Go Green

WAYS TO MAKE YOUR LIFE MORE EFFICIENT!

Install a programmable thermostat:
Programmable thermostats will automatically lower the heat or air conditioning at night and raise them again in the morning. You can set them to turn off when you are away. They can save you about $100 a year on your energy bill which would more than pay for the thermostat.
Do not leave appliances on standby:
Use the "on/off" function on your Appliances. Appliances suck up to 75 per cent of the power your electronics uses when in standby mode. You'll save about 225 kilograms of co2 emission annually.
Reduce waste:
Most of the products we buy generated greenhouse gas either during the production or distribution phase. By making your own lunch and using a reusable lunch box instead of a disposable one, you save the energy needed to produce processed foods and new lunch boxes.
Wrap your water heater in an insulation blanket:
You’ll save half ton of carbon dioxide a year with this simple action. You can further save on co2 emmissions lowering the thermostat on your heater by a few degrees.
Recycling at home:
You can save about a ton of carbon dioxide a year by recycling half of the waste your household produces.
Recycle your organic waste:
About 3 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions is methane as a result of decomposing bio-degradable waste. By recycling organic waste or composting it you can help eliminate this problem!
Turn off lights:
When leaving a room, turn off the lights. Lights account for over 20 per cent of a home's energy's use.
Cover your pots while cooking:
Doing so can save a lot of the energy needed for preparing the dish. Even better are pressure cookers and steamers: they can save around 70 per cent!
Decrease hot water use:
Heating water takes a lot of energy. Installing a low flow showerhead stops 350 pounds of carbon dioxide and washing your clothes in cold or warm water stops about 500 pounds.
When purchasing a new computer, go for a laptop:
Laptops use almost 90 per cent less energy than desktop models.
Replace single-glazed windows with double glazed ones:
You will halve the energy lost through windows and this will pay off in the long term.
Weather-proof your home:.
Properly insulating your walls, windows and ceilings can save 25 per cent of your home heating bill and one ton of carbon dioxide a year. Caulking, sealant, and weather-stripping can save another 1,700 pounds per year.
Take a shower instead of a bath:.
A shower takes up to four times less energy than a bath. use low-flow showerheads, which are cheap and provide the same comfort.
Harness the power of the sun to dry your clothes:
You can save 1400 pounds of carbon dioxide when you air dry your clothes for the year. Seasonally air dry your clothes if you live in a region which prevents you from air drying year round.
Load up the dishwasher before using:
Dishwashers are more energy and water efficient when full rather than washing by hand. There is also no need to set the temperatures high. Nowadays, detergents are so efficient that they get your clothes and dishes clean at lower temperatures.
Replace your incandescent light bulbs:
Switch to compact flourescent light bulbs. With CFL bulbs you'll save up to 75 per cent in energy use. This simple switch will result in a saving of about 300 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.
Adjust your thermost down 2 degrees in winter and up 2 degrees in summer:
Nearly half of the energy used in our homes goes to heating and cooling. You could save about one ton of carbon dioxide a year by doing this.
Buy energy efficient appliances:
Look for the Energy Star label on new appliances to choose the most energy efficient products available. Remember that an appliance needs five years to work off its energy debt created in its manufacturing. Choose the right size appliance for your needs.
Buy fresh foods instead of frozen:
Frozen food uses 10 times more energy to produce.
Clean or replace filters on your furnace and dryer:
Cleaning a dirty air filter can save 350 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. Clean the lint on your dryer will decrease your dryer energy use by 30 per cent. Instead of a dryer harness the power of the sun to dry your clothes and save more energy, money and help the environment at the same time.
Make sure you turn lights off when you leave a room.
Try not to leave the tap running when you are brushing your teeth.
Use a reuseable cloth for spills, then rinse it instead of use paper towel.
If you can't use a cloth bag when you go to the grocery store you could take your own plastic bags with you.
Bring your own cup and lunch to school or work.
Most obvious, have clearly mark containers in your home and work to say what to recycle in each container.
Unplug your phone charges when you are not using them.
When typing on the computer make sure you go through your document very carefully so that you don't have to keep reprinting it.
If you can manage, buy a vacuum that doesn't need a vacuum bag.
Use your bathroom towel more than once before you through it in the wash. Afterall you are clean when you come out of the shower.
Hang dry as much of your laundry as you can so your dryer doens't have to be on nearing as long.
Hand wash your dishes instead of using the dishwasher or at least turn the dishwasher off instead of letting it dry the dishes.
They have recycled toilet paper that we can buy.
Clean with natural products instead of the chemicals.
If you put something heavy in the back of your toilet bowl it will make you use less water in your tank. Therefore less water being flushed away.
You can also try not to flush the toilet very time you go. (if you know what I mean)
Buy water saveing shower head.
Change your light bulbs to energy saving light bulbs.
Make sure you recycle all your plastic yogurt, milk containers. All you need to do is wash them out and then put them in the appropriate recycleing bin.
If you are in a car and are waiting for someone. Turn the car off. There is no need to let the car run.