31 August, 2007

Ten ways how to save energy


1. Lighting & Light Bulbs -Install low energy light bulbs in rooms you use regularly – they last up to 15 times longer than a normal light bulb and provide the same lighting for a quarter of the running cost. Turn off the lights when you leave a room for a long period and don't use several light bulbs where one will do the job. Teach all family members to turn off lights when leaving a room.


2. TV, Hi-Fi & Radio-Turn off the TV or video and hi-fi rather than leaving it on standby. Always use the television's on/off switch. Leaving the television on standby wastes energy.


3. Cooking- Microwave ovens reduce cooking time by 15% to 20% and save energy. When boiling vegetables, use just enough water to keep them covered. Use a jug kettle that has a water level gauge to ensure you only heat the amount of water you need. Cover saucepans with lids whenever possible to reduce the cooking time.


4. Home -Laundry & DishwashersSave electricity by using old-fashioned clothesline for clothes drying. Avoid drying clothes on radiators as it lowers the room temperature, making your boiler work harder. Shut off dishwasher for dry cycle. Let your dishes "air dry". Don't use dishwasher or laundry equipment until you have a full load.


5. Fridges & Fridge Freezers -Make sure your refrigerator and freezer door seals are airtight. Let hot foods cool before placing them in the refrigerator. Defrost refrigerator regularly - when about 1/4 inch of ice has formed. Place your refrigerator in the coolest part of the kitchen - away from cookers, heaters and out of direct sunlight.


6. Heating-Turn off electric water heater when going away for vacations or weekends. Turn your heating down rather than opening a window to reduce the room temperature. Never cover radiators with curtains or furniture as this reduces their efficiency and wastes valuable heat. When going on long holidays, remember to switch your water heating off.


7. Work Tools -Use hand tools in your workshop instead of power tools.


8. Appliances -When shopping for new appliances, ask about energy-efficient models. Buy appliances on the basis of cost plus operating costs, not price alone. Limit the use of appliances that use over 1,000 watts. Keep appliances clean and in good working order. They'll use less energy.


9. Bills- Check all energy bills closely. Errors can be costly.


10. Insulation & Air conditioning-Insulating your attic will save on operating air conditioning (also heating). If your walls are suitable, cavity wall insulation will substantially reduce heat loss. Keep air conditioning condenser shaded from sun or on north side of house. Turn off air conditioning when no one is home.

30 August, 2007

Let's save energy


It is unfortunate that more people do not save energy and it is unfortunate that they do not think about turning off lights in the house that they are not using or turning off the air conditioner when they leave the house for long periods of time. Americans are lucky in that our energy does not cost as much as many other countries due to the economies of scale. But wasting energy makes no sense at all and is much smarter to save your money by conserving energy.
If people saved more energy we would not have big spikes in costs due to supply and demand issues. The rolling blackouts in California are completely unnecessary and it is truly unfortunate that people will not conserve when it is the most important. So many people complain about global warming and our atmosphere being polluted from power plants. Yet what I find very ironic is that the people who complain the most live in states like California and they also use twice as much energy as they do in other states in their households.
Perhaps I see this as a little bit hypocritical and that if they really cared about the environment and the power plants burning coal then why don't they conserve energy so less coal has to be burned to create energy? In the future with clean coal technologies this will not be as big an issue with the pollution of the atmosphere. Nevertheless, it still makes sense to conserve energy, why would anyone waste energy?