Humans are amazing in their adaptability. We can get used to whatever conditions are out there and with time we even stop noticing. I remember when I first went on a trip to Europe (it was Vienna), I was very impressed – not only with cleanliness, but also with air quality: it was a very profound feeling of clean air, considering that by that point in time I used to Moscow’s not so clean air and simply didn’t expect the difference to be that significant and yet it was.
But it is important to understand that you can’t take that for granted – it doesn’t happen by itself. Even before I got my own place, I tried to be as environmentally friendly as I could, however it makes a much bigger difference when you can implement all the latest energy saving technologies at your place and also get the added bonus of saving on your utility bills. It also helps to know that the government is simulating our efforts by implementing smart metering.
Today I want to go through some main steps that you can make in order to be greener.
With current generation of CFLs and LED light bulbs it seems to be the first thing that you can do. I replaced everything I could, the only lights I haven’t touched yet are those inside the appliances (stove, dryer, microwave) and pot lights.
As simple as it may sound, there are quite a few devices which consume energy even in standby mode – your TVs, game consoles and so on. This tip is much easier to implement by having them connected through a power bar – you don’t need to go through switching each and every one of them manually, just use a master switch on the power bar and you’re good.
With introduction of smart metering using timers becomes a no-brainer. Make sure that you know your local peak and mid-peak hours and schedule as many activities as possible for off-peak: you will strain the grid less and save money at the same time. Dimmers are a must too, especially nowadays, when manufacturers started making dimmable CFL and LED light bulbs.
Opting for not using the dryer in favour of drying rack is the first thing that comes to mind. Weather proofing of your place can make a noticeable difference too.
When it comes to saving water, make sure that nothing is leaking and try if not to replace your toilets with modern, dual flush ones, then at least modify them using a much cheaper alternative: dual flush conversion kit. It takes about 5 minutes per toilet and the gains are totally worth it.
These are my tips for being greener. If you have something to add, please let me know: I’ll be glad to add those as well.
Tags: Energy Saving
