Below are 151 ways that you can use to save and conserve energy and make this planet a better and clean place for our future generations to come. Heating Systems 1. Inspect windows and ductwork for any air leakage. If you do feel air leaking at duct joints, use duct tape to seal them. Winterize windows with weather stripping (for all movable parts) and caulk (for non-moving parts). Eliminating these leaks can reduce heating costs up to 10%. 2. Use kitchen, bath and other ventilating fans sparingly. Leaving them on too long will suck away a tremendous amount of household heat. Turn them off when their job is complete. 3. Turn down your thermostat at night or when you’re away for more than four hours during the day. Do not turn off your heating system entirely as this may cause pipes to freeze. 4. Keep heating supply registers and cold-air return registers clear of draperies and furniture to maintain proper air circulation. 5. Keep drapes and shades open during the day to let the sunshine in; close them at night. 6. Dust or vacuum radiator surfaces frequently. Dust and grime impede the flow of heat. 7. Keep lamps, TVs and other electrical appliances away from the thermostat. Heat from these appliances is sensed by the thermostat and could cause your furnace to shut off too soon and restart frequently. 8. Dress warmly to help retain body heat. Wear closely woven fabrics. Dressing in layers retains more heat than a single thick piece of clothing. 9. Keep garage doors closed in winter. An open garage door is just a giant hole that sucks warm air out of your home and lets cold drafts in. 10. When having company, turn down the thermostat before your guests arrive. Their collective body heat will add to the room temperature. 11. Warm with a space heater. A portable space heater can heat a single room without using your furnace to heat the whole house. Using a space heater to heat all or most of your home costs more. Always follow the manufacturer’s safety instructions when operating space heaters. 12. Use natural gas for heating. Consider switching to a natural gas heating system. Natural gas is less expensive than other heating fuels. KITCHEN 13. Boil water in a kettle or covered pan; the water will boil faster and use less energy. 14. Keep range-top burners and reflectors clean. They will reflect heat better and you will save energy. 15. Match the size of the pan to the heating element. More heat will get to the pan, and less will be dissipated. 16. Turn off the stove or oven five to 10 minutes before cooking time is up and let trapped heat finish the cooking. 17. Avoid opening the oven door repeatedly to check food while it cooks. This allows heat to escape and requires more energy to complete the job. Use a timer to let you know when food is ready. 18. Use small electric cooking appliances (such as portable grills and skillets) for small meals rather than the stove or oven. 19. Don’t preheat the oven unless absolutely necessary and then for no more than 10 minutes. 20. Avoid using the broiler as much as possible; it uses a great deal of energy. 21. Thaw frozen foods thoroughly before cooking. 22. Barbecue outside as much as possible during warm weather months. 23. Cook during cooler hours (early morning and late evening) whenever possible. 24. Use a microwave to cook meals whenever possible; it uses about half the energy of a conventional oven. 25. Use crock pots and slow cookers; they can be as much at 75% more energy efficient than stoves and ovens. 26. After using your oven, leave it open a crack to let warm air escape into your kitchen. (Don’t do this if you have children or pets around). 27. Use smaller kitchen appliances whenever possible. Microwaves, toaster ovens and slow- cookers can use 75 percent less energy than a large electric oven. 28. Water heaters should be close to kitchen so that it does not have to travel through a long distance of pipe and lose its heat. WATER HEATER 29. Purchase an energy-efficient model. The initial cost may be more but operating costs are less in the long run. Consider a tank less or instantaneous water heater, which uses energy only when hot water is needed, rather than maintaining 40 gallons or more of hot water all the time. 30. Purchase the correct size. Consider your family’s hot water needs. If your water heater is too large, it uses more energy than needed. If it is too small, you may run out of hot water. 31. Purchase a natural gas water heater. If you currently have an electric water heater, consider replacing it with a natural gas water heater. When it comes to heating water, natural gas is less expensive than electricity, and it heats more water faster during heavy use. Consider a sealed combustion or an on-demand water heater. Both types use less energy. 32. Install your water heater near the kitchen. The kitchen is where you use the hottest water. When the water heater is located near the kitchen, hot water doesn’t have to travel as far and less heat is lost. 33. Insulate water pipes. Use half- inch foam or pipe tape for insulation wherever pipes are exposed. On cold water pipes, insulate four to five feet nearest to the water heater. Pipe insulation can save you up to $25 annually. 34. Set the water temperature to 120° F. It takes less energy to heat water to a lower temperature. If you have an electric water heater, you’ll have to remove the cover plate of the thermostat to adjust the temperature. For safety reasons, remember to turn off the water heater at the circuit breaker/fuse before changing the temperature. 35. Repair dripping faucets promptly. If the faucet leaks hot water, the energy used to heat it is costing you money. (One drop a second can waste up to 48 gallons a week!) 36. Install a heat loop or in-line trap. If you add a new water heater to your home, consider having a heat loop or in-line trap installed. These mechanisms can be inexpensive to install and keep hot water from moving into the piping system when you are not using hot water. Ask your plumbing contractor for details. 37. Insulate the outside of your electric water heater with an insulation blanket to reduce heat loss; this can easily save you $10 to $20 per year. 38. Turn down your hot water heater to its lowest setting when you go on vacation or are away from the house for an extended time period. 39. Drain a bucket of water out of the hot water heater once a year to remove sediment and dirty water and improve heating efficiency. FANS & LIGHTING 40. Use Energy Star compact fluorescent light bulbs. Energy Star compact fluorescent light bulbs last longer and use up to 75 percent less energy than standard light bulbs. 41. Use halogen light bulbs for outdoor lighting (spot lights, flood lights, security lights). They use about 25% less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs. 42. Turn off lights in any room not being used. Turn on outdoor lights only when needed. 43. When using incandescent bulbs, use the lowest wattage possible or convenient. In many cases a lower wattage bulb can be substituted for the one currently being used. 44. Light-zone your home to save electricity. Concentrate lighting to areas where needed for reading, work and safety. Reduce lighting in little used areas. 45. Install lighting dimmer switches; they save energy by reducing the lighting intensity in a room. 46. Keep light bulbs dust-free. Dust on bulbs could be reducing your light output by 50%. 47. Use timers, motion detectors, heat sensors or photocell controls for light fixtures when possible. 48. Use satin or semi-gloss paint on your walls will reflect more light and allow you to use lower watt bulbs. 49. Put your computer to sleep instead of using a screen saver. 50. Laser printers use an incredible amount of energy. Switch to ink-jet printers. 51. Get rid of your CRT monitor. CRT monitors are energy hogs. Get an LCD monitor for your computer instead. 52. Dump your desktop computer. Laptops use a fraction of the electricity that desktop use. ROOM AIR CONDITIONER 53. Don’t over-cool. The ideal thermostat setting is between 75°F and 78°F. Every degree you raise your thermostat can result in a 5% savings on the cost of cooling your home. 54. Keep lamps, televisions and other heat sources away from the air conditioner thermostat. Heat from these sources may cause the air conditioner unit to run longer than it should. 55. Make sure that no furniture or other obstacles are blocking ducts or fans. This will enable cooled air to circulate more freely. 56. When selecting a central air conditioning unit, be sure to choose one that is sized appropriately for your home and uses the minimal amount of electricity to complete its task. Air conditioners with high Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratios (SEERs) – such as 13.0 SEER and above – provide the greatest energy efficiency. 57. Install a ventilating fan in your attic or in an upstairs window to help dissipate hot air and cool down your home. 58. Don’t set your thermostat at a colder setting than normal when you turn your air conditioner on. It will not cool the room any faster, but it will use more energy. 59. Use a ceiling fan in conjunction with your air conditioner to spread cooled air to other rooms. 60. Clean the outside air conditioner condenser coil once a year. Turn off the unit and spray the coils with water at a low pressure to remove dirt, dust, leaves and grime. 61. Use duct tape to seal the cracks between each section of an air duct on your central air conditioning or forced heating system. 62. Close your blinds, curtains and shades during the hottest part of the day. Keep out the daytime sun with vertical louvers or awnings on the outside of your windows. 63. Keep lights low or off when not needed. Electric lights generate unnecessary room heat. REFRIGERATORS & FREEZERS 64. Vacuum the coils on your refrigerator at least every three months. Dust and dirt build-up makes the refrigerator work harder and uses more energy. 65. Set the refrigerator thermostat at 38 degrees F for fresh food compartments and 5 degrees F for the freezer compartment. 66. Regularly defrost your freezer. Frost buildup increases the amount of energy needed to keep the refrigerator at its proper temperature. Never allow frost to build up more than one quarter of an inch. 67. Don’t place your refrigerator or freezer in direct sunlight or near the stove. 68. Make sure your refrigerator door seals airtight. Test them by closing the door on a piece of paper or dollar bill so it is half in and half out of the refrigerator. If you can pull the paper or dollar out easily, the hinge may need adjusting or the seal may need replacing. 69. Keep the refrigerator door closed. Each time you open the refrigerator, up to 1/4 of the cold air inside can leak out. Stop making unnecessary trips to the fridge. 70. Purchase an Energy Star model. When buying a new refrigerator or freezer, look for the Energy Star label. Energy Star refrigerators and freezers can save you hundreds of dollars on your electric bill over the life of the appliance. Remember, older refrigerators and freezers use two to three times more electricity than ones that are 10 years old or less. 71. Select the right size. Determine your household’s needs before purchasing a refrigerator or freezer. One that is too large wastes energy. 72. Only use one refrigerator or freezer. You can spend up to $120 in electricity per year using a second refrigerator or freezer. If you want to use a second refrigerator or freezer during holidays or for special occasions, turn it on one to two days before you need it. 73. Defrost a manual-defrost unit regularly. Frost makes your unit work harder and wastes energy. Don’t allow more than one-quarter inch of frost to build up. 74. Stay away from direct heat. Place the refrigerator or freezer away from direct sunlight and other heat sources such as ovens or ranges. Heat will cause the unit to use more energy to stay cold. #hijab #hijaboftheday #hotd #TagsForLikes #love #hijabfashion #hijabilookbook #fashion #thehijabstyle #hijabmodesty #modesty #hijabstyle #hijabistyle #fashionhijabis #hijablife #hijabspiration #hijabcandy #hijabdaily #hijablove #hijabswag #modestclothing #fashionmodesty #thehijabstyle
Posted on: Sun, 07 Dec 2014 06:09:55 +0000
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