Save energy costs by turning computers and peripherals off rather than leaving them on standby
Another tip that involves turning electronic equipment off rather than leaving it on standby. After you have shutdown the computer, most likely it is still using a small amount of power. For example, whilst you monitor appears to have turned off, is there still a small light glowing? If so then the monitor is not really off and is still using power. Of course, shutting down your computer when you are not using it is still better than leaving it on all the time as this draws even more power. Don’t be lazy, don’t think you are too important to spend the couple of minutes waiting for it to shutdown before pulling the plug.
Unplug the microwave when not in use and save energy and money
If you have a microwave with a digital display then chance are it shows the time when not being used. Is it really necessary to have another clock in the kitchen? If not then when not unplug or turn the power off when it is not being used? Some studies have shown that doing things like this can reduce power consumption by ten percent annually.
Don’t fill the kettle all the way if you just need one cup of boiling water
The savings are twofold with this one because you are not using as much water and as it takes much less time for a cup to boil compared to a normal eight cup kettle then you are saving energy costs as well. The recommended minimum for most kettles is more than enough water for your cup of tea or coffee. If there is any left over, let it cool and use it on the garden or if you have some weeds you wish to get ird of then poor the boiling water on them for a natural weed killer.
Use lids when cooking to save energy
Ever noticed how things tend to boil over when you put a lid on the saucepan? that’s because you probably don’t adjust the heat down when you put the lid on. You can use a smaller burner or lower temperature if you cook with the lids on saucepans. This is particularly true if you are boiling water for paste, rice etc. The added benefit is when something is simmering, there’s no chance of splattering all over the cooktop if the lid is in place. Less cleaning up is always a positive.
Sign up for online bank statements, credit card statements etc and save the environment
If your bank or credit card company offers online statements rather than the traditional snail mail statements then consider signing up for them. You can usually set it to send you an email when a new statement is available and you just have to login and view it. If possible, just view it on the screen and organise payment rather than printing it out too. You can always save an electronic version for your records. This way there is a paper saving in that it is not being printed and also the energy savings in it not having to be delivered so there is less mail floating around the post system that has to be delivered.
Of course the banks will saving money by not having to pay for the postage, although if you bank is like mine, they won’t pass the cost savings on. Perhaps if you have a few spare dollars then you can invest in the bank by buying shares as that seems to be more attractive than putting your money in one of there accounts. Ah, but I digress…
Use light sensors in your offices to save energy costs
Ever noticed at night how office buildings tend to be lit up like Christmas trees and often you can’t see any people in there. Most likely they have been designed with only one or two light switches that cover the entire floor. This means if one person is working then the entire floor is lit up as if everyone was there. Individual offices on these floors often have separate switches although they are still tied to the main switches as well. Once again, people in offices tend to think they are too important to spend the five seconds turning the light off, or wish to leave it on so people think they are still working when they have already left for the day…
Putting sensors in the offices that turn the light off automatically, after,say ten minutes of inactivity, saves an enormous amount of energy. Of course it can be a bit disconcerting if you are working away and haven’t moved enough to activate the sensor so the light suddenly turns off!
Buy in bulk or concentrates where possible to save money
Buying in bulk had long been recognised as a way to save money. It makes just as much sense to do it from an environmental point as well. You don’t have to visit the store as often, so possibly less fuel used and the packaging is usually less with bulk items than the smaller ones. With concentrates, it means you can buy a smaller container (usually a plastic container if it is cleaning products etc) which uses less resources to produce, and you can then have various concentrates mixed at home for the various tasks. Maybe buy the small spray/pump pack the first time and then keep reusing that container for the future refills.
Green tips will be added to Ecobye frequently
Just a quick post to let readers know that I will also be adding quick tips about things you can do around the home, at the office, in the car and generally anywhere else. These won’t be history making eco-friendly tips by themselves, however, added together they will make a difference.
Many of them won’t mean much of a change to your current lifestyle. For example, is it that difficult to remember to turn off the water when you are cleaning your teeth? If everyone does some of these then the effect will be huge.
By putting out some of these each week it means you can make a commitment to doing them rather than just reading a list of fifty things and maybe remembering half a dozen. This way you can introduced them as they are published, reduce your environmental footprint and probably save a few dollars are the same time.
Don’t buy bottled water, take it from home in a reusable container
That one litre of bottled water probably took about three times as much water to produce and get to your hand. There is the water involved in making the container and not to mention the oil-based ingredients too. Then there’s the transportation costs and most likely the shop refidgeration costs as well. Isn’t it easier to just grab a bottle of water before you leave home? Sure, it’s not always practical, however, for thos times that you can do it, why not do it. Add the fact that at least 25% of the bottles aren’t recycled and there is the added cost to the environment of all these bottled clogging up waterways and ending up floating around the oceans.
