Filed under Money on August 29th, 2008:
Save Money on Your Utility Bills
Save money on bills while living a more eco-friendly lifestyle. This is what many Portlanders are already doing on a daily basis. Portland has a long history of being on the forefront of eco-friendly causes. One such cause is the commitment by many Portland apartments to reduce their individual environmental impact. The best part about this cause is that it not only helps the environment, but it can greatly lower utility bills. To reduce your use of both water and energy use these 10 simple tips:
5 Way to Make Conserving Water Easy:
1. Turn off the faucet whenever possible. People have a tendency to leave the faucet running during activities such as brushing teeth and cleaning dishes. Turning the faucet off in between rinsing can save a lot of water over the course of a year.
2. Maximize washer and dishwasher loads. Instead of running numerous small loads of laundry or dishes per week, run larger loads fewer times a week. If you feel the need to run smaller loads of laundry or dishes, set your washer to the smallest setting to reduce water use.
3. Replace leaky plumbing. Old leaky faucets can leak quite a bit of water given enough time. Put a stop to their relentless water wasting by fixing old parts. Contact your maintenance team if you suspect a leaky faucet or toilet, and they will fix it for you.
4. Purchase low flow everything. When the occasion arises to replace plumbing fixtures in the house like faucet, showerheads and toilets, take the opportunity to purchase low flow models that will use less water overall. Chances are, you probably won’t even be able to tell the difference. You can cut the amount of water you use in the shower by more than half if you install a low flow head.
5. Take shorter showers. Getting down to business in the shower instead of camping out under the showerhead can reduce water consumption by a number of gallons per shower. To find out how much water you’re using check out this online tool for water usage calculation.
5 Ways to Keep an Energy Efficient Home
1. Turn off your PC and other electronics when not in use. Many people tend to leave on monitors, printers, computers and laptops even when they are not in use. Turn off these devices whenever possible.
2. Turn off the AC. Frequent use of the air conditioning in your home is the quickest way to skyrocket your electricity bill. Lower the shades and windows in your house during the day to keep cool and open them up at night once the temperature drops. You’ll be surprised how much cooler your house stays all day long.
3. Use a clothesline to dry your clothes. Stringing things up on a line instead of using the dryer can save energy and reduce the wear and tear on your clothes. You can also buy racks to set up in the laundry room to dry clothing on if your landlord does not permit hanging items on the balcony or patio.
4. Purchase energy efficient appliances. Look for the Energy Star logo on new appliances to signal that the appliance is energy efficient. Even when purchasing power adapters, televisions, stereos and computers, look for the energy star sticker.
5. Turn down the heat in the winter. Use the thermostat to automatically reduce the heat in the house when you are out and when you are asleep. Try to keep your thermostat at no more than 68 degrees in the winter months to help save energy.