Saving Energy- Lowering your utility bills drastically

Here's a quick checklist of things that you can do to drastically save energy in your home. If you have any other suggestions or ideas, feel free to make a comment on this post.

Laundry/Utility Room:

• Use cold water in your washing machine.
• Use shorter washing machine cycles.
• Set the proper water level for load size or wash only full loads.
• Get a dryer that shuts the heating off when clothes are dry (your clothes will last longer too). I believe this is called the moisture sensor.
• Clean the lint filter in the dryer after each use.
• Dry heavy and light fabrics separately.
• Use a clothesline when possible.
• Lower your hot water heater temperature to approx 120°- 130°.

Kitchen:

• Turn off 'heated dry' on your dishwasher.
• Wash only full loads in the dishwasher.
• Use the short cycle on the dishwasher unless your dishes are super dirty.
• Get an energy efficient (Energy Star model) refrigerator if possible. A 25 year old refrigerator uses more than 1200 kilowatts a year where a 5 year old Energy Star model uses only 450.
• Make sure your refrigerator and freezer has a good seal. (hint: If a dollar bill slides out easily between the gaskets, when the door is shut, you need to replace the seal/gasket)
• Set your refrigerator temp to 38-42° and your freezer temp to 0-5° and use the power save switch on your refrigerator if it has one.
• Ice maker with ice and water in the door saves energy from not having to open the door.
• Unplug Coffee-maker or other small appliances when not in use.
• Do not open or preheat your oven more than necessary.
• Use the microwave for cooking or reheating small items.

Bathroom:

• Turn water off when brushing teeth, shaving, or other grooming tasks.
• Take shorter showers.
• Buy an energy saver shower head.
• Fix faucet drips promptly.
• Consider installing an 'ultra low flow' toilet.

Living room, Office, Bedroom:

• Plug TV's, VCR's, DVD players etc. into a power strip and switch it off when not in use. Plug your Computer, printer, etc. into a power strip and switch it off after you turn your computer off each day. The 'standby' mode on these electronics can be equivalent to a 75-100 watt light bulb running continuously. (Tip: plug your phone charger into your TV or Computer strip if you like to keep it plugged in. But this doesn't work if you charge your phone at night while your sleeping.) Another idea is to plug these things into a wall outlet that leads to a light switch and when your done at night, just flip the switch!
• Enable the sleep mode on your computer so it will use less energy during periods of inactivity. (Screen savers don't save energy, they save screens)
• Set up your computer to hibernate after 20-30 minutes of inactivity.
• Set your thermostat at 68° in the winter, and 78° or higher in the summer.
• Use the sun to heat your home. Open the shades in winter while the sun is shining to help heat your home. In the summer, close your shades in the hottest part of the day to keep your home cool.
• When appropriate, use fans to cool and circulate the air instead of using your AC.
• Use window fans to bring in cool air when it is hot inside but cool outside.
• Shut off vents and close doors of extra rooms you're not using and don't need to heat or cool.

General Household:

• Replace all of your incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs. A 27 watt bulb puts out as much light as a 100 watt incandescent bulb. They cost more to purchase initially ($5-10 each) but last for 5-7 years (versus less than 1/2 a year for incandescent) Each bulb replaced will save you around $15/year. Replace 12 in your home and it will save you $15 a month on your electric bill.
• Unplug (cell phone, IPod, camera, cordless tools, PDA's, etc.) chargers when you're not charging.
• Always turn off the light when you leave the room, even if only for a minute.
• Use daylight when possible by opening blinds and curtains.
• Keep your grass and weeds cut down low around your outdoor AC unit.
• Take out the extra fridge in the garage or basement that you use for drinks or extras. (It contributes to 9% of your electric bill)
• Fix leaky faucets, pipes and toilets promptly.
• Look for the Energy Star products when buying any new appliances or electronics.
• Save water on your lawn by using proper greenery and irrigation. Water outdoor plants in the morning and evening when the sun is not evaporating the water as you spray.

These things do work. We purchased a new refrigerator in May of this year. I quit using heated dry on the dishwasher, started washing clothes in full loads in cold water, turning off computer power strip every night, and using fans to circulate air. I also put in a dozen fluorescent light bulbs and usually turn them off when not in use. These few things alone have saved me $100 on my electric bill each month. After researching for this post, I plan to put into practice more of these energy saving ideas and hope to save even more money.

Save yourself money...Save your children the world!

WARNING! Electrical Outlet Danger!

My son is 19 months old and the sweetest most obedient child...up until recently. I think he has hit the 'Terrible Two's', and if this is just the beginning, I'm not really looking forward to it much. He has always obeyed. He does something he's not supposed to, I say NO!, and he lays on the floor and cries for about 15 seconds, then gets up and starts playing. Not anymore. Now he's turning the TV on and off and changing channels. I wish that thing had a lock. Now I know why some manufacturers put the buttons on the top of the TV. Plus he has been trying to climb on the furniture. And the worst thing is he's figured out how to get the safety electrical plugs out of the outlets!

Just the other day I ran out to get the groceries out of the car and left him in the living room. By the time I got back (two minutes maybe) he had taken the safety plug out of the outlet and inserted keys!!! Talk about freaking out!!! It took a moment to figure out why he was still okay, but God always watches over us, and I looked up and the switch was off. Thank God it was the outlet that is connected to a light switch, and the switch was OFF! So now I have discovered that they make these electrical outlet covers that screw on just like the covers already on there, but they have a safety swivel cover or sliding cover over each socket. I'm getting some of these A.S.A.P! Unfortunately they don't carry them at Wal-Mart and I keep getting out bid on eBay, so I guess today's the day to do some online hunting. They're not cheap, so I'm going to have to look around a bit. But although I am very frugal by nature, I don't care the cost of this item. No price is too high to keep my babies alive.

I just want this to be a warning to other mom's and dad's. Those safety plugs that you get by the dozen only work for a while. Once they are a bit older, if they get determined, those kids can get into just about anything. My daughter, as curious as she was, never tried to take the safety plugs out, so I assumed they would be safe for my son as well. Not so! He is a determined little bugger when he wants to get into something. He will mess with and pick at something until he gets it open. So, please take heed. And I'll let you know if I can find a good price anywhere on those safety covers.

Spaghetti Shirt

My 19 month old son likes to eat spaghetti with his hands. Or maybe he's just not that fork savvy yet. Regardless of the reason, it creates the biggest mess. And spaghetti sauce stains aren't exactly the easiset stains to get out of clothes. My son has refused to wear a bib since he was old enough to grasp it with his hands so that is out of the question.

My 4 year old had a plain red haines t-shirt that she never wore, so I put it on my son when it was time to sit down to eat our spaghetti dinner. Since it's bigger, the sleeves are a little longer to keep his arms fairly clean, and it's longer so it goes down into his lap enough to keep most of it off of his pants as well. It made clean up a bit easier, and definately erased the worry about stain removal. I have decided it is getting washed and put in the kitchen drawer for the times that we eat foods that usually stain. It's big enough that I could even put it over the shirt he's wearing if I wanted to use it while we were out to eat somewhere. I'm even thinking about getting a size 8/10 for my four year old. I can't believe I didnt think of this before.

Now...if I could just keep him from putting the bowl on his head.