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Energy saving starts with you!

 The following few tips may sound funny and so very ordinary but its by executing these little things that we build a better tomorrow.Yes little drops make an ocean.
  • Turn off everything not in use: lights, TVs, computers, etc.

  • Check your furnace or air conditioner filter each month.

  • Dirty filters block air flow by 35% through your heating and cooling systems, increasing energy use by the same.

  • Activate "sleep" features on computers and office equipment that power down when not in use for a while.Even in the busiest of stock exchange centres this habit has brought about a 20% decrease in energy cosmption.

  • Dress appropriately for the weather, and set your thermostat to the lowest possible comfortable setting.

  • In summer, use fans whenever possible instead of air conditioning . Using fans to supplement air conditioning allows you to raise the thermostat temperature, using less energy. Fans use 20-40% less energy than air conditioning.

  • Use microwave ovens they use 50% lesser energy than conventional ovens.

  • About 15% of an average home energy bill goes to heating water. To save hot water, take five-minute showers instead of baths.

  • Showering for 5 mins uses 11ltrs of water.While a tub bath consumes 35 ltrs of water.So shower.

  • Switch to cold water washing of laundry. Use detergent formulated for cold water to get clothes just as clean.Water usage at room temperature saves 37% energy.

  • Install low flow showerheads and sink aerators to reduce hot water use.

  • Seal and weatherstrip your windows and doors to ensure that you're not wasting energy on heat or air conditioning that escapes through leaks to the outdoors.

  • Insulating your hot water tank to keep the heat from escaping saves 50% energy as on reheating.

  • Replace your five most used light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. These light bulbs use 67% less energy and last up to 10 times longer.

Energy saving tips for your car
  • Drive sensibly. Aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking) wastes gasoline, it can lower your highway gas mileage 33% and city mileage 5%.

  • Consider buying a highly fuel-efficient vehicle. A fuel-efficient vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, or an alternative fuel vehicle could save you a lot at the gas pump and help the environment.

  • Combine errands into one trip. Several short trips, each one taken from a cold start, can use 200% as much fuel as one trip covering the same distance when the engine is warm.

  • Keep tires properly inflated and aligned to improve your gasoline mileage by around 3%.

  • CARPOOLING - By carpooling one means that singlecar caters to the needs of many people saving the cost and the fuel of individual drives.When you share the cost of commuting, you save money. The more people you carpool with the more money you save. Remember, no matter how often you choose to carpool, every day you do makes a difference for you and everyone around you.

According to the American Automobile Association, the average cost of driving a mid-size car 15,000 miles a year is around $7,471 taking into account all operation and maintenance costs. If you're driving an SUV, the cost reaches almost $8,000 a year. This includes fuel, maintenance, insurance, depreciation and finance charges, but not parking costs or time lost due to traffic congestion.

Can you think of other ways to spend that money? If you can, there are ways to reduce or eliminate these costs of driving.

One of the easiest ways is to share a ride to work. Carpooling with just two other people can cut your fuel costs by two-thirds. You can also get preferred reduced parking fees; and save wear-and-tear on your car.
  • Use air conditioning only when necessary, consider opening a window instead.

Make your house energy efficient with insulation
  • Save up to 20% of the energy you use to heat and cool your house. Seal up holes to the outside by weatherstripping doors and sealing windows.

  • Efficient windows can lower the energy used for heating and cooling by up to 30%. If your home has only single pane windows, consider replacing them with energy efficient windows.

  • In the average home, 75% of the electricity used to power home electronics is consumed while the products are turned off. Plug home electronics into power strips and turn the power strips off when the equipment is not in use.

  • Unplug battery chargers when the batteries are fully charged or the chargers are not in use. Many chargers draw power continuously, even when the device is not plugged into the charger.This accounts for 5% power wastage in a house with 4 rechargeable equipments.

Energy efficient lighting
  • Take advantage of daylight by using light-colored, loose-weave curtains on your windows to allow daylight to penetrate the room while preserving privacy. Also, decorate with lighter colors that reflect daylight.

  • Use task lighting; instead of brightly lighting an entire room, focus the light where you need it. For example, use fluorescent under-cabinet lighting for kitchen sinks and counter-tops under cabinets.

  • Use dimmers, motion sensors, or occupancy sensors to automatically turn on or off lighting as needed and prevent energy waste.

  • Use compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) in place of comparable incandescent bulbs to save about 50% on your lighting costs. CFLs use only on 33% the energy and last up to 10 times longer.

  • Turn your lights off when you leave a room. Standard, incandescent light bulbs should be turned off whenever they are not needed. Fluorescent lights should be turned off whenever you'll be away for 15 minutes or more.

  • During winter, open curtains on your south-facing windows during the day to allow sunlight to naturally heat your home and close them at night to help keep the heat in.
By: dexter
Published: 02/18/08


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    1 Posted Comments:

    @ 11:01 am 09/30/08 by Ette_Rual
    with the prices going up, saving every penny counts. and this also applies to overhead like water and electricity. right now, we no longer put our TV on stand-by mode. though we cannot teevo any show, at least our monthly bills are slowly going down
    Reply to this Comment

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