As rising energy costs continue to put strain on homeowner budgets (especially as we head into cooler months), saving energy is not only a great idea for the planet -- it will help you save money, too.
Luckily, saving energy is a lot easier than it sounds. In fact, there's one thing you can do that just may make a noticeable difference in your electricity bill.
Before you go to sleep, turn off your computer. Don't leave it in sleep or hibernate mode -- instead, completely power down your machine.
You may have heard that frequently turning your computer on and off might harm your machine, or use more energy. Yet the U.S. Department of Energy says the small amount of energy exuded when your computer starts up "is still less than the energy used when a computer is running for long periods of time."
This past weekend we had the chance to check out our city's monthly summer Really Really Free Market -- as in, yes, everything really, really is free -- and we're digging this latest urban trend. Really Really Free Markets are communal spaces where anyone can bring anything to share -- from food, skills, talents, to homegoods, clothing, kids' items, and pretty much anything else you can dream of -- and the only caveat is that absolustely under all circumstances everything is free to whomever wants it. That means no selling, bartering, trading, or any other kind of weighted exchange is allowed. Once you bring it to the Really Really Free Market, it's not solely your possession anymore -- it's anyone's and everyone's.
We were just looking for something inexpensive (read: free!) to do for an afternoon with our kids and a friend suggested it. So we got our best hipster duds on, did a quick once-over of our house to see what we could bring to share, and headed out. The day we went was still during that horiffic heat wave most of the country has been enduring for most of the summer, so the turnout wasn't as large as the Facebook group photos had illustrated from past events. Yet over the roughly hour-and-a-half we were there, a steady crawl of participants kept coming in, showing signs of sustainability. The whole thing is a giant DIY event, which made it border on the edge of festival as well as event.
Happy Earth Day! Although when I was younger, we had a saying -- "Every day is Earth day." Kinda true, right? We talk a lot about going green here at C&H -- materials, best practices, energy efficiency -- but sometimes, making changes for the better can seem a little overwhelming.
Never fear - we've rounded up a few simple things you can do to lower your energy costs and shift yourself into a greener state of mind.
1. Eliminate phantom power. If you have an electronic device that's turned off but still plugged in, it can use what's called "phantom power." Your best bet is to unplug anything that's not in use. And if you're running out for errands or another extended period of time, switch your computer to its sleep or hibernate mode before you go.
When you hear the term VOC, you probably think of paint, right? Us, too. But the truth is that volatile organic compounds can be found in other substances besides paint. And you want to minimize them because they release gases into the air, which then contribute to air pollution. Yuck.
Thanks to the brilliant bloggers at Real Simple, we have some handy tips on how to reduce VOCs throughout your home. Aside from paint, the most likely place you'll find VOCs is in your cleaners. That being said, don't mix cleaning solutions unless you have specific directions that the solutions are compatible, according to the EPA.
And make sure that your cleaning products are stored in the appropriate containers and are properly disposed of when no longer needed.
