What is the best way to make a difference in the world, and on the same time, keep your money in your wallet? Try to save energy – with little or no effort. ConsumerReports.org has hosted a summary called 20 free ways to save energy which provides a simple ways to save the world and your money by save energy. It has tips ranges in washing, cooking, driving etc. Couple of quick tips include:
1. Wash clothes in cold water. You might guess that most of the energy used by a washing machine goes into vigorously swishing the clothes around. In fact, about 90 percent of it is spent elsewhere, heating the water for the load. You can save substantially by washing and rinsing at cooler temperatures. Warm water helps the suds to get at the dirt, but cold-water detergents will work effectively for just about everything in the hamper.
2. Hang it up. Clotheslines aren’t just a bit of backyard nostalgia. They really work, given a stretch of decent weather. You spare the energy a dryer would use, and your clothes will smell as fresh as all outdoors without the perfumes in fabric softeners and dryer sheets. You’ll also get more useful life out of clothes dried on indoor or outdoor clotheslines–after all, dryer lint is nothing but your wardrobe in the process of wearing out.
3. Don’t overdry your laundry. Clothes will need less ironing and hold up better if you remove them from the dryer while they’re still just a bit damp. If you are in the market for a dryer, look for one with a moisture sensor; it will be less likely than thermostat-equipped models to run too long.
4. Let the dishwasher do the work. Don’t bother prerinsing dishes with the idea that your dishwasher will work less hard. Consumer Reports has found that this added step can waste 20 gallons of heated water a day. All you need to do is scrape off leftover food. Enzyme-based detergents will help make sure the dishes emerge spotless.
20 free ways to save energy – [ConsumerReports.org]
Some good tips in this article. Here are some more:
A refinement on #2: do hang clothes, but hang them on hangers right away, not on a clothesline. That’s what I do with t-shirts and casual pants and shirts: get them out of the washer and hang them up on hangers in the closet right away. I have to do it anyway, and I don’t waste any time transferring them to and from the clothesline.
Now as far as driving is concerned… one obvious tip to save on gas is… not to drive! :-)) Of course, it may not always be possible, but it’s amazing what options are out there that are completely unknown to the general public. Cycling, for example, is a great way to get around: it doesn’t even require you to be in good shape! Really ;-). It’s easy to learn to cycle safely on the roads in all kinds of weather (you can ask for advice and resources in places like http://www.bikeforums.net), and you’ll have a lot of fun in process.
I wouldn’t recommend going with tip four too much; I’ve seen quite a few dishwashers need repairs because plates haven’t been rinsed enough.
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