When you come to think of "green" part of the problem lays with us, the everyday normal person that waits for things to improve environmentally by big industry changes but is there something more we can be doing to help? One of the problems is we have to much of everything and every new invention is built on convenience which most of us just lap up when it comes on the market. To make a change we have to start somewhere and that "somewhere" is with ourselves.
Taking small steps to protect our energy leads to bigger improvements if everyone gets on the same page. This is very important when it comes to using energy. We all know about recycling and do our best to ensure we follow the rules but does anyone ever consider how we could save on energy. There are many things that can be done to conserve power instead of sitting back watching our energy bills rise by the month. With appliances and electronics taking up 20% of our energy use in a normal household, leaves room for improvement for all of us.
Start with your lights. There are so many energy saving lights on today's market that would help our energy cost. All we have to do is pay attention to what type of light bulbs we are buying and chose the most energy efficient ones that are on the market. For example a florescent light, even though they are larger they burn less electricity than an ordinary light bulb and fluorescents burn years longer than an ordinary bulb.
We all seem to take refrigerators for granted but even with these we can cut down on energy. If we plan what we need from the fridge before we open that door it could make quite a bit of difference in energy. Another bad habit is opening your refrigerator door and leaving it open while you carry things to the counter . This will use up more energy than you think.
Do you have a dishwasher? Most of us do but it is a very real way to help your energy bill if you never run your dishwasher unless it's loaded to capacity. Don't use your dry cycle let your dishes dry with your dishwasher turned off. They come out just as clean and surprisingly don't take that long to dry. By doing this you are not only saving on electricity but you are saving on water.
Laundry can be another energy consumer but it doesn't have to be. Never wash your clothes in hot or warm water unless you absolutely have to, cold water can do just as good of a job and pay attention to what type of load you have your washer set on. If you have just a few items to wash then a small load cycle should be fine. If you have a clothes line this can save a heap of energy by hanging clothes on the line. Some cities have by-laws where clothes lines are not permitted if you happen to be in a city like this invest in an indoor line and air dry your clothes inside. If you have to use your dryer make sure you have a full load.
When it comes to using the bath why not shower instead. You'll use up much less water with showering than you will when you take a bath. Showers go very quickly where baths are bound to take longer as we tend to use it for stress relief. Of course, in this case there are times to splurge!
It's the little things that can pay off in big dividends both for us and our environment all we need to be is a little more frugal to add money in our pocket and help the environment at the same time.
