Posts Tagged ‘energy savings’
Sunday, April 18th, 2010
When you run the dishwasher, run it on the light cycle.
Have you ever noticed there are several settings for your dishwasher, I did the other day. I always knew not to use the pots and pans, which means a heavy wash and just set it on normal. On accident the other day, I put it on light and after realizing it when it started I said oh well. The thing I noticed is that the dishes were just as clean and the dishwasher ran half as long. What does this have to do with the environment you may be asking? That means less water, less energy, and probably less heat to run the dishwasher meaning better for the environment and your pocketbook.
Now, I realize every once in a while your going to need a normal wash or a heavy wash depending on what your washing but overall I think the light is going to be usually good enough.
Let me know if you test this out and what you find.
Written By: Kim Woods
Tags: dishwasher, energy savings, light, modes, water consumption
Posted in Everything Environmental, TriLeaf's Eco Tips | No Comments »
Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009
Connect your outdoor lights to a timer.
At my house we have motion sensor lights for our outdoor lights, but having them a timer seems handy as well. Especially since we leave the porch light on until everyone in the house is home. But when you walk in the house you don’t always think to turn off the porch light.
If we put it on a timer, and had it shut off at a time every night say during the week and then weekends later I bet we’d save money. For tips on how to install lighting or way to install your timer check out Aubuchon Hardware.
Tags: energy savings, environment, light bulbs, outdoor lighting, timers
Posted in TriLeaf's Eco Tips | No Comments »
Friday, December 18th, 2009
Use cold water instead of warm or hot water when possible.
This is the hardest I think, mainly because I know I use an excessive amount of hot water when I shower. But I like to think that I make it up by not using hot water at all in my laundry, it does the same thing.
Rinsing clothes in hot or warm water is not necessary. In fact the more you use hot water, the faster or clothes will wear down. By using hot water, your clothes will shrink and the color will fade faster than if you use cool water. You are saving yourself even more money by using cool water.
Tags: energy savings, temperature
Posted in TriLeaf's Eco Tips | No Comments »
Wednesday, December 16th, 2009
Replace old windows with energy efficient ones.
While the intial cost of this may be high, replacing old windows will save you lots of money. As I”m looking at houses, that is actually something I am looking at just for further reference on house updates that it may need within the next couple of years. Most leaks as mentioned before in earlier posts, come from your windows even more probably if they are older.
According to Home Improvement News, older windows and windows in general eventually get cracks and small crevices around the installation. These small crevices may seem minuscule, but in reality are a lot bigger when combined with all your home’s windows. A 1/16th inch crack around one window around a 3 by 5 foot window actually adds up to as much as 12 inches of space that air can escape. Multiply that times the amount of windows you have and that’s a lot of area for air to escape in both the summer and the winter.
Tags: build, energy savings, temperature, utility bills, windows
Posted in TriLeaf's Eco Tips | No Comments »
Monday, December 14th, 2009
Shade outside air conditioning units by trees or other means.
I would have never thought of this idea at all. Why would you need to shade your air condititioning unit, but I guess as it gets hot in the heat it will run less effefiecently, because it is already so hot.
According to MSN, if you shade your air conditioning unit, but do not block the air flow you can save money because your unit will run more efficiently. Austin Energy says that by shading your air conditioning you will use up to 10% less energy per month. If your spending $200 a month, that’s $20 back in your pocket each month.
Tags: air conditioning, appliances, energy savings, shade
Posted in TriLeaf's Eco Tips | 13 Comments »
Wednesday, December 9th, 2009
Plant trees to shade your home.
Trees add charm I feel to homes. I always love houses with lots of trees, especially in the fall when the leaves are changing colors. Not only do they add shade to your house which then lowers the electricity by default, they add nice landscaped touch.
People add trees for many reasons, so before you pick out your tree think of what you are looking for and what you want the tree to accomplish. This helps ensure that you are no disappointed. For more commandments on how to pick, buy, and plants trees for your home see these ten commandments.
Tags: energy savings, home, shade
Posted in TriLeaf's Eco Tips | No Comments »
Monday, December 7th, 2009
Shut off electrical equipment in the evening when you leave work.
Saving energy at work may not seem as important to some, because you are not reaping the benefits of saving yourself money. But the truth is with the growing population estimated to be over 9 billion by 2050. The world’s resources will only have 25% of the resources per person that we have today.
Thus it is imperative that we take action, and do all that we can do both at home and at work. THink of the energy savings ou save on average about 15 hours of energy if you leave work at 5 p.m. and return to work at 8a.m. the next morning, compared to leaving appliances or lights on every night. On average per computer you’d save 15 kg CO2/week.
That is a lot of energy conserved.
Tags: energy savings, green, turn off, utility bills, work
Posted in TriLeaf's Eco Tips | No Comments »
Thursday, December 3rd, 2009
Install weather stripping around all doors and windows.
This is very similar to tip 20. You are checking for weather stripping around all of your doors and windows when you check for leaks or gaps. So just take notice on how many are missing or possibly need to be replaced and go to work.
To save even more money, do it yourself. The items and ease for most weather stripping is easy enough for most people. Why not save yourself money to save yourself even more money in the long run.
Tips and information on weather stripping
Tags: doors, energy savings, heat savings, utility bills, weather stripping, windows
Posted in TriLeaf's Eco Tips | No Comments »
Tuesday, December 1st, 2009
Insulate your home as best as you can
Since heating and cooling are one of the most expensive uses of energy, why would you not want to insulate your home better to save money. There are some simple tricks you can use to test areas of your home.
Your windows usually loose a lot of heat or air if they are not insulated properly. So check that the insulation is not weak or torn and be sure that that outside of the windows have caulk as well. Don’t forget your basement windows as well.
Do the same thing with doors, check for tears or gaps when they are closed. If there are huge gaps or problems, you may consider replacing it if it is in your budget. Then caulk the outside like you did with the windows. Some people even like to place a rolled up rug on the floor in front of the door especially when it is cold.
These tips taken from the Best ways to insulate your home articles.
Brought to you by:
TriLeaf Designs • Graphic & Website Design • www.TriLeafDesigns.com
Tags: energy savings, home, insulation, utility bills
Posted in TriLeaf's Eco Tips | No Comments »
Wednesday, November 25th, 2009
Keep your thermostat higher in summer and lower in winter when you are away
By changing your thermostat you will save a lot of money. You especially want to lower your temperature if you will be gone more than 4 hours. According to Pacific Gas and Electric company, set your thermostat to 55 degrees in the winter, and 85 degrees in the summer or even off if you will be gone for more than 4 hours. To make this easier get a programmable thermostat, so you don’t have to mess with it every time you leave or come home from being gone. This means you could change your settings while you are at work each day to be a different temperature saving energy usage.
Brought to you by:
TriLeaf Designs • Graphic & Website Design • www.TriLeafDesigns.com
Tags: correct temperate setting, energy savings, summer, temperature, thermostat, winter
Posted in TriLeaf's Eco Tips | 2 Comments »
