Energize Your Pocket Size: Bathroom & Laundry

You've probably heard it a lot lately. Products coming out that offer "energy saving" features. You may have seen commercials about saving energy by cutting out lights, etc. But does it really make a difference? Is it really a big deal? If we can produce electricity, can we really just run out of it?

Well, these questions really have two faucets. Yes, I said faucet. One of those is the environmental faucet of making the Earth a good place for people to live after us. The other faucet is our pocket book.

Regarding the first, yes, it is important for us to save energy for the environment, but why? Can't we make an endless supply of electricity? Yes, we can; however, it's HOW we make the electricity that harms the environment. So every light we turn off, means that many less greenhouse gases and such are emitted into the atmosphere. So yes, there is a duty there.

The other as I mentioned, is our pocket book. Saving drops of water here or electricity there can drastically decrease our utility bill. Let's be honest, that's our true motivation right?

In the next couple blogs, I will be giving you some practical energy saving tips, divided up by areas of the house, that will not only help the environment, but also energize your pocket size by keeping that utility bill low.

Bathroom & Laundry

• Fix any leaky faucets – one drop per second can add up to 165 gallons a month.
• Install low-flow faucets and shower heads. 
• Reduce hot water use by taking shorter showers and using cold water for the rinse cycle in your washer. 
• Make sure your dryer's outside vent is clear, and clean the lint filter after every load. 
• Dry one load of clothes immediately after another to minimize heat loss. 
• Consider hanging your clothes to dry, it's better for your clothes anyway. 
• Have a full load before washing clothes. However, do not overload them or you will shorten the life of your washer.

 There are lots more energy tips to come, so come back tomorrow!

Chris