Earth Day April 22 (Credit: Businesspundit.com)
If you are like me, you want to do more to celebrate Earth Day but most likely (or not) lazy or just conscious about all that we can do to converse energy for the next generation.
Here are five energy conservation tips and facts, your family can adopt to reduce their carbon footprint and have a greener, earth-friendly home. For most of us, it all about the small changes. And don’t be fooled, its the small changes that make a LARGE impact on utility bills
1. Thermostat
- Setting the thermostat to the highest setting will not make the house warm up faster; rather, it will just keep the furnace running longer.
- During the summer, a 5°F higher setting on the air conditioning thermostat will save about 10% on cooling costs; in the winter, lowering the temperature 3 to 5°F can save up to 20% on heating costs (about $180/year!)
2. Appliances and Electronics
- Appliances account for about 20% of household energy consumption (taken together, these small items can use as much power as your refrigerator).
- Power strips let you easily turn off multiple products with just one button to push.
3. Refrigerator
- After buying a new refrigerator or freezer, don’t put the old one in the garage or on the porch and keep using it. You only think you’re saving money.
- A 10° increase in temperature around your fridge can trigger 20% higher energy consumption; the refrigerator should be kept at 37 and 40° and the freezer between 0 and 5° degrees.
4. Landscaping (For suburbanites only unless you are the super wealthy New Yorker and have a terrace)
- Plant trees that lose leaves in the fall as they will protect your home from the summer sun and then allow winter sunlight and warmth to get inside.
- For shade from the hot summer sun, plant trees on the south, east and west sides of the home and to stop cold winter winds, create a windbreak with evergreen trees and shrubs.
4. Cooking
- If your food needs to cook for more than an hour, there’s no need to preheat your oven
- Use an electric burner that is the right size a 6” pot on 8” burner wastes 40% of the energy.
Thanks to Siemans for providing Earth Day Tips.
Disclosure: NYC Single Mom was compensated for this post.
