Energy Conservation - Easy tips for a healthy pocketbook

There are many good reasons to conserve energy. If we use less gas, oil and electricity we will save money, and the pollution associated with extracting and using fossil fuels will decrease.

Reducing greenhouse gas production may help to reverse global warming. In a nutshell - conservation of energy has both personal and societal benefits.

About 9% of the energy consumption comes from renewable energy sources such as the sun (Solar Power), wind (Wind Power), water (hydropower) and experiments with internal heat from the earth itself (Geothermal Power) or from Biomass energy.

An additional 19% is generated by Nuclear Power plants, so that leaves us with about 72% of the total energy consumption has to be generated by burning fossil fuels. And that makes us very vulnerable to changes in oil prices.

Most people are concerned with making their money last longer. Energy conservation can help by reducing our energy costs. Homeowners can do many things to cut down on their energy needs. Perhaps the best thing they can do to is to install better insulation to retain warm and cool air.

Did you know that about 50% of the energy we use is for heating or cooling? So even little changes in that area can have an impact on your energy bill.

Now we know that heating and air conditioning are the biggest energy consumers of the average household. Much of the heat and cool air escapes because of poorly insulated roofs, walls, doors, and windows. Improving insulation will result in greater conservation of energy and lesser energy costs.

Planting a tree next to your window can reduce you air-condition costs more then 20%, and so can simple things like closing your windows in summer. Or turn down the heater from 68F to 55F one hour before you go to bed. Or even better use a programmable thermostat.

Old cooling and heating appliances should be replaced with newer models which are more energy efficient. Other large appliances like refrigerators can also be replaced with newer models that are designed to conserve energy.

Traditional light bulbs are inefficient because much of the energy they consume is converted to heat. Replacing all your incandescent bulbs with compact florescent bulbs will provide the same level at light with less energy consumption.

Even though the cost of these bulbs is greater than traditional bulbs, they last up to 20 times longer, resulting in significant overall savings.

Using alternative energy sources such as solar panels or wind turbines can greatly reduce the amount of energy needed from traditional sources. The electricity produced by these devices can be fed back into the local power grid if it is not immediately used by the household.

This reduces the power bill even further (the power meter runs backwards) while supplying clean power to your community.

Conservation of energy is not just for homes, cars and trucks are available with more energy efficient engines and some can run on alternate power sources such as hydrogen or electricity. And think about walking or going by bicycle when possible. That way both your own health as that of your pocketbook will improve.

Conservation of energy is something that everyone can contribute to. By being careful in how we use our resources we are building a society for our children and grandchildren.

Here are some ideas that are easy to apply.

• Walk, or ride your bike whenever possible. The emissions of cars account for approximately 60% of the air pollution in cities across the US.
• Air-dry your clothes when possible instead of always using a cloth dryer
• Use a programmable Thermostat
• Install Fluorescent or energy saving light bulbs
• Buy the most energy efficient appliances. Always look at the energy tag before you buy. That way you will find that sometimes "cheap" turns out to be quit expensive
• Set the thermostat to 68F in winter when you are at home. Turn the heat down about an hour before you leave or go to bed (or program that in your programmable thermostat
• Insulate Floors, Ceilings and Walls
• Plant a tree next to a window for shade in summer.
• Wash clothes in cold(er) water and wash with full loads
• Close drapes and windows during sunny summer afternoons and after sunset in winter
• Stop air leaks around windows and doors with weather stripping. Did you know about 40% of your heating and cooling costs can be due to air leaks. That’s a bit like burning dollar bills in your heater.
  
  
   

For more information about other services and products choose from one of the following links: