Saving on Energy and Water

August 19th, 2008 by Snow Conant| Posted in Apartment Guide, Green Apartment Living | No Comments »

When you save money on your utilities, you are also reducing the amount of energy and water you consume. This, coupled with recycling, reusing and reducing the products you consume are the easiest ways to turn your apartment green.

Common sense techniques are difficult to make habits. Everyone knows that it is important to turn off lights when you leave the room, turn off running water when you are brushing your teeth, but it is only by repetition do these conservation efforts become habit.

Conserving Electricity

Phantom Electricity

An easy way to reduce electricity consumption is to use surge protectors and unplug appliances when they are not in use. ‘Phantom’ electricity occurs in appliances that use memory chips or remote controls. Any appliance with w timer or clock uses a small amount of energy at all times. According to one article, an energy consultant found that a 27 inch TV used about 100 kilowatt hours a year due this kind of phantom electricity.

Your television area can usually have a plethora of cords; the television, cable box, stereos, DVD players should all be plugged into a surge protector that you can easily switch off when you are not using them. This way, your appliances do not sap electricity while they are not in use.

For appliances that are not ideal for surge protectors such as toaster ovens, microwaves, coffeemakers, etc., simply unplug the appliance when it is not being used.

Seal Windows and Doors

Keeping your apartment sealed by insulating drafty windows and spaces between doors will keep your apartment warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. For cheap fixes, you can use caulk and door stripping to seal up the major apertures.

Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs

CFLs last ten times as long and use a third of the electricity compared to traditional incandescent bulbs. The only caveat with these bulbs is that they contain mercury and therefore must be disposed of properly. IKEA offers a free recycling program.

Ceiling Fans

EnergyStar ceiling fans are the most efficient way to cool and heat your apartment. A ceiling fan will allow you to turn your AC down a few degrees in the summer, and in the winter, you can circulate the warm air that rises to the ceiling.

Conserving Water

• In the shower-cut down on shower times or get a low-flow shower head, the newer models have improved to be better than the notorious Seinfeld shower heads.
• Doing chores-make sure that you have a full load of laundry or dishes when you run either machine. Also, when doing the dishes, save water by filling the sink with water instead of just running water the whole time
• In the Bathroom- you can put a brick or a plastic bottle filled with sand in the holding tank. You won’t lose any flushing power and you’ll save water.

We’ll continue to put up new articles that will help you turn your apartment green. You can search for articles on going green in your apartment here. Just remember, you will not only be helping the environment, but you will also be saving yourself money.