What You Can Do At Home to Save Electricity Do you know why it's so important to save electricity at your house? It's because electric companies often produce electricity by burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas. The burning of fossil fuels contributes to global warming and pollutes the air.

Energy Saving Tips to Use Throughout the Year Be sure to turn off lights when you leave a room. Turn off machines when you leave a room (examples include TV’s, computers, radios, stereos, video games, VCR’s, and DVD players). When you go away on a trip, be sure to unplug these same machines because they have stand-by functions that consume electricity even when they are turned off. Fill your dishwasher efficiently and limit the number of times you run it. Don’t put furniture and other things in front of heating and air conditioning vents. Keep doors and windows closed when heat or air conditioning is on. Put in a programmable thermostat which will keep your house at the right temperature day and night.  Programmable thermostats can reduce cooling and heating bills up to 10% because they lower the heat or raise the air conditioning when you are not at home. Check how much electricity your water heater uses. If it uses more than other models of water heaters, replace it with a more efficient one. Put insulation around the pipes going in and out of your water heater.  If you have an older water heater, put an insulated blanket around it. If you will be out of town for more than a couple days, turn off your water heater. About once a year, drain one gallon of water from the faucet at the bottom of your water heater.  This gets rid of the sediment in the water which reduces the energy efficiency of your water heater. Change your furnace filter at least once a year or even more.  Filters get clogged up with dust and dirt that circulate in a house. This means that air has a more difficult time passing through the filter, and then your furnace has to work a lot harder in order to heat the house. Take a look at the insulation in your attic.  Heat rises, which means that warm air rises into your attic. If you don’t have good enough insulation, heat will be wasted.  Insulation should be 6 inches to 1 foot thick. Close doors and vents in rooms you are not using. Hold a ribbon or feather up to windows and doors to see if there are any drafts.  If there are, put in weather stripping or caulking to keep the outside air out and to keep the air conditioning or heating in. Turn off the water when you are brushing your teeth and take shorter showers.  This will not only save water, but it will also save the electricity that it takes to pump and heat the water.  Make use of daylight hours and do not turn on lights and lamps. Use one large light bulb instead of a few small ones.  One 100-watt light bulb uses less energy and gives off more light than two 60-watt bulbs. Use fluorescent light bulbs because they use 75% less energy and last longer than incandescent light bulbs. Use light bulbs that are low in wattage in areas of your house where you don’t need bright light. Make sure that outdoor lighting is turned off during the day.  Use motion-detectors lights or timer switches. Decide what you want from the refrigerator or freezer before you open them so you don’t waste electricity by standing there looking inside and keeping the door open. Vacuum the coils of your refrigerator every few months in order to lower your energy bill and to keep the condenser working better. Before putting hot foods into the refrigerator, cool them to room temperature (unless the recipe tells you not to do this). Cook several food dishes in the oven at the same time. Keep the oven door closed until the food is done cooking. Defrost food before you bake or microwave it.  This uses 1/3 less energy than if you baked food that was still frozen. Wash full loads of clothing instead of smaller ones.  Use the coolest water possible for washing and rinsing the clothes. Clean the lint filter of your dryer after every load. Dry full loads of clothes. Dry one load right after another because this uses less energy since the dryer is already hot. Be sure to stop the dryer as soon as the clothes are dry. Summer Tips Keep your blinds, drapes or shades closed during the day. Use ceiling fans or windows fans instead of air conditioning.  Ceiling and window fans use much less electricity. Only use air conditioning when it is really hot outside.  Turn off your air conditioning if you will be gone from home for a long time. Clean or replace your air conditioning filters every month (in both central and window air conditioners). Turn the thermostat up a few degrees when you have the air conditioning on.  74 degrees is very comfortable and you are saving up to 5% on your electric bills for each degree of temperature change. Plant trees in your yard because they help shade your house in the summer and keep your house cooler. If you can, shade your air conditioning unit.  If your unit is in the bright sun, it will use up to 5% more energy than if it was in the shade Winter Tips Keep your thermostat at or below 68 degrees. If you are cold, put on a sweater or sweatshirt.  Remember, you are saving up to 5% on your electric bill for every degree of temperature change. On sunny winter days, open your curtains, drapes, and blinds to let the sunshine in to warm up your house. Put clear plastic over some of your windows.  This will work like insulation and prevent cold air from getting in your house. Put caulking around window frames and doors from the inside. Make sure windows and doors close well so they do not let any cold air in. Repair any broken or cracked window glass. Plant trees in your yard because trees break the cold winter wind before it reaches your house. If you have a fireplace, make sure you have a tight-fitting damper and keep it closed when you are not using the fireplace.

Ways To Conserve Water

Hey peeps!! Today I want to share with you on Ways To Conserve Water :)

KITCHEN

1. #1 
   There are a number of ways to save water, and they all start with you.
2. #2 
   When washing dishes by hand, don’t let the water run. Fill one basin with wash water and the other with rinse water.
3. #3 
   Dishwashers typically use less water than washing dishes by hand. Now, Energy Star dishwashers save even more water and energy.
4. #4 
   If your dishwasher is new, cut back on rinsing. Newer models clean more thoroughly than older ones.
5. #5 
   Designate one glass for your drinking water each day, or refill a water bottle. This will cut down on the number of glasses to wash.

1. #6 
   Soak pots and pans instead of letting the water run while you scrape them clean.
2. #7 
   Use the garbage disposal sparingly. Instead, compost vegetable food waste and save gallons every time.
3. #8 
   Wash your fruits and vegetables in a pan of water instead of running water from the tap.
4. #9 
   Don’t use running water to thaw food. For water efficiency and food safety, defrost food in the refrigerator.
5. #10 
   Install an instant water heater near your kitchen sink so you don’t have to run the water while it heats up. This also reduces energy costs.
6. #11 
   Keep a pitcher of drinking water in the refrigerator instead of running the tap. This way, every drop goes down you and not the drain.
7. #12 
   Reuse leftover water from cooked or steamed foods to start a nutritious soup, it’s one more way to get eight glasses of water a day.
8. #13 
   Cook food in as little water as possible. This also helps it retain more nutrients.
9. #14 
   Select the proper pan size for cooking. Large pans may require more cooking water than necessary.
10. #15 
    If you accidentally drop ice cubes, don’t throw them in the sink. Drop them in a house plant instead.
11. #16 
    Collect the water you use while rinsing fruit and vegetables. Use it to water house plants.
12. #17 
    When shopping for a new dishwasher, use the Consortium for Energy Efficiency website to compare water use between models.

LAUNDRY ROOM

1. #18 
   When doing laundry, match the water level to the size of the load.
2. #19 
   Washing dark clothes in cold water saves water and energy, and helps your clothes retain their color.
3. #20 
   When shopping for a new washing machine, compare resource savings among Energy Star models. Some can save up to 20 gallons of water per load.
4. #21 
   Have a plumber re-route your greywater to trees and plants rather than the sewer line. Check with your city and county for codes.
5. #22 
   When buying a washer, check the Consortium for Energy Efficiency website to compare water use between models.

BATHROOM

1. #23 
   If your shower fills a one-gallon bucket in less than 20 seconds, replace the showerhead with a WaterSense® labeled model.
2. #24 
   Shorten your shower by a minute or two and you’ll save up to 150 gallons per month.
3. #25 
   Time your shower to keep it under 5 minutes. You’ll save up to 1,000 gallons per month.
4. #26 
   Toilet leaks can be silent! Be sure to test your toilet for leaks at least once a year.
5. #27 
   Put food coloring in your toilet tank. If it seeps into the bowl without flushing, there’s a leak. Fix it and start saving gallons.
6. #28 
   When running a bath, plug the bathtub before turning on the water. Adjust the temperature as the tub fills.
7. #29 
   Upgrade older toilets with water-saving WaterSense® labeled models.
8. #30 
   If your toilet flapper doesn’t close properly after flushing, replace it.
9. #31 
   Use a WaterSense® labeled showerhead. They’re inexpensive, easy to install, and can save you up to 750 gallons a month.
10. #32 
    Turn off the water while you brush your teeth and save up to 4 gallons a minute. That’s up to 200 gallons a week for a family of four.
11. #33 
    If your toilet was installed before 1992, purchasing a WaterSense® labeled toilet can reduce the amount of water used for each flush.
12. #34 
    Consider buying a dual-flush toilet. It has two flush options: a half-flush for liquid waste and a full-flush for solid waste.
13. #35 
    Plug the sink instead of running the water to rinse your razor and save up to 300 gallons a month.
14. #36 
    Turn off the water while washing your hair and save up to 150 gallons a month.
15. #37 
    When washing your hands, turn the water off while you lather.
16. #38 
    Take 5-minute showers instead of baths. A full bathtub requires up to 70 gallons of water.
17. #39 
    Install water-saving aerators on all of your faucets.
18. #40 
    Drop tissues in the trash instead of flushing them and save water every time.
19. #41 
    Look for WaterSense® labeled toilets, sink faucets, urinals and showerheads.
20. #42 
    One drip every second adds up to five gallons per day! Check your faucets and showerheads for leaks.
21. #43 
    While you wait for hot water, collect the running water and use it to water plants.

GENERAL INDOOR

1. #44 
   Teach children to turn off faucets tightly after each use.
2. #45 
   Watch the Home Water Challenge video or use the Home Water Audit Calculator to see where you can save water.
3. #46 
   When the kids want to cool off, use the sprinkler in an area where your lawn needs it most.
4. #47 
   Encourage your school system and local government to develop and promote water conservation among children and adults.
5. #48 
   Play fun games while learning how to save water!
6. #49 
   Monitor your water bill for unusually high use. Your bill and water meter are tools that can help you discover leaks.
7. #50 
   Learn how to use your water meter to check for leaks.