This information is being provided to help residents become more water and energy wise. Because of the basic human need for water and the unpredictable levels of rain and snowfall each year, it is wise to alter habits now. 25% of our nation’s energy is consumed by residential households. If we look around there are many ways to conserve and save money!
Water
Bathroom:
- Check toilets for leaks. Drop food coloring or a leak-detection tablet in the toilet tank. If color appears in the bowl, there is a leak.
- Flush only when necessary. Every time you flush you use about six gallons of water. Don’t use the toilet as a wastebasket!
- Take shorter showers. Turn off the water flow when lathering and turn it back on to rinse.
- Take baths. Only the shortest shower saves more water than a partially filled tub. Also, consider bathing small children together.
- To avoid letting the water run, turn off the faucet after wetting your toothbrush. Use a glass of water to rinse.
- Rinse your razor in the sink. Letting the water run uses about three gallons per minute.
- Check and report faucet or pipe leaks. A small drip from a worn washer can waste 20 or more gallons per day. Larger leaks waste even more.
Kitchen:
- Run the dishwasher only when completely full. Use the short cycle for easy to clean loads and avoid using the “rinse-hold” cycle.
- Use both sides of the sink when washing dishes by hand; one to wash, one to rinse. Avoid washing dishes under running water and wash only once a day.
- Avoid using a garbage disposal. About 11.5 gallons of water are needed to flush it each day. If needed, use cold water instead of hot to flush.
- Carefully measure water used for cooking to avoid dumping unneeded water. Use left over water for plants.
Bathroom use accounts for 73% of all water used in the home.
Miscellaneous:
- Use the proper water level/load size on the washing machine.
- Wash clothes in cold water to save on the cost of heating water. Except for heavily soiled or all white loads, there is little benefit to washing in hot water.
- Keep a bottle or pitcher of drinking water in the refrigerator.
- Cleaning your freshwater fish tank? Use that fishy water to hydrate and fertilize your plants.
- Water outdoor plants in the evening to avoid evaporation.
- Close inside blinds, shades and window coverings during the heat of the day. Keeping the heat OUT helps to keep the inside of the home cooler.
- If mornings or evenings are cool, turn off the air conditioner and open the windows. Be sure they are screened and securely locked. If locking isn’t an option, for safety reasons only open windows on second and third story apartments.
- Use energy efficient lighting. Halogen and high wattage incandescent bulbs emit heat and use a lot of energy. Fluorescent bulbs give more light at half the energy cost and last 10 times longer. Besides the traditional ceiling tubes, “new” compact fluorescents are designed to screw into light sockets.
- When not in use, turn out the light!
- Don’t over light; use natural light whenever possible – it’s free.
- Dust light bulbs. Dirty bulbs can reduce light output as much as 10 percent.
- Check lampshades. Do they absorb light or reflect it in the wrong direction?
- Be sure the chimney damper is closed when fireplace is not in use.
- Check air registers. Are they open, dirty or obstructed by furniture or other objects?
- Keep range-top burners and reflectors clean. They will reflect the heat better.
- When possible, use the microwave instead of the oven. It uses less energy and generates less heat.
- If possible, select the air dry/power saver option on your dishwasher. Better yet, turn off the dishwasher at the beginning of the dry cycle and open the door to air dry the dishes.
- During the winter, if you have a thermostat, keep it set between 65 and 68 degrees during the day and set it even further back at night. Don’t “fiddle” with the thermostat setting; that wastes energy. If you feel chilly, put on a sweater.
- During the summer, air conditioners consume huge amounts of energy. If you want a cool apartment when you get home from work, install a thermostat with a timer to cool your home prior to your arrival.
- Keep your air conditioner thermostat at the highest temperature comfortable to save money and conserve energy. You can save 3% on cooling your apartment for every degree you raise your thermostat in the summer.
- Fans can make your air conditioner’s job easier while saving you money. In moderate heat, fans can completely replace air conditioners.
- Avoid cooling rooms that are not in use.
- Use bathroom and kitchen ventilation fans only as long as necessary. In just an hour you can lose all the heated or cooled air in your apartment through an exhaust fan.
- On overcast winter days and at night, keep shades and draperies closed; open them on sunny days to take advantage of solar heat.
- In the summer, keep windows closed and covered during the hottest hours of the day; open windows after sunset if possible. Open windows opposite one another for cross ventilation.
- Practice seasonal accessorizing with decorating. Warm colors and soft textures provide physical and psychological warmth.
- Place large pieces of furniture and bookcases along exterior walls to buffer from cold walls.