Audit
Getting a Building Performance Institute-certified auditor to inspect your house for energy leaks will help you get into energy conservation in a big way. Your inspector will search your house for air leaks, thermal weak spots, etc. in an attempt to find out where all your energy is going. [5]
After the inspection, your auditor will give you your results and tell you what you need to do to save some money on your electricity bill. Generally, they will encourage you to weatherproof your house and show you how well your insulation is performing.
When an energy auditor is certified by the BPI, you can trust that they will inform you of the best ways to achieve energy conservation in your home.
Sources:
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/phase-out_of_incandescent_light_bulbs
2. http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2009/02/10/the-light-bulb-showdown-leds-vs-cfls-vs-incandescent-bulbs-whats-the-best-deal-now-and-in-the-future/
3. http://www.p3international.com/products/p4470.html
4. http://michaelbluejay.com/electricity/computers.html
5. http://www.bpi.org/
