10 Simple Ways to Save Electricity
Earlier this week, I talked about 10 ways to save water. Now for electricity. Saving energy not only decreases your carbon footprint but it also saves you money! Here are 10 simple ways to save electricity.
1. Turn Off Lights
I know, I sound like your mom…but seriously…turn off the lights when you leave the room! If you’re terrible at remembering, and handy, you can replace your light switch with a motion-detector. This will automatically turn off the lights when it senses no motion for a certain amount of time.
2. Turn Water Heater Down to 120F
Heating up water and storing it in a tank so that hot water is always available takes a lot of energy. It takes even more energy if the water is really hot. Set your water heater to a reasonable temperature like 120F.
3. Unplug Unused Appliances
Electronics can pull electricity when they’re not in use. When we leave our house on vacation, we always unplug the cable box. All of the recording and updating that happens automatically, takes energy.
4. Wash Laundry in Cold Water
Like I mentioned in tip #2, it takes energy to heat up water. Most detergents are formulated to work well in cold water. So, there’s no real reason to wash your clothes in hot water. (Unless your kids have lice. Then, by all means, use plenty of hot water!)
5. Hang Dry Clothes in the Sun
Instead of using your dryer, hang drying your clothes in the sun is a great way to save electricity! I say “in the sun” because the sun sterilizes your clothes. If you hang dry your clothes in a dark room after washing your clothes in cold water, there could still be bacterial growth on your clothes…which will cause them to smell.
6. Or Toss a Dry Towel in the Dryer
If it’s rainy or you don’t have the space, using a dryer is fine. Tossing a dry towel into the laundry will speed up the time to dry and…you guessed it…save energy!
7. Skip the Heat-Dry Setting on the Dishwasher
Similar to the last two points, letting your dishes air dry is an easy way to save electricity. Just skip the heat-dry setting and let the air do it’s job.
8. Set the Thermostat Higher in the Summer and Lower in the Winter
Heating and cooling take up a lot of energy. When you can, set the temperature higher in the Summer and lower in the Winter. You can use a fan in the Summer or add extra layers of clothing in the Winter.
9. Turn off the Air Conditioning When Not At Home
Similar to the lights, turn off your air conditioning when you’re not at home. There’s no need to keep wasting all that energy and money when there’s no one there to appreciate it.
10. Use Natural Light
Finally, keep the lights off as much as you can by using natural light. Natural light makes us happier, so soak in as much of it as you can!
What do you think? Can you do some or all of these at home? What are some of your energy saving tips? Tell me in the comments!
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