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Green today
Learn 153 ways to be eco-friendly while saving green. |
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153 ways to go green
 Energy: Short term
| Tips » Short term |
$ factor |
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Tip 36:
Line dry, like grandma used to do.
Dry your clothes on a laundry line rather than throwing them in the dryer. Clothes dyers are the third-largest energy users in the home, behind the refrigerator and washing machine, costing more than $100 a year to operate, according to Project Laundry List. |
$ Factor: Drying your clothes on the line can save you as much as $10 a month, said Brad Stroh, co-founder of Bills.com. Laundry lines vary in cost, from about $5 for a simple rope line to $500 or more for deluxe models. |
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Tip 37:
Insulate your water heater.
It's inexpensive to insulate your electric water heater. The insulation comes in pre-cut "blankets" sized to fit your heater, and many you can install yourself, although the U.S. Department of Energy recommends hiring a contractor to install insulation on gas heaters. Choose a water-heater blanket with an insulating value of R-8 or higher. |
$ Factor:
Water-tank insulation wraps cost from $10 to $20, reduce heat loss by 25 percent to 45 percent and will save you about $23 a year. To save even more, turn down the thermostat on your water heater, to between 115 and 120 degrees. This can reduce your water-heating expense by another 3 percent. |
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Tip 38:
Watch the watts.
Gadgets, such as the Kill-A-Watt and the Watt Minder, help you find the biggest energy users in your home. Plug an appliance into one of these devices and it will tell you how much energy it uses per hour, month or year, and how much it's costing you. |
$ Factor:
Wattage
meters cost from $20
to $30. If you are interested
in the bigger picture,
rather than monitoring
one device at a time,
the Power Cost Monitor
tracks in real-time
the electricity use
in your entire house
and shows how much it
is costing you. The
monitor costs about
$130 and attaches to
your electric meter. |
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Tip 39:
Check for leaks.
Check
for leaks around windows
and doors, baseboards,
around window-unit air
conditioners, outside
pipes, fireplace dampers,
electrical outlets,
switch plates, and faucets.
Also look for cracks
in the home's foundation
or siding. Most leaks
can be remedied with
caulking or weather
stripping, although
old windows may need
to either be replaced
or fitted with storm
windows. If existing
caulking and weather
stripping isn't in good
condition, repair or
replace it. Leaky outlets
can be sealed with an
inexpensive foam insulation
insert. Seal any leaks
around electrical fixtures
in the attic, and make
sure all attic vents
are unobstructed. |
$ Factor: Sealing leaks can improve
the efficiency of your
heating and cooling
system by as much as
20 percent, according
to Energy Star. The
products needed to do
the job are relatively
inexpensive: Caulk costs
less than $6 a tube,
a package of weather
stripping costs less
than $10 and outlet
insulators cost about
$2 each. |
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