Green Your House: $100 worth of tips.
Green Your House: $100 worth of tips.
We have all been bombarded with tips, tricks, and suggestions to make our homes and lives more eco-friendly. With all the tips out there, I started to wonder how useful they really are? I mean, obviously doing anything is better than doing nothing but how much of a change could really be made? Living in Omaha, there is a growing green movement, but most people are still seen as tree-hugging hippies if they do something for the environment. Instead, I thought of these changes in a financial light to see if that might be a better angle to make people try them. I decided to put a few basic ideas to the test.
DISCLAIMER: none of this article is scientific nor proven in tests. They just reflect the changes in my own life. Please do not ask for hard data because there is really not much.
Compact florescent bulbs. These, of all the changes, have been tauted above all others as easy ways to help the environment. But what why? They last longer, require less power, and give off less heat. The biggest advantage I have found is the heat. Replacing all four lights in my living room ceiling fan keeps the room notably cooler. Yes, you can feel it. Or not feel it, as the case may be. The lights take a little bit to achieve full luminescence, so do not expect the room to be as bright as soon as you flip the switch, but it does get there in a minute or two.
Power strips. Appliances, even while not in use, will pull power. Some of them pull it even without having a 'standby' mode. Just leaving you cell phone charger plugged in draws power whether your phone is attached or not! I plugged all my electrical items (entertainment based, not appliances) into power strips. When I am not using them, I turn off the strip and unplug it from the wall as an added precaution. This guarantees no extra electricity is being used.
I hear people thinking this is inconvenient. And it is, but only minor. You just need to plug it back into the wall, or flip the on switch. Even your modem will be up and ready by the time your computer boots and is ready to go online. That was my main concern, being a programmer. I have not noticed any 'lag' in being able to get online by the time my machine is ready. Further, I work in and out of my home. But when I am home I do not always need to be online or even have my computers running. So having the power turned off not only saves money from leaching, it also saves money by not having machines on but not in use.
Closing curtains or blinds. This is very easy. During the day, closing the blinds cuts the radiant heat from raising room temperatures. Especially if you are not home during the day, this solution has a big impact. Who cares if your empty house is dark? If you do not have blinds or curtains, my above statement of $100 might not apply. But if you do, you might only need to buy one or two to cover those windows not yet finished.
The other part of this is a box fan, or any fan really. During the day you keep your curtains drawn keeping out the suns rays. At night, you can open them if you wish to allow the hotter air out or still keep them shut for privacy. The real help comes from the fan and some open windows. Something I just learned is how to maximize open windows and box fans. On the lower floor, open one or two windows maybe three inches. This creates an inward suction for the cold air. Upstairs, where the hot air has risen, open a window fully and put the fan blowing out that window. The end result is that of a hose when you partially block the opening. You create a high pressure stream of water which more quickly airs out your house.
It does mean you have a fan running all night, but I suspect that is going to pull far less energy than running your air conditioner through the night.
In total, I spent under $100 to get a fan, replace 18 light bulbs, and three high voltage power strips. In the first month, my electrical bill dropped by nearly $20 dollars. The second month showed a savings of nearly $25 dollars. I think this has to do with me being more aware and used to the routine. The first month had some adjustment time. I do not see things getting much lower than that, but it is easy to see that I will make my money back, and then some, well within a year. Now that is some financial savings!
To further help, be sure to turn off all lights when not in the room. Don't leave doors open when going out, even to just grab something from the car. Turn off the clocks on those kitchen appliances. Do you really need three or more clocks all in one room?
Again, there is no scientific data to support what I have suggested, just my own experience. There is no suggestion that you will achieve the same results. As an example, I have four computers which used to be on, although in 'sleep' mode, all day. They are now turned off when not in use. However, it will reduce your costs and I suspect that you will get back your investment inside of a year.
Oh yeah, the planet gains too. Shh, keep that a secret.