Environment: Conserve Energy!

Conserve Energy! There are so many simple ways you can conserve energy on your own.

Many people use a lot of energy in their daily lives. Even seemingly insignificant things, like leaving on unnecessary lights or using a lot of very hot water, use up a lot of energy. Lessening the amount of energy you use will not only help the environment but also lower your energy bill.

How do I conserve energy? Here are some simple, yet effective ways to do so:

Turn off the lights you are not using. Many people leave on lights in rooms they are not in all over the house without thinking twice about the effects it will have on the environment and their energy bill. If there is no one in the room, turn off the lights. If you do not need the lights on, turn them off. You can also try to buy lights that are more efficient in the way they use energy. So much energy is saved, as well as money, when you shut off the lights you do not need, or are not using.

Although this is more costly upfront, installing solar panels on your house can save you money in the long run and conserve the need to create more electricity from non-environmentally friendly sources. Solar panels have a lot of benefits as well. 

One big energy user in your home is a dryer. Many people run loads of laundry in the washer (which uses energy as well), and then the dryer. Many, if not all clothes can be hung. Some people choose to hang their clothes outside, clipped to a string, while others prefer to dry their clothes inside on drying racks. (These are most likely more practical because you can use them whenever, and do not have to worry about the weather affecting your clothing while it dries.) There are certainly some cases where using the dryer is ok, just do your best to reduce the amount and frequency of your loads of laundry that go into the dryer.

Dressing for the weather (yes, even inside your house) can be more environmentally friendly as well. What I mean by this is if it is 30 degrees outside, do not wear shorts and a t-shirt inside, just to end up jacking up the heat. Instead, wear seasonally appropriate clothing such as a hoodie and sweatpants for cold weather. The same goes for when it is warm outside – wear summer clothes so you do not need as much air conditioning.

Do not start your car, and wait for it to heat up for a long time. Cars are big energy users, even while idling (but we generally need and rely on them to get from place to place). Turning it on only when you are going to drive it right away will save a small amount of energy, along with gas in the long run. Even though you are not driving, having your car on to heat up/cool down is still using energy. 

Even though these may be small things, you can do them and do your part to conserve energy in your home and daily life.