Beyond the Bin

Energy Elementals - Using Energy Efficiently

We need energy for everything we do. Using energy efficiently can be as simple as turning out the lights when you leave the room and as important as saving salmon habitat.

In the United States, we are dependent on a few sources of non-renewable energy (oil, natural gas, and coal). To sustain our standard of living and quality of life, we need to conserve energy whenever possible. It's easy and it will save you money.

Did you know...

• You can save $10 to $20 every month by lowering your thermostat by 3 degrees or more!
• Washers and dryers can account for as much as 25% of the energy you use at home (including the hot water for the washer).
• Hot water accounts for 20-50% of your annual energy bill.

Here's what you can do...

• Control your thermostat: Place a thermometer next to your thermostat to ensure you are setting it accurately. Set your thermostat for 68 degrees during the day and 55 degrees at night for maximum efficiency.
• Keep your furnace filters clean: Clean or replace furnace filters every month in the winter and vacuum the fins of electric baseboards. This will not only cut costs, it will improve the air quality in your home.
• Cut down on drafts: Low-cost improvements to your windows will keep you warmer. Cover your windows at night. Push "rope" caulk in the cracks of windows that open, and install low-cost plastic film storm windows in the rooms you spend the most time.
• Plug up leaks: Cold drafts don't just come from windows. Close the fireplace damper when it is not in use. Patch holes in walls, ceilings, windows, etc. Weather strip attic access door or hatch. Use v-weather-stripping for top and sides of exterior doors. Install foam gaskets behind electrical outlets.
• Keep your water heater at 120 degrees: Why waste $20-$60 keeping water hotter than you need? It's easy to lower the setting of your water heater. Turn off the electricity, remove top and bottom cover plates on the side of electric water heaters, then adjust both thermostats to 120 degrees and replace covers. If you have a gas water heater, set the dial near the bottom.
• Insulate your water heater: You can purchase special insulating blankets for your water heater and it will pay for itself in the money you save.
• Install a water saving showerhead: Water saving shower heads can cut water use by 40% and the energy it takes to heat it. They are easy to install, they cost less than $20, and they won't affect the water pressure.
• Wash clothes in warm or cold water: Energy for hot water to wash clothes can cost 40 cents per load. Warm or cold water is usually enough to get your clothes clean. Dry your clothes efficiently by sorting into fast and slow drying loads, or better yet, hang you clothes to dry and save 25 cents a load! Be sure to clean your lint traps and avoid over-filling your dryer.
• Save energy with your refrigerator: Set the temperature of your refrigerator using a thermometer to 38-40 degrees. Vacuum the coils on the back of your refrigerator and avoid letting the ice build-up more than 1-1.5" in your freezer.
• Turn off the Lights: Keep lights off in rooms you are not in. Consider replacing your burned out bulbs with energy efficient compact fluorescents and save $15 per bulb.

You make a difference. Consider this...

If each household in the US lowered its average heating temperature by 6 degrees over a 24 hour period, we'd save the energy equivalent of 500,000 barrels of oil every day.

Information taken from:

• Low Cost Steps to Cut Utility Bills,
  OSU Extension Service 1-800-457-9394
• 10 Quick Ways to Cut your Energy Bills,
  OSU Extension Service
• The "I Can Make a Difference In the Environment" Handbook,
  The Earth Works Group and Portland General Electric

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