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Tips For Saving Energy
Are you concerned with the amount of energy that you use in your home or office? Most of us have become painfully aware of the energy crisis and unclean methods that we contribute to each and every day, and this can weigh pretty heavily on both our minds and our pocket books. The biggest energy saving tips that you can follow is to unplug your appliances when they are not in use. Did you know that most of your appliances continue to draw small amounts of electricity even when they are powered off? Your computer, VCR, DVD Player, television, microwave, and stereo all carry phantom loads which account for 75% of your overall electricity usage each month. That's huge.
With the exception of the refrigerator or any other appliance which keeps food and beverages from spoiling, saving energy can be accomplished by placing appliances on a timed device. If this seems a bit to constrictive or confusing for you to deal with, you could simply plug them into a power strip with a switch. Flipping this switch off each time you're done with the unit will drastically reduce the amount of electricity your home uses. There are countless other things that you can do to save energy in your home.
Tips for saving energy on laundry duties include cleaning the lint filter and examining the vents regularly for blockages and regular air flow. Not only can these problems cause a fire hazard, but improper ventilation can make your dryer work twice as hard, wasting valuable energy. Consider line or rack drying when possible, and try to keep heavier objects separate from lighter fabrics when drying your clothes. Also, be sure that your dryer and all other major appliances have the Energy Star rating and stamp of approval. This is a big money saver in the long run.
In the kitchen, you can work toward saving energy by air drying your dishes rather than allowing the dishwasher to steam or heat dry them. Just run your normal cycle, and then pull it open to allow air circulation. You could also consider purchasing a laptop computer to replace your desktop, as they use much less electricity when running than do desktop computers. If you are to be away from your desktop for a period of time but are not willing to shut the computer down, just switch off your monitor. Screen savers do not conserve energy, contrary to popular belief, but rather save your pixels from burning images. The same amount of electricity is used when your screen saver bounces around.