We just received our energy bill in the mail and it reported to us that we were using double the energy from last month. Oops! Granted it is cold outside (it snowed today for the first time this winter!!!!!) and so the heater is one a bit more but we could still practice better energy conserving etiquette. For example, Tom is constantly reminding me to turn lights off that are not necessary and I am on a mission to remember to turn the heat off when we go to bed or leave the house. So, I have two ideas that will help you fell better about your energy.
1. Every time I drive home from Portland, OR to Spokane, WA I look forward to seeing the massive crop of gigantic wind turbines (or as I like to call them, wind mobiles) on the hillsides. They are quite beautiful and somehow peaceful to watch. Well anyways, the
Portland General Electric company has a renewable energy program that allows customers to choose renewable sources of energy instead of those that pollute our environment. We have chosen to pay a little extra on our monthly bill in order to be a part of the
Green Source source program. The energy we use and pay for comes from renewable sources such as the new wind (from the peaceful wind mobiles!), low-impact hydro power, new biomass, and new geothermal energy. So at least I can feel a little better about the energy usage, right?
2. I am really excited to share this fun gadget with all of you. I came across
this great product the other day and immediately knew I had to test them out. So, I immediately an used an amazon gift card I had to purchase two of these babies and anxiously awaited until they arrived in my mailbox. It is called the Belkin Conserve Socket and runs about $10. The basic idea behind the socket is that it will easily allow you to conserve energy in your home. I am so guilty of plugging items into the outlet and leaving them there for eternity. Okay maybe not eternity but you get the picture. When you use this socket, you can choose how long (1/2 hr, 3 hrs, and 6 hrs) you want it to be on. So, for example I will plug my phone into it and instead of leaving it there overnight, I will set the timer for 3 hours and then the socket will shut off.
It is genius! If you are not able to purchase the conserve sockets, think about unplugging items in your house when they are not in use.
I hope this has inspired you to think of some ways you can reduce your energy usage and save some money along the way.
4 comments:
Hey,
Just another idea for your conservation efforts. But the house Alex and I live in is three stories and we found we were trying to heat and cool too much of the house. We blocked the vents in areas we don't use constantly, like my photo studio, the laundry room, and our spare room. That reduced our bill by about $50 every month.
We also found that our insulated curtains were worth the little extra we spent to get them. (They are about $12 a panel at Walmart.) Not only do they block out the light (which is great because we work nights), but they also help with the heating and cooling of the house.
Way to be environmental!
They also have these fancy sockets called a kill-o-watt meter. They monitor the number of kilowatts going through them each day, and helps you monitor the amount energy usage.
Also, this is the first year I've used window plastic, and man does it block out those cold drafts!
Love those sockets Jess!! We both leave our phones plugged in overnight when they don't need to be charged that long. Definitely going to get some! Thanks for the tip!
Thanks for all the comments and suggestions! Keep them coming! The more the merrier!!! Does anyone else have any more ideas to lowering your energy usage???
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