It’s Easy To Be Green, Week 8

This is another installment of Lichterman Nature Center's twelve week It's Easy To Be Green program that MLGW employees are participating in.

Americans waste as much energy as two-thirds of the world’s population consumes. Conserving energy at home helps to reduce emission of greenhouse gases and saves you money. (If you participated in Earth Hour last Saturday, you may have already realized how much energy you personally waste!)

Action Items

• Ask MLGW’s Energy Doctor to do an energy audit in your home by calling 528-4188.

• Lower the thermostat in the winter and raise it in the summer. For every degree below 68, you save 5% on heating costs. Likewise, raising the thermostat to 78 degrees (or higher) in the summer saves you money on cooling.

• Set the water heater to 120 degrees. To get hot water quickly and to save energy, insulate your water heater.

• When washing clothes, only do full loads. Using cold water rather than hot water reduces energy use by 75%.

• Use the moisture-sensing setting on your dryer. Better yet, hang out the laundry to air dry. Don’t forget to clean the dryer’s lint trap after each load.

• Switch to compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs. They use 75% less energy and produce 75% less heat. CFL bulbs also last up to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs. Remember to properly dispose of CFL bulbs at the Memphis & Shelby County Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility.

• Clean or replace the air filters in your heating and cooling units every month.

• Let the sun shine in! On cold, sunny days, open the curtains and blinds to let “sun power” heat the rooms. On hot, sunny days, close curtains and blinds. This action saves energy (and money) needed to cool the rooms.

• Take an inventory of all electrical appliances in your home. How many do you have? How many do you really need?

• Why do you have the TV, radio, computer and CD player on at the same time? Turn off these and other appliances when not in use to save electricity and money!

• Unplug the electricity vampires. Vampires are electrical appliances (Tvs, computers, VCRs, DVD players, battery chargers, etc.) in standby mode that use power when not in use. Vampire power accounts for up to 25% of household electricity.

• Keep the fireplace damper closed when not in use. Otherwise, 8% of the room’s heated or cooled air goes up the chimney.