DIY Home Energy Conservation

How to save energy right now for free!

Not only is energy expensive but we consume too much. All of us need to do whatever we can to conserve energy and reduce the amount we spend on electricity, gasoline, gas, and water.

For starters here are three free things you can do to save money on energy. These are simple things you can do in the next 5 minutes that will cut your energy bills from here on out:

Turn your hot water heater down a notch

Walk over to your hot water heater and locate the temperture control. Now turn it down a bit. Let's face it: if your shower is to hot to stand in with only the hot water on, you can turn it down a little and not notice it. That is until you add up your gas or electric bill.

The default setting used for many hot water heaters is 140 degrees. Measure the hot water coming out of your faucets first thing in the morning before anyone has used any. Ideally it should be 120-125 degrees. Turn it down if need be and measure it again in 24 hours. Repeat as necessary. (If your dishwasher doesn't have its own water heater you may need to set your main hot water heater to 130 degrees.)

On the average, for every 10°F (6°C) that you turn the temperature down, you will save 3-5% on the water-heating portion of your utility bill. You'll also reduce the risk of burns and scalding and decrease mineral build up extending the lifespan of your hot water heater and plumbing.

For more information read this article and this article as well as the manual for your particular hot water heater.

Put an empty jar in your toilet tank

Almost all of our toilets can use a little less water with each and every flush. In the old days the advice was to put a brick in the toilet tank to save water. Over time, bricks can break down and disintegrate. A better way to hold back a little bit of water with each flush is to put an small glass jar in the tank.

Find a small jar, fill it with water, and then screw the lid on. Place it in the toilet tank. Now you'll save that much water with each flush. Use larger jars or bottles with older toilets and smaller ones with modern low flow toilets.

How much water are we talking about? Most toilets installed before 1980 use 5-7 gallons per flush, toilets installed between 1980 and 1993 use 3.5 gallons, and toilets installed since 1994 use 1.6 gallons. The potential savings is a simple multiplication problem: volume of water in the jar X number of flushes/day = water savings. Cost? Free! For more information read this article.

Do this at home. Then do it at work. Do it at work, your friends' and family's house, and everywhere you go. No one will notice and the planet will thank you. You know the word has spread when you lift the lid of a toilet and see that someone has already beat you to the punch.

Uplug your cell phone charger

Cell phone chargers use electricity if they're plugged in. Even when there's no phone attached to them, they draw a small amount of power. This is true of all "wall warts".

Get in the habit of unplugging the charger when you remove your cell phone. You can leave it next to the outlet, just don't leave it plugged in. Do the same for all the chargers in your house.

Cell phone chargers plugged in without a phone are called phantom loads that use vampire power. Unnoticed power drains include chargers, power supplies, and other transformers. Anything that offers instant on, standby power, heats up when plugged in, lights up, etc. uses electricity. Insomuch as you can, unplug these devices when not in use. Use the on/off button on your power strip.

Implement these suggestions right now. Not tomorrow, get up and do it now. These measures cost nothing , take no time to implement, and pay benefits far into the future. Tell your friends, neighbors, and family members. Or just do it for them.