Using Davis' bountiful sun power can save on bills and reduce your carbon footprint
Using Davis’ bountiful sun power can save on bills and reduce your carbon footprint

These are tips from Low Impact Week, which was held in February 2011 but can be done anytime!

When it comes to energy, the first step before building new power plants or adding solar panels is always conservation. Today, we invite you to use less energy and save money.

With simple changes in habits, we reduce our need for energy without causing hardship. Try some of the following:

  • Wash your clothes in cold water.
  • Hang your clothes up to dry, and avoid the energy-guzzling dryer.
  • Turn off any electrical devices not in immediate use.
  • If you haven’t done so already, install energy efficient compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs everywhere.

Washing clothes in cold water saves the cost of heating water. With modern soaps, they get just as clean. Clothing that is machine washed but dried on a clothesline uses 1.87 pounds of CO2 per week compared with 6.55 pounds per week for laundry that is machine washed and tumble dried.

It’s also worthwhile to check your existing equipment and appliances for energy-saving efficiency.  For example, if you replace ordinary light bulbs with CFL bulbs, they pay for themselves within a year.  Buying a smart power strip is a convenient way to turn off all the extra electronic equipment that is often connected to a computer or entertainment center. The “phantom charge” these appliances generate even when not in use is one of the fastest growing areas of electricity use.

Do you have a good idea to share with your neighbors? Add your comment to our blog below.