Social Action Council Environmental Action Committee

 

REDUCE  ENERGY WASTE AT HOME

 

Easy Actions

Turn off  lights when not needed

Lighting is about 15% of household electricity.

 

Reduce hot water temperature to 120 degrees F

Hot water consumes 14-25% of household energy

 

Set winter thermostat to 65 or lower during day, lower at night

Don’t use air-conditioning (or set thermostat to 75 or higher)

Space heating/cooling consumes about 56% of household energy

 

Don’t converse with friends with your front door open during hot or cold days

 

Air dry your dishes if using automatic dishwasher

 

Dry clothes on clothesline whenever possible

 

Dress appropriately for the season

 

Take shorter/fewer showers

 

Quick Payback Actions

Replace all often-used incandescent light bulbs with fluorescent light bulbs

The newly passed federal energy bill effectively bans incandescent lights by 2020. Replacing incandescent lights with compact flourescent uses ¼ the power for the same illumination and lasts 10 times longer.

 

Have an energy audit done on your home and develop an energy reduction plan.

You can read about it or take a course. You can learn about doing it.

 

Near end of life cycle, replace high with low energy usage appliances

This applies especially to the major consumers of energy and water such as washing machines, refrigerators, heating and air conditioning, dishwashers and water heaters.

 

Longer Term Heroic Actions

If renovating, install passive solar energy improvements.

Get local professional advice

 

Install photo-voltaic solar for electrical power.

Check out PV feasability.

 

Install solar hot-water panels or solar hot water tubes.

Check out cost estimation tool .

 

Other Possible Actions

Use non-electrical holiday decorations

 

Precool your home by opening windows early in the day

 

Turn  off hot tub if infrequently used

 

Eliminate all exterior lighting which depends on timers or daylight sensors

 

Use power strips with on-off switch for electronic items that draw current even when not powered “on”

 

 

 

 

 

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Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Columbia

 

Owen Brown Interfaith Center, 7246 Cradlerock Way, Columbia, MD 21045  (410) 381-0097  www.uucolumbia.net