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Creating energy to power our homes until pretty recently has been and in many cases still is a very dirty business. Coal power plants are favored by energy companies because it is cheap in monetary terms, but it is one of the most expensive ways to create energy with regards to the environment. In San Antonio we’re no stranger to the environmental problems that coal power brings. According to the government, San Antonio is home of one of the 50th dirtiest power plants in America. There are things you can do that won’t cost you any money and will reduce the energy you use to lower the impact on the environment and as a bonus save you money on your monthly bill.These are some of the ways you can do that without spending a dime extra:
- Turn your water heater down to 120 degrees. Every 10 degrees you turn your water heater down you can save between 3-5% of your monthly energy costs.
- Do not hand rinse or wash your dishes. Put them in the dishwasher and only run a full cycle when it is full. If dishes will be in there a while use the machines rinse cycle. Dishwashers use less soap, water and energy then people do when washing dishes. The Bonn University even did a study about it you can read it here. Most dishwashers heat water up hotter then the tap therefore getting rid of more germs. Most dishwashers heat water up hotter then the tap therefore killing more germs.
- Air dry your dishes instead of using the dish washers drying feature.
- Unplug appliances that are not used often and unplug TVs and other entertainment appliances while you sleep. A power strip works best for this as it will turn off multiple appliances at a flip of a switch.
- Instead of washing clothes on the hot cycle, consider washing them on cold or warm instead. The hot cycle was generally used due to detergents, but these days many detergents on the shelf work great in cold water.
- Use a drying rack or clothes line to dry clothes if possible.
- Unplug your cell phone charger when your phone is not connected.
- Use your microwave instead of your electric oven. A microwave tends to be 50% more energy efficient then a conventional oven.
- Compost your food scraps instead of using your sinks garbage disposal.
- Keep your refrigerator full. If you can’t afford to fill it with food use water jugs to take up the space on the fridge side. A full fridge will recover quicker after being opened due to it being full of cold items.
- Set your freezer temperature to 0 degrees Fahrenheit and fridge side between 35 and 38 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Do not leave the fridge open as you unload groceries.
- Do not peak into oven while baking. It can lose up to 25 degrees just because you opened the front door.
- If you have tile floors sweep instead of vacuum.
- Turn off lights and ceiling fans in rooms when you leave them.
As you can tell these are in no particular order, but they all work. Not only will each one of those tips and slight changes in daily habits directly effect your energy usage, but also your monthly bill. If you can teach everyone in your house, apartment, condo or dorm a little bit about awareness you can save money and the environment without spending a dime.
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Jason
March 18th, 2008 at 6:12 am
Some excellent tips. I was already following a few but in recent months, I have stopped using the oven and switch off all appliances when not in use. Just these two tips almost halved my electricity bill. So little things definitely can make a big difference.
Enjoying your blog btw, recently discovered it through Entrecard.
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Thank you I really appreciate your kind words. I enjoy your blog its filled with great information. I’m so glad to hear just those two things halved your electricity now if only I can get my loved ones to try it.
Gotta love Entrecard it’s been great for me so far.
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May 17th, 2008 at 11:04 am
So all those times in college we’d keep our fridge filled with beer we were actually saving the environment!?! Wow, that would have been some really useful information back then!
Great list. The fridge and the hot cycle when washing were news to me. Thanks!
Adam Pieniazeks last blog post..The Cyclists
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Adam Pieniazek: See all that time you were being environmentally friendly with out even trying. Maybe that’s how we should get college students to go green. Save money and have an excuse to keep your fridge packed with beer! Don’t forget to recycle your cans. Haha, thanks for your comment Adam.
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May 17th, 2008 at 11:33 am
I wonder if dishwashers can heat water hot enough to kill germs?
NickRipleys last blog post..1
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NickRipley: Honestly, I’m not sure, but in order to completely kill all germs the water must bowl so turning your hot water heater up to max still wouldn’t do the job. That’s what the detergent mixed with the hot water is for I believe. I know most dishwashers these days have heat boosters basically like very small tankless water heaters built in which attempts to heat the water to get rid of more germs.
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May 17th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
That unplugging your cellphone charger when there is no cellphone connected will make any difference is a myth. Very simplistic: If you have no cellphone connected then the circuit isn’t completed. It is like having an extension cord plugged in, it doesn’t consume power.
It is the case that you want to unplug your cellphone once it has finished charging because you get no real benefit from the power that is being consumed, but that is a different story.
You can do the experiment yourself, like this guy:
http://www.inference.phy.cam.ac.uk/sustainable/charger/
I have, got the same results.
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Donald Duck: Thanks for that Mr. Duck, but DC adapters all use some power even if they’re not connected to a device. Even on the website you sent in his notes he says that Cambridge Engineering Department found that they do in fact waste power. While it may just be a bit of power it does add up over time and especially in families with multiple cell phones or laptops that use DC adapters.
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June 6th, 2008 at 7:53 pm
wow, great tips to save more. thanks man I really need those tips to reduce my bill
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