Be mindful of your usage. What are you using energy on each day? Can you replace artificial lighting with natural light by windows or going outside? Can you reduce the amount of time you spend using energy? Calculate your maximum daily load so you know WHERE you can reduce your energy costs.
Open shades, blinds and drapes in the winter to warm your home and close them during warmer months (do this on the sunny side / southern end of your home to help keep regulate your home's temperature and reduce the work on your HVAC.)
Change your light bulbs to LEDs! (Avoid LED lights above 3000K and/or labeled "bright white," "neutral white," "cool white," or "daylight white") and if you are looking for clean energy solutions, check out B.O.S.S. or other members in our network in Alternative Energy
Wash away some of your energy costs, instead of hot water, wash your clothes in cold water and hang a clothes line to dry as many clothes as you can. (Be sure your detergent is non-toxic - Our skin absorbs 60-70% of everything we put on it!in 26 seconds any chemicals on your skin are in your bloodstream). You can also step up the challenge today and try your hand at making your own detergent this month with baking soda, washing soda, borax, hydrogen peroxide, castile soap, and soap flakes. Cultures around the world use simple plants to clean, like soap nuts for washing clothes, Saponin-rich plants have surfactants that pull oil and grime from surfaces like soap. Consider using one of these this year…Okra, Buffaloberry, English Ivy, Soapwort, Horse chestnuts, Soapnuts, Clematis, and more…
Seal off air leaks in your home. According to ENERGY STAR, air leakage is responsible for up to 40% of the energy loss. Sealing cracks, gaps and leaks and adding insulation can save up to 10% on home heating and cooling costs. Find leaks by lighting your own incense and going to each window and door if smoke pulls or blows, you can find leaks. Hire a member of our network to support your energy efficiency goals!! @JSSG @ReValue
Clean or replace all air filters in your home! We spend WAY too much time indoors. Did you know air pollution is the world's single biggest environmental health risk? It is crucial you have good indoor air quality and dirty filters make your system work harder and run longer.
Don’t touch that knob, prepare a raw meal instead of using your stove/oven to cook.
Defrost your refrigerator and freezer before ice buildup becomes 1/4-inch thick to ensure your appliances are running efficiently. If buildup isn’t an issue - be sure you have enough items in the fridge/freezer so it isn't wasting energy.
Under $8…you can control your fixtures with a photocell light bulb to assure dusk-to-dawn only operation of your outdoor lights.
NO CORDS - pull every cord out of the wall (sans major appliances like your fridge or stove). Charge all you can at night and unplug during the day. Don't leave your electronics on all day long. Use a wall timer to regulate your daily usage as well and only turn on your computer, monitor, printer and fax machine when you need them.
You can download our full one-pager free resource guide here.
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