Easy Ways to Save Energy Save Money

Sometimes being green friendly and wanting to save energy (and money) requires major change. Fortunately for you reading this, we are exploring the simpler options. Hey, it is the little things, right?

1.  Vampire electronics: Most of our electronic devices continue to utilize energy even when they are turned off! This “standby energy” is constantly being drained as long as the device is plugged in. Your entertainment system when it's not in use is costing you an estimated $76 a year, ouch. Several manufacturers are working on energy saving surge protectors. The Belkin (BLKBG10800004) surge protector comes with 2 “always ON’ outlets for items like Routers and DVR’s but has six outlets that can be turned off when not in use. These “Eco outlets” stop energy from flowing to the plugged in device which will prevent the energy drain on appliances not in use. As an added bonus, it comes with a remote for easy operation. This summer, a number of similar products are expected to hit the market.

2. Computer or Home Office – How about tackling 2 items with one solution? The Tripp Lite ECO series UPS system provides “Eco” surge outlets, Phone/DSL surge protection, and is a UPS backup system that protects your computer from data loss in the case of a power outage. We found several versions with the entry level around $50. The entry level ECO350UPS gives you 6 outlets (2 Eco friendly and 3 with UPS backup). Protect your computer from data loss and save energy? Not a bad deal considering that your computer easily uses $50 a year in ‘standby’ energy.

3.  Give the home or office Fridge a break. Refrigerators account for about 20% of Household electricity use. Use the thermometer in your refrigerator to set your fridge to 37 degrees and your freezer to about 3 degrees. Good rule of thumb, make small changes with your freezer to ensure that you don’t set it too hot or too cold.

4.  Use the sun to your advantage. On hot days while you are at work, leave the blinds drawn or closed to keep out the sunlight and reduce the heat in your house. Come home to a much cooler house! On cold winter days, allow plenty of sunlight to flood your rooms.

5.  Turn down your water heater thermostat. This is a simple process and there are many guides to help you do this. I would caution, as with any electric device, if you are unsure of what to do, seek professional help. However, most people could probably do this on their own. Thermostats are often set to 140 degrees F when 120 or even 110 are usually fine. Each 10 degree reduction saves 600 pounds of CO2 per year for an electric water heater.