Insulate Yourself Against Rising Energy Costs - 5 Strategies to Saving Some Gr
Dominick Penny
year this millennium. Energy prices are going through the roof. How do
you insulate yourself from rising energy costs? Managing your home
energy efficiency is the easiest and most reliable way of saving
money. The home is one of the places where you can make the most
savings and also the biggest environmental impact.
1. Adjust Your Thermostat
Lower your winter heating from one to five degrees. You will use less
energy and still feel comfortable. Then in the summer, let the air
conditioning cool the house a little less. Turning your thermostat
down by about 2 degrees could cut your heating bills by up to 10
percent.
2. Install Solar Panels
They work well in places where there is plenty of light. They don't
need hot sunshine to operate, just light, so bright winter days are
good enough. Try a do-it-yourself solar power kit using cheap parts
available from eBay or your local hardware stores. For less than $200,
you can build your own solar power system.
3. Use Your Dishwasher
This is one appliance that actually uses less energy than the manual
alternative. Dishwashers are efficient devices. They use less water
than someone standing over a sink does and they usually clean dishes
better too.
A few things to keep in mind:
Always use the dishwasher with a full load but not overloaded
Scrape off food waste to save on water
Set the dishwasher to the lowest heat
Don't use the automatic air-dry function
Don't use the rinse function on your dishwasher
4. Cook Once and Eat Twice
If your oven can hold two chickens, then why not roast two instead of
one every time? Two chickens will cook in about the same amount of
time that one will. You will cut your cooking time in half, saving
electricity or propane cooking gas. You also save a lot of time when
you come to prepare your next meal. Remember, it doesn't have to be
just chickens. This will work with turkeys, roast beef, etc.
5. Eat Organic Food
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is captured and stored in organic soils much
better and more effectively than in ordinary soils thus making organic
foods planet-friendly. If we grew all our corn and all our soybeans in
organic conditions, some 580 billion tons of CO2 would no longer be
pumped into the atmosphere.