10 Steps to Get Energy Smart1. Change that light bulb
It’s said that if every household in the U.S. would change just one standard incandescent light bulb to energy-saving compact fluorescents (CFLs) it would be the equivalent to taking 1 million cars off our streets! So go ahead and make that change. Use compact fluorescent lights or LED’s throughout your house or apartment—you’ll save energy, money and you help emit less carbon. Just FYI, Congress has already banned incandescent bulbs. The 100–watt bulb will phase out by 2012 followed by the 40-watt in 2014.
2. Use energy-efficient equipment
When upgrading your appliances and electronic equipment choose those that are meeting Energy Star standards. Once you have all the new and fun gadgets turn off their ‘vampire power’. Electronics like DVD players, TV’s, computers and game consoles use power even when in standby mode. To avoid this connect all your equipment to a power strip. By turning off the power strip you turn off all of the connected devices at once.
3. Get smart around the house
Solutions for using energy more efficiently around the house and apartment are not as hard as you may think. Little changes can have big impacts on your electricity bill. Get smart about Insulating your attics and crawl spaces, weather-strip and seal the windows and doors. Don’t forget about the garage door too. Set your water heater to 120 Fahrenheit for best energy efficiency. Energy Star can help you find the tax incentives and rebates when making energy improvement decisions.
4. A/C and heating
If your HVAC is 12 years or older Energy Star recommends upgrading to a more energy efficient system. You might be able to get a smaller unit that is paying for itself by saving on utility costs over just a couple of years. Your carbon footprint can be greatly reduced by switching to more efficient systems. Maybe you can install the increasingly popular geothermal systems. These units use the earth's natural warmth to provide heat. Use a programmable thermostat and set the temperature settings for day, night and weekend. When used properly it can save several hundreds of dollars a year. When setting the temperature for both heating and A/C remember that just one degree difference over a longer period of time can have a great impact on your energy bill. Whenever possible use ceiling fans instead of cranking the air up in the summer. Let the ceiling fans run in reverse in the winter to bring the warm air down into the room. If you are a Columbia Water and Light electric customer you can use their Super Saver Loan to finance your energy improvements.
5. Smarter transportation
Walk, ride a bike, take public transit and commuter trains or carpool to meet your local transportation needs.
By buying highly efficient vehicles you can save as much as two third in CO2 as a gas-guzzler does. A good comparison site for fuel economy is the United States Department of Energy.
Increase the efficiency of your car – keep your tires fully inflated, keep a light foot on the accelerator, and avoid long idling times. You don’t really have to change the oil every 3,000 miles, do you?
