Monthly Archives: September 2008

6 Simple Ways to Save Energy at Home

Saving energy may be one of the simplest things you can do to go green. While you may spend a little money for some of these ideas, many are simply a change of habit.

1. Switch to CFLs as old bulbs burn out.

While compact fluorescent bulbs do typically cost more than incandescent bulbs, you can get them more affordably in many places.

Some electric companies offer discounts on them. These may be available in local stores. I can often get my CFLs for about $1 per bulb. This is of course just for the basic ones, and if you have dimmer switches, ceiling fan lights or closed fixtures you may have to pay more.

However, each CFL should save you money over the life of the bulb. They use significantly less energy than incandescent bulbs and last longer in most cases.

2. Turn off unneeded lights.

Old advice, but still good. Even young children can be taught to turn off lights in rooms that aren’t being used. Takes just a moment, it’s free to do, saves money and energy.

3. Unplug appliances.

Many appliances use power even when they’re turned off. Many of them really don’t need it, unless you need the clock still running or something.

If unplugging is too much effort, consider buying a smart power strip. These will shut down the power to electronics that are connected to each other. You can set one up so that shutting down the computer cuts to power to your monitor, printer and any other accessories, for example. Or turn off the TV and have the DVD player shut completely down. You’ll probably want cable boxes and/or DVRs on a separate strip if they need power while the TV is off.

4. Use fans instead of the air conditioner.

Summer’s over in some places, but not near me. We’re still getting plenty of weather into the 90s.

A good fan works wonders for cutting down our use of air conditioning. It still gets plenty hot in the house, but by combining existing fans with building a tolerance for warmer weather we use the AC relatively little.

You can also figure out which of the windows allow the worst of the heat in. We block those windows with Mylar, and in one case even have a shade on the outside of the house to keep the heat out. Simple, but it makes a huge difference.

Similarly, in winter you can cut down on your heater use by dressing more warmly.

5. Buy Energy Star appliances when you need new ones.

It can be hard to say when it’s worthwhile to replace an appliance that hasn’t yet broken down. Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn’t. But when it’s time, get the most efficient one that meets your needs. Energy Star products cost you a bit more upfront, but over time they will save you money.

6. Use a clothesline.

Yes, old fashioned, and yes, it is forbidden in some areas to have clotheslines in your back yard. Silly rule in my opinion, but a reality some people have to deal with.

When the weather permits, a clothesline dries clothes fairly quickly and can be gentler on them than the dryer. It takes a bit of extra effort to get everything on the line and back down when it’s dry, but you’re not using any electricity by doing so.

Some people put clotheslines in their garage as well. This means you can line dry clothes regardless of the weather or HOA regulations.

It’s amazing what you can do to save energy without spending a lot of money. But even more amazing is how quickly you can save enough to pay for what you’ve spent. Doing your bit for the environment can have some great advantages.

Enjoying My Clothesline More and More

The weather has continued here so warm, and my energy level has been picking up some again. Add in the nightly bed wetting phase my son is going through right now, and my clothesline is really getting some use at last.

clothesline

We had been just drying the sheets and mattress protector outside, but I’ve found that if I try I can fit a whole load on there, even with the sheets taking a lot of room, so that’s what we’re doing now.

It’s really not that hard to do, even if the weather out is 90+ degrees still. A little time consuming, but I’ve already warned my husband that I probably want a second line hung soon. It’s southern California, after all, which means the weather is perfect for drying clothes outside much of the time.

I also figure this will help to ensure that smells have a hard time building up. Washing does quite well, but I trust the sun quite a bit.

I had to smile when my daughter asked me when I’d gotten the laundry basket. It’s been sitting unused in the garage since we moved in here, a relic of when my husband and I lived in an apartment and had to carry loads to the laundry room. I don’t bother with one when I can just pick up anything I drop.

Going outside makes the laundry basket make sense again. Don’t want my clean clothes on those dratted wood chips. Bad enough getting splinters in my feet. Don’t need them elsewhere.

My husband has been teasing me that I could just start using the bathtub and the antique wash board we got from my grandma. He knows I have no interest in adding that much labor to the job, although I gather it’s quite the arm workout. Still not going to happen. Fun to not take everything seriously in life.

Making the Most of My Brita On Tap

While I have somewhat mixed feelings about the greenness of having a filter on my kitchen faucet, I must confess that I love my Brita On Tap. I’ve never been the kind to buy bottled water other than for my earthquake kit, so it’s not keeping me from buying that, but I’ve certainly seen some benefits to having it.

We do drink quite a bit of tap water in my family. I fill up a container to keep in the fridge, so there’s always cold water available. The kids love it, although they’ve never commented on any difference between filtered and plain tap water.

Probably the biggest improvement was the day we had the kitchen pipes torn out because the old cast iron pipes for the drain had rusted shut. They also had to cut some of the pipes bringing water into the house and replace them with new.

At that time, the Brita was not attached. The plastic adapter it comes with is a piece of junk, and while we had bought a metal one to replace it, we hadn’t gotten around to actually doing it.

But the day we tasted the water coming through the new pipes, my husband and I knew it was time to put the filter back on, and hope the metal adapter worked better than the plastic one, which had allowed the filter to fall off the faucet every couple days.

Glad to say it works much better. The filter still hasn’t fallen off, months later, and even though the nasty taste that came from the new pipes is now gone, I’m enjoying that filter. We drink a lot of water here, and San Diego region water has never had the best flavor.

My grandparents’ well water in Sacramento, on the other hand… used to make sure to fill up there on trips. But that’s off topic.

My one frustration is that there’s currently no recycling for the Brita filters in the United States. I read someplace or other several months back that some other countries do have that, so I know it’s possible. Hugely frustrating to have something that could be recycled, but isn’t, due strictly to lack of recycling facilities.

Actually, I do have another frustration, but it relates more to how the water comes into my house. During the summer, the cold side often starts out hot. Sometimes steaming hot. You’re not supposed to run hot water through the filter.

We do have this problem solved, though. We keep a couple empty jugs by the sink. If we need cold and the water’s running hot, the jug collects the hot water, which is saved for the garden. Cuts down on the water waste and lets me help some of the plants that have been rather more sensitive to our recent hot weather.

All in all, if your local plain tap water isn’t what you enjoy, this isn’t a bad option. Some may prefer the Brita pitchers, which also work well. But if it keeps you from buying bottled water, a basic filtration system is well worth it.

Oh, and the replacement filters are often much cheaper through Amazon than locally! Check out the price differences, and if you’re buying online try to get things in as few shipments as possible. Increase your odds of free shipping and hopefully cut down on packaging.

Are Your Kids Walking to School?

Now that school is starting through pretty much the entire United States, I just have to ask – are your kids walking to school? Riding a bike? Why or why not?

walking back to school

For my family, walking is an easy option. School is just a few blocks away. I’ve walked there in about a minute less than it takes my next door neighbor to drive there. That’s car loading and unloading time!

But there’s a huge backup of people driving their kids to school in my area, and around most schools I’ve ever been by at times when parents are dropping kids off or picking them up.

I know it can be hard to fit walking time into a busy schedule, especially if both parents work or there are younger siblings. Believe me, I’ll be feeling more of that pinch when this baby comes. Two younger siblings to bring along just to get my daughter!

Things do get easier, of course, as kids get old enough to walk or ride bikes on their own to school. Many parents these days are overprotective because we hear so much about what can go wrong. The thing about it is that the worst happenings are rare. Only the fact that we get pretty nearly instant national news makes some things seem like a major problem. Hearing about crime on the news has been proven to make people worry more about it, even when the crime rate goes down.

That doesn’t mean you ignore the risks. It means you teach your kids how to minimize them. All the usual things about how to cross streets safely, avoid strangers and so forth that we teach our kids are skills they should be putting into practice once they’re old enough.

I don’t suggest having kindergarten age kids walking home alone. I do recall my sister and I doing that when she was in kindergarten and I was in preschool, but that was because the older kids who were supposed to walk with us ran off ahead.

I think it’s important to remember that the more responsibilities you give children, the more chances they have to learn to be responsible.

And of course, walking and biking are far better for your health and the health of your children than going in the car. With all the crowds of people driving to school, it can be less frustrating as well.