We are all trying to find ways to save money, reduce waste, and cut energy usage. Here are some money saving tips that will help you save money, and help the environment.
1. Green up your appliances. Getting rid of that old
refrigerator in the garage could save you as much as $150 a year, according to
the Environmental Protection Agency. Appliance use comprises about 18% of a
typical home’s total energy bill, with the fridge being one of the biggest
energy hogs. If any of your appliances is more than 10 years old, the EPA
suggests replacing them with energy-efficient models that bear their "Energy
Star" logo. Energy Star-qualified appliances use 10%-50% less energy and water
than standard models. According to the Energy Star site, if just one in 10 homes
used energy-efficient appliances, it would be equivalent to planting 1.7 million
new acres of trees.
Also, consider what you put in that energy-efficient refrigerator.
Pesticides, transportation and packaging are all things to consider when
stocking up. Buying local cuts down on the fossil fuels burned to get the food
to you while organic foods are produced without potentially harmful pesticides
and fertilizers.
2. Watch the temp. Almost half a home's energy consumption
is due to heating and cooling.
- Turn down the thermostat in cold weather and keep it higher in warm weather.
Each degree below 68°F (20°C) during colder weather saves 3%-5% more heating
energy, while keeping your thermostat at 78°F in warmer weather will save you
energy and money. A programmable thermostat will make these temperature changes
for you automatically.
- Clean your furnace's air filter monthly during heavy usage.
- Consider a new furnace. Today's furnaces are about 25% more efficient than
they were in the 1980s. (And don't forget to check out furnaces carrying the
Energy Star label.)
- To keep your cool in warmer weather, shade your east and west windows and
delay heat-generating activities such as dishwashing until evening.
- Use ceiling fans instead of air conditioners. Light clothing in summer is
typically comfortable between 72°F and 78°F. But moving air feels cooler, so a
slow-moving fan easily can extend the comfort range to 82°F, according to "Consumer
Guide to Home Energy Savings" by Alex Wilson.
3. Save water. The Web site "Water — Use it
Wisely," created by a group of Arizona cities, lists 100 simple ways to save
water. We’ll share just a few here:
- Put an aerator on all household faucets and cut your annual water
consumption by 50%.
- Install a low-flow toilet. They use only 1.6 gallons per flush, compared to
3.5 gallons per flush for pre-1994 models. If you have an older model, adjust
your float valve to admit less water into the toilet's tank.
Of course, you don't need products to save water — behavioral changes also
add up quickly: using a broom instead of the garden hose to clean your driveway
can save 80 gallons of water and turning the water off when you brush your teeth
will save 4.5 gallons each time.
4. Clean green. Stop buying household cleaners that are
potentially toxic to both you and the environment. In his book, "The
Safe Shopper's Bible," David Steinman suggests reading labels for specific,
eco-friendly ingredients that also perform effectively. These include grain
alcohol instead of toxic butyl cellosolve, commonly found in carpet cleaner and
some window cleaners as a solvent; coconut or other plant oils rather than
petroleum in detergents; and plant-oil disinfectants such as eucalyptus,
rosemary or sage rather than triclosan, an antifungal agent found in soaps and
deodorant. Or, skip buying altogether and make your own cleaning products. Use
simple ingredients such as plain soap, water, baking soda (sodium bicarbonate),
vinegar, washing soda (sodium carbonate), lemon juice and borax and save money
at the same time. Check out these books by Annie Bertold-Bond for cleaning
recipes: "Clean
and Green" and "Better
Basics for the Home."
5. Let there be energy-efficient light. Compact Fluorescent
Light bulbs (CFLs) use 66% less energy than a standard incandescent bulb and
last up to 10 times longer. Replacing a 100-watt incandescent bulb with a
32-watt CFL can save $30 in energy costs over the life of the bulb.
6. Save a tree, use less paper. You can buy "tree-free"
100% post-consumer recycled paper for everything from greeting cards to toilet
paper. Paper with a high post-consumer waste content uses less virgin pulp and
keeps more waste paper out of landfills.
Other tips:
- Remove yourself from junk mail lists. Each person will receive almost 560
pieces of junk mail this year, which adds up nationally to 4.5 million tons,
according to the Native
Forest Network. About 44% of all junk mail is thrown in the trash, unopened
and unread, and ends up in a landfill. To stem the flow into your own home,
contact the Direct Marketing Association's Mail Preference Service at P.O. Box
643, Carmel, NY 10512, or download the online form. Opt
out of credit card or insurance offers at OptOutPrescreen.com or by calling
888-567-8688, a single automated phone line maintained by the major credit
bureaus.
- Buy unbleached paper. Many paper products, including some made from recycled
fibers, are bleached with chlorine. The bleaching process can create harmful
byproducts, including dioxins, which accumulate in our air, water and soil over
time.
Finally, here's a third answer to the old "paper or plastic" question: No
thanks. Carry your own cloth bags to the store to avoid using store bags.
7. Want hardwood floors? Opt for bamboo. Bamboo is
considered an environmentally friendly flooring material due to its high yield
and the relatively fast rate at which it replenishes itself. It takes just four
to six years for bamboo to mature, compared to 50-100 years for typical
hardwoods. Just be sure to look for sources that use formaldehyde-free
glues.
8. Reduce plastics, reduce global warming. Each year,
Americans throw away some 100 billion polyethylene plastic bags — from grocery
and trash bags to those ultra-convenient sandwich bags. Unfortunately, plastics
are made from petroleum — the processing and burning of which is considered one
of the main contributors to global warming, according to the EPA. In addition,
sending plastics to the landfill also increases greenhouse gases. Reduce, re-use
and recycle your plastics for one of the best ways to combat global warming.
9. Use healthier paint. Conventional paints contain
solvents, toxic metals and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can cause
smog, ozone pollution and indoor air quality problems with negative health
effects, according to the EPA. These unhealthy ingredients are released into the
air while you’re painting, while the paint dries and even after the paints are
completely dry. Opt instead for zero- or low-VOC paint, made by most major paint
manufacturers today.
10. Garden green. First, use compost instead of synthetic
fertilizers. Compost provides a full complement of soil organisms and the
balance of nutrients needed to maintain the soil’s well-being without the
chemicals of synthetic fertilizers. And healthy soil minimizes weeds and is key
to producing healthy plants, which in turn can prevent many pest problems from
developing to begin with.
- Use native plants as much as possible. Native plants have adapted over time
to the local environment and support native animals. They also use less water
and require less of your attention.
- Focus on perennials. Gardening with plants that live for more than one year
means you don't have to pay for new plants every year; it also saves the
resources used commercially to grow annuals.
- Stop using chemical pesticides. American households use 80 million pounds of
pesticides each year, according to the EPA. These toxic chemicals escape gardens
and concentrate in the environment, posing threats to animals and people,
especially children. A better alternative is to try a variety of organic and
physical pest control methods, such as using diatomaceous earth to kill insects,
pouring boiling water on weeds or using beer to bait slugs. You can find more
non-chemical pest control tips at the National
Audubon Society's site.
Finally, consider using an old-fashioned push mower. The only energy expended
is yours.
Tips by:
Liane Thomas, REALTOR(R), The Thomas Group, Keller Williams Realty
Serving Corona, Norco, Riverside, and surrounding communities
www.AllCoronaHomes.com
951.454.3805
