Green Living Tips 10.26.09
Top Tips for Greening Your Electricity
The concept of electricity is routinely taken for granted. When was the last time you wondered whether a dark room would become illuminated when you hit a light switch? More importantly, how often do we contemplate the environmental impact of flicking that switch? To give a jolt to your electricity awareness, we plugged into Planet Green's "How to Go Green: Electricity."
Audit Yourself: Take stock in how you use electricity and take measures to get greener. For example, check for air leaks in places like window and door frames, mail slots and doggie doors, fireplace dampers, window-mounted air conditioners, and electrical outlets and switch plates.
Reduce Phantoms: Phantom power is the electricity your home electronics and appliances draw from the grid even when not turned on. Also known as vampire power, idle current, and wall wart, this drain can be countered by simply unplugging every electronic device not in use.
Hang it Out to Dry: Going old school and low tech with a clotheslines instead of a clothes dryer will cut your residential energy costs by 5%, add up to savings of over $100 a year, reduce your personal impact, and set a good public example for others.
Did You Know?
72% of total U.S. energy consumption is used by buildings
98% of U.S. power comes from non-renewable sources
51.7% of U.S. power comes from coal
For more on Electricity Tips check out Planet Green's Guide, How to Go Green: Electricity. For more on Going Green, check out the Planet Green How to Go Green Archives.
Source: www.treehugger.com
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