ENERGY SAVING TIPS

Archive for March, 2010

Electric rates just went up by 70%. What are some things that I and my family can do to significantly reduce our electricity usage?

if you have single-pane windows you might want to consider investing in energy efficient double pane windows that will keep your heating/AC temps inside your house and not let them leak out, wasting more energy. if you are using heat or AC, keep all doors and windows closed. old appliances such as refrigerators also use alot of energy so new ones are better.
the easiest thing to do would be turn off lights and appliances when you are done using them! turning them off actually saves more energy even if you turn it back on in 5 minutes. if you’re not going to use your computer for a few hours, turn it off. keeping things unplugged also helps save energy, because when things are plugged they drain a little bit of energy. not much, but it does help.
when cooking try to eat "cold" foods (dishes that dont require the burners or oven). or try making things that only use the oven or a single burner, so you dont have alot of things on in the kitchen at once.
saving water saves energy too, and your water bill! turn the water off when you brush your teeth, only flush for poo or 2 rounds of pee, limit your showers to 10 minutes, etc.

If you just turn off the power to your monitor but leave the cpu running does that save any energy? Does it save more energy to put the computer in hibernate/sleep mode?

You can leave your monitor and all the lights in your house as well bright light and turn on all your electric equipment as well. This will not save or use any more energy. No matter what you really do.
The coal energy station will burn as much coal as it would use if your house doesn’t even exist or exist, and a lot of energy will be lost on the way to your home over that high voltage wires, plus much more will be lost in the local converting stations that convert thousands of volts that go by that wires and need to be converted to 120 volts in your house.
So, if I were you I would just light all thing like a Christmas tree. That will not make a difference.

where can I find good tips for green living?

I’m doing all the big things but I want to make sure I do the little things too.

suggestions? websites?

These are my two favorite:

http://www.idealbite.com/

http://www.greenerchoices.org/

Ideal bite is especially helpful for the little things. Cute and fun too! They have a daily tip you can sign up for and also an archive of past tips.

Enjoy.

like, IF you have to throw away plastic bags, then tie a couple of knots in them so the wind doesn’t get in them, blow around and suffocate wildlife ,& poisoning our sea-life.
Even those plastic 4 loops on the top of
beers and other cans should be cut up before throwing away, stops birds etc getting caught.

Municipalities should enforce recycling. Receptacles would be provided and it would simply require that people divide their litter into plastics, aluminum, yard waste and a separate container for all other materials. This has been in the planning stage for several years now, but our elected officials lack the backbone to impose it.
By the way, another wildlife snare is created by the fishing line that is cut loose or otherwise found near waterways. Birds often use this to build/reinforce their nests.

There’s a device that can save up energy up to 35%. It is called Electricity Saving Box. Just plug to socket. So, is it trustful?

I have been a electrician for 30 years. I have heard about these but I have yet to see any proof that they work. I have been looking at one that hooks in to your electrical panel, but they refuse to answer my emails or send me any thing in writing about what I would save.
Check it with the BBB and see if they have any complaints. I am skeptical but I keep looking.

NEW YORK (July 27) – Exxon Mobil Corp., the world’s largest public oil company, on Thursday reported quarterly profit surged 35 percent to more than $10 billion, driven by yet another quarter of sharply higher oil prices.

The results sailed past Wall Street forecasts and sent its shares to an all-time high, but quickly triggered a fresh wave of outrage from U.S. lawmakers and consumer groups angry at Big Oil’s profiting handsomely while gasoline prices soar.

"While American families get tipped upside down and have their savings shaken out of their pockets at the gas pump, the Bush-Cheney team devises even more ways to line Big Oil’s pockets," Rep. Ed Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, said in a statement on Exxon’s profits. He is a member of the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee.

Your thoughts…

It might not be fair, but what’s stopping them? We are all oil dependent (addicts) and we are willing to pay the large increases than come monthly. The last time I checked over the past 2 years prices have tripled in my area. That cannot be inflation, and reserves have not drastically changed to merit that kind of change. The problem is, not enough people are pressuring a decrease in the price. Where is the conversion and conservation? Profit only increases when prices increase and demand stays flat or increases. If demand fell, so would prices. Not that it is all S&D, but no amount of subsidies will compensate for no sales.