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Green It!
You don’t have to be an ubergreen tree-hugging hippie to make a difference
By Laura Meyer
Published: Dec 01, 2007
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YAHOOHome sweet home- that’s where we make the biggest carbon footprint. And although the spotlight in the construction business has been on green technology, many of us are not in a position to do things like change out our HVAC systems, buy new appliances or install solar panels. But here’s the good news: green is beautiful in any shade. So don’t wait- jump on the bandwagon with a few simple things you can do to save energy while living in any home.
Replace It: Use compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) instead of standard incandescent bulbs. According to Energy Star (a joint program run by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy), Energy Star qualified CFLs use about 75 percent less energy than standard bulbs and last up to 10 times longer. They say that if every American home replaced just one light bulb with an Energy Star qualified bulb, we would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year and we would prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more then 800,000 cars. That’s pretty compelling! CFLs are more expensive than standard bulbs but that is more than offset by reduced electric bills over the lifetime of the bulb. Find a CFL that is labeled as equivalent to the bulb you are replacing (eg. “60 Watt Replacement”). CFL’s come in different shades of white light so experiment with shades that provide the quality of light that works for you. If a light fixture is connected to a dimmer or three-way switch, there are special CFLs for that application. Also, CFLs do contain a small amount of mercury and should be recycled. For more information go to www.energystar.gov.
Turn It Up/Down: Adjust the thermostat to your heating/cooling system by a few degrees. Turn it up in the summer and down in the winter. You may find that you’re just as comfortable and you’ll love the reduction in your energy bills.
Unplug It: According to Energy Star, in the average home, 40% of all electricity used to power home electronics is consumed while products are turned off but still plugged in. Across the U.S., this equals the annual output of 17 power plants. One of the reasons for the consumption is that many electronics go on standby (for example, think about all the digital clocks that we have on things like microwaves). According to a study done by scientists at the University of Califiornia, Berkeley, computers, printers and scanners are particularly big energy wasters. If you have all these things grouped on one surge protector or power strip, with a flip of the switch they can be easily turned off all at once. But there is also electricity that leaks out when a device is turned off but still plugged in. While you may not want to have to reset your clocks and might be unwilling to unplug certain things because of that, there are a lot of things you don’t need to leave plugged in when they’re not in use. Think about unplugging things like cell phone chargers and charging devices for kids toys.
An added bonus- the above tips are things that will not only help you save the world but save money, too!
Laura Meyer is author of Remodel This! A Woman’s Guide to Planning and Surviving the Madness of a Home Renovation and is a sought-after expert in the field of home improvement, appearing as a frequent television and radio talk show guest.
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