Energy

One of the best ways to reduce your contribution to climate change, save money and live a sustainable lifestyle is to become more energy efficient. TNCC works to decrease energy use and the resulting carbon footprint within our region. We support both small-residential and large scale commercial projects that increase the use of renewable energy.

46 Easy Ways to Kick the Energy Habit...

1. Dust your lights! Keeping bulbs clean makes them work more efficiently.
2. Use your slow cooker more often – this is one of the most energy-efficient ways to cook food.
3. Save energy with every wash load – select a cold rinse cycle instead of warm or hot.
4. Make your bed feel warmer by placing a wool blanket under the bottom sheet.
5. Water will boil more quickly – and therefore more efficiently – if you place a lid on the pan.
6. At dusk when the outside temperature starts to drop, draw your curtains to hold in as much of your home’s heat as possible.
7. When it comes to buying gadgets for your home, choose built-to-last items rather than buying for short-term use.
8. Instead of automatically throwing everything you’ve worn into the laundry pile, only wash clothes that really need it.
9. When the charger for a cell phone is left plugged in, about 95% of the energy goes to waste – so unplug all chargers when not in use.
10. Walk or ride a bicycle, train, or bus to work instead of driving your car; all are better choices than driving for reducing your pollution impact.
11. In every household in the U.S. replaced all burned-out incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs, it would save the equivalent of taking 1.2 million cars off the road for one year.
12. Ceiling fans can reduce air conditioning costs by as much as 40% in the summer and can save energy also in the winter by keeping cool air from pooling on the floor.
13. In every coffee-drinking American used a reusable mug instead of a disposable cup, it would save close to 7 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions every day.
14. If you aren’t able to hang clothes outdoors to dry, buy a wooden drying rack and hang clothes on a patio, balcony or near an open window.
15. It takes three minutes for a refrigerator to regain its temperature after the door is opened – even briefly – so remember close the door even during the shortest tasks.
16. Cut the energy you use commuting to work by carpooling.
17. When you enter a room, count the ratio of lights to people and then take appropriate action.
18. Run dishwashers with full loads only. Running half loads is environmentally damaging, uneconomical and won’t save you any additional time.
19. Most home electronics and appliances consume electricity even when they are turned off. For tips on reducing your passive energy use, log on to www.energy.gov/applianceselectronics.htm
20. Turn unused appliances and electronics all the way off instead of leaving them on standby mode since many standby settings still draw power.
21. Mowers that rely on gasoline or electricity aren’t the best choice for the environment. The greenest choice is a push reel mower.
22. Always turn off lights and air conditioning when you’re not in your hotel room. Hotels are hot spots of electrical consumption, so do what you can to help reduce use.
23. If you have a water feature in your garden, use a solar-powered water pump rather than electricity to keep it running.
24. Check out your carbon footprint with a free online assessment at www.carbonfootprint.com.
25. If you have a swimming pool or spa, use a pool cover to reduce water loss from evaporation. Over the course of a year, this can reduce water loss by over 90%.
26. Cook at home whenever you can. With fresh foods, little or no energy for processing is involved.
27. Don’t try to change your lifestyle dramatically all at once. Be realistic about making green changes and incorporate them gradually in your daily life.
28. To minimize reliance on electric lights during the day, arrange your space to take advantage of the way sunlight falls.
29. Turn down the heat once a pot starts boiling. Lightly boiling water is the same temperature as water at a roaring boil and requires less energy to keep it going.
30. Make sure you are not overheating bedrooms at night. Keep the thermostat at about 59 degrees at night for adults and 64 degrees for children and the elderly.
31. Don’t waste energy preheating your oven – it’s not necessary for cooking most foods. When cooking roasts or casseroles turn the oven off at about 15 minutes early; the heat left in the oven will finish the job.
32. Open-log fires waste 85% of the fuel that they burn and use 15 times the volume of air in the room for every hour they burn; wood-burning stoves are a much more energy efficient choice.
33. Go solar! Check out current rebate programs.
34. Local arborists and construction companies sometime sell off their cuttings and wood waste inexpensively; perfect for firewood. Choosing a local company cuts down on transportation costs.
35. If you are not sure how to improve your home’s energy efficiency, ask your utility company to perform a home energy audit. This is usually a free service and is an important part of creating a long-term green living plan.
36. Turning your heat down just one or two degrees could save you as much as 10% on heating bills while reducing your energy use.
37. Host a Caulk-and-Seal Party! Contact TNCC for fun and fast way for you and your friends to winterize your home.
38. Never put hot food or drinks into the refrigerator because it requires a lot of energy for your fridge to cool them down.
39. To save electricity, use a hand-cranked food mill instead of electric powered appliances such as blenders or food processors to puree fruits and vegetables.
40. There is no need to heat or cool your home while you are away all day. Use a programmable thermostat to minimize energy use.
41. Before cranking up the heat, put on a sweater and socks. Adding an extra layer of clothing, rather than increasing the heat, saves money and the environment.
42. Use a high-absorbency towel on wet hair before you blow dry. By removing as much excess water as possible, your blow-drying time shorter.
43. Don’t waste a hot oven. Since ovens take a lot more energy to heat up then to keep hot, try to cook several means in one session.
44. Work on a laptop rather than a traditional desktop computer.
45. Turn lights off in rooms you’re not using.
46. Sign up TNCC’s email alerts and newsletter!