Five Ways to Reduce Energy Use

Eco-Friendly Ideas for Lowering Your Electric Bill

© Mary Beth Lentner

Feb 9, 2009

High energy bills obviously drain our wallets, but they also remind us about how much energy we use on a daily basis. Even if your electric bills aren't substantial, do you ever wonder if you could lower your energy consumption to live a more eco-friendly, green lifestyle?

The thought of reducing your energy consumption may sound daunting, but there really are several easy steps that will get you started. Here are 10 easy ways to save on energy use (and save you money):

Tip One: Alter the Way that You Shower or Bathe

• Install a low-flow showerhead. Most traditional-flow showerheads use a lot more water than is needed for a comfortable, adequate shower. Plus, low-flow showerheads are inexpensive (typically less that $10) and relatively easy to install. Showerhead supplier E3 Living offers an extensive line of low-flow options.
• Shorten your showers by just a few minutes. This small energy-saver really saves water... and it is so easy to do!
• Take showers instead of baths. Although the occasional soak is a relaxing treat, routinely opt for shorter, energy-saving showers to reduce the amount of heated water that you use.

Tip Two: Change the Way that You Do Laundry

• Only run the washing machine when you have a full load.
• Wash laundry in cold water instead of hot water.
• Reduce or possibly eliminate dryer use. Using the dryer is a huge energy drain, and it is often simple to switch to a clothesline or drying rack. Waiting a little longer to have dry clothes really is an easy sacrifice to make to reduce the energy-zapping action of those draining dryers.
• Turn down the water heater. That way, if you absolutely must wash your clothes in hot water, you can still save money and energy by using lower-temperature heated water.

Tip Three: Watch those Computers

• When stepping away from your computer for short periods of time, always set your computer to sleep mode. This setting does not turn off your hard drive; it simply shuts off your monitor, which consumes about 80 percent of energy used by a personal computer (PC).
• At night, always turn off your computer and monitor. Although it may be tempting (and appear more convenient) to put your computer into sleep mode, you'll use less energy by shutting it off entirely.
• If you're in the market for a new computer, choose a laptop rather than a desktop computer. Laptops use less energy.

Tip Four: Rethink How You Use Lighting

• Turn off those lights! When you exit a room, always turn off any lights that you used. The same holds true for outdoor lighting.
• Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), which use one-fourth of the energy and last 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs. According to the United States Department of Energy, using CFLs instead of incandescent bulbs can save you nearly 50 percent in lighting costs. And CFLs are suitable for both indoor and outdoor use!

Tip Five: Transform Your Toilet

• The easiest way to reduce the amount of water used by your toilet is to place a space-filling object into the tank. Some easy examples include water-filled two-liter bottles or other filled containers.
• Do not use your toilet as a waste receptacle, with every flush serving as a trash pick-up.
• If shopping for a new toilet, purchase an energy-efficient model. Currently, the average household toilet flushes three gallons of water, while energy-efficient models generally flush less than two gallons. Home-supply companies such as Home Depot offer a variety of low-flush toilets and green models.

And there you go! In just five easy steps, you've lowered your energy consumption and your electric bills.

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