Money Saving Talk » energy saving

Alternatives to Household Products that Can Save You Money

admin — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 17:42:16 +0000

You use natural and less-toxic household products whenever possible. It’s a great way to save money and save the environment.

Instead of:	Use
Air freshener	A small dish of vinegar or lemon juice set out in a warm area
All-purpose cleaner	One quart warm water, 1 teaspoon liquid soap, 1 teaspoon borax, and 1/4 cup vinegar
Bleach	Borax
Carpet cleaner	To neutralize odors, sprinkle the carpet with a mixture of one cup borax and 2 cups cornmeal or use baking soda. Let stand 1 hour before vacuuming.
Chlorine scouring powder	Baking soda
Detergent	Simple soap or phosphate-free detergent
Disinfectant	Ammonia
Drain cleaner	Plunger, followed by a handful of baking soda and a half cup of vinegar. Cover and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Pour in 2 quarts of boiling water, and the clod should disappear.
Floor cleaner	Mop floors with a mild soap solution or 1 cup vinegar mixed with 2 gallons of water. Linoleum floors can be polished by mopping with skim milk. (No, it doesn’t smell.)
Furniture polish	On unfinished surfaces, use natural oil such as almond or olive oil. On finished surfaces, dust with a damp cloth and wipe dry.
Glass cleaner	Two tablespoons of vinegar to 1 quart of water.
Grease remover	Baking soda paste
Mildew stain remover	Vinegar solution
Mothballs	Cedar chips
Oven cleaner	Pour salt on fresh oven spills, and scrape the residue off when the oven cools. Ammonia can be applied t tough stains. A pumice stick, available at many hardware stores, will also work.
Pest control	Make chili powder packets to keep ants out of your kitchen.
Stain remover	Cornstarch paste
Surface cleaner	Use a vinegar and salt mixture
Tile cleaner	Scrub areas with baking soda and a toothbrush
Toilet bowl cleaner	Baking soda or borax
Window cleaner	Mix 1/4 cup of white vinegar or 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and a quart of warm water.

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture

How to cut down electricity bill in Summer months

admin — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 22:13:54 +0000

The costs of running air conditioning in the summer months can be as much as half of your monthly electric bill. To cut down the cost, you need to budget your air conditioning usage.

1. Never leave the air on when you leave the house. Why run it when nobody is at home?

2. Make sure air is well circulated in your house. Install fans and ceiling fans in the rooms that you spend most time in such as living room and bedrooms. The electricity used by fans are far less than air conditioning units.

3. If you live in a hot climate, be sure the house in well insulated. Check your windows and doors.

4. Use energy saving light bulbs and air conditioning units. Replace them if you can.

By investing in energy saving devices, you can save money in the long run.

Home Electronics Saving Tips

admin — Thu, 21 May 2009 18:17:13 +0000

Look for energy-saving ENERGY STAR labeled home electronics.
Many appliances continue to draw a small amount of power when they are switched off. These “phantom” loads occur in most appliances that use electricity, such as VCRs, televisions, stereos, computers, and kitchen appliances. These phantom loads can be avoided by unplugging the appliance or using a power strip and using the switch on the power strip to cut all power to the appliance.
Unplug battery chargers when the batteries are fully charged or the chargers are not in use.
Studies have shown that using rechargeable batteries for products like cordless phones and PDAs is more cost effective than throwaway batteries. If you must use throaways, check with your trash removal company about safe disposal options.

Source: EERE, U.S. Department of Energy

Home Office Energy Saving Tips

admin — Thu, 21 May 2009 01:28:32 +0000

Selecting energy-efficient office equipment—personal computers (PCs), monitors, copiers, printers, and fax machines—and turning off machines when they are not in use can result in enormous energy savings.
An ENERGY STAR labeled computer uses 70% less electricity than computers without this designation. If left inactive, ENERGY STAR labeled desktop computers enter a sleep mode and use 4 watts or less. Spending a large portion of time in low-power mode not only saves energy, but helps equipment run cooler and last longer.
To maximize savings with a laptop, put the AC adapter on a power strip that can be turned off (or will turn off automatically); the transformer in the AC adapter draws power continuously, even when the laptop is not plugged into the adapter.
Common misconceptions sometimes account for the failure to turn off equipment. Many people believe that equipment lasts longer if it is never turned off. This incorrect perception carries over from the days of older mainframe computers.
ENERGY STAR labeled computers and monitors save energy only when the power management features are activated, so make sure power management is activated on your computer.
There is a common misconception that screen savers reduce energy use by monitors; they do not. Automatic switching to sleep mode or manually turning monitors off is always the better energy-saving strategy.

Long-Term Savings Tip

Consider buying a laptop for your next computer upgrade; they use much less energy than desktop computers.

Source: EERE, U.S. Department of Energy