Beyond WeatherizationLiving the Energy Efficient Lifestyle

 

Adopting an energy-efficient lifestyle will not only save you money on your electric and/or gas bills, but it also will help the environment by releasing fewer greenhouse gases and creating less of a demand for non-renewable energy resources, such as coal, petroleum (crude oil), natural gas, and propane.

According to the Department of Energy's Energy Information Administration, 84% of energy consumption in the United States comes from fossil fuels and about half of that amount comes from petroleum. The rest of the United States energy consumption comes from nuclear and renewable resources, such as geothermal, solar, and wind. So what are some ways that we use energy?

The energy we use every day in our homes creates a high demand for energy resources and costs us a lot of money. The Energy Information Administration conducted a survey in 2001 calculating the amount of energy a household spends in a year. The average home spent $1,493 a year on energy. What areas of energy consumption in the home cause Americans to spend so much money on energy? Seventy-six percent of the energy used in the home is for space heating, appliances, and lighting.

We also use a lot of energy resources for transportation. According to the U.S. Federal Highway Administration, there were 241,194,000 registered vehicles in the United States in 2005, which is up by 39,664,000 from the 1995 figures. Each time we drive, we release greenhouse gases into the air and use energy to power our vehicles.

If you are curious as to how large of an impact you make on the environment through energy consumption, you can calculate your carbon footprint. Carbon is a good indicator of how much of an impact an individual or household makes on the environment, because it's a major greenhouse gas. Listed below are a few Web sites where you can calculate your or your entire household's carbon footprint:

Carbon Footprint Calculator-Climate Change-BP

Climate Change News and Actions by SafeClimate

An Inconvenient Truth > Carbon Calculator

There are many ways, which range from the inexpensive to the expensive, to lead a more energy-efficient lifestyle and to lower your carbon footprint. Here are some tips:

No-cost ways to be more energy efficient and earth friendly:

• Arrange your furniture to take advantage of the natural light. That way when you read about being energy efficient, you won't need to use artificial light
• Set your refrigerator to 37 degrees and set your freezer to 0 degrees
• Unplug your appliances when not in use. Many appliances have an "instant on" feature that causes the appliances to constantly use electricity.
• Televisions, DVD's, other electronics that use remotes, microwaves, computers, and other electronics can use between 2 and 10 watts of power when even if it is turned off but still plugged in.
• In the summer, set central air conditioning units as high as is comfortable. You will save between 6 and 8 percent on your electric bill for each degree above 78, but be careful that you do not overheat or become dehydrated during periods of extreme heat.

 

• In the winter, wear warm sweaters and socks and set your thermostat no higher than 68 degrees and you will be more energy efficient and save money. Do be careful not to set your thermostat too low; if it's too cold for you even when you're dressed appropriate, turn up the thermostat to a comfortable temperature.
• Switch to buying local foods as often as possible. Since food grown locally doesn't need to travel a long way to reach the consumer, less energy is spent in transporting the food.
• Make sure that your car tires are properly inflated. Properly inflated tires improve mileage and are safer to drive on. Many gas stations offer air to fill your tires at no charge.

Inexpensive ways to conserve energy:

• Switch light bulbs inside and outside the home to compact florescent bulbs. Even though compact florescent bulbs are more expensive than traditional light bulbs to purchase, you will end up saving money by not buying as many bulbs throughout the years (they last years longer than traditional bulbs) and they use about 70% less energy than traditional bulbs.
• Use a timer or motion detectors for outdoor lights. With either of these devices, you will only be using lights outdoors when needed.
• Apply door sweeps to the bottom of your exterior doors and weather stripping or caulking your doors and windows. This will prevent the outside air from coming in and your cool or hot air from escaping.
• Join a community supported agriculture (CSA) program. Individuals purchase shares in the farm(s) that are part of the CSA. Instead of receiving cash dividends like a person gets when buying a company's stock, shareholders receive fresh produce.