Environment
Energy Efficiency: A Family Affair
By
May 29, 2008, 20:58

(NC)-Energy conservation is serious business and something the whole family can take part in.

Conserving energy is easy, especially if every family member does their part.

To help your family members become energy conservation experts, consider implementing the following energy saving practices offered by Direct Energy into your family's routine.

1) Install a programmable thermostat to help regulate the temperature of your home. Setting the temperature a degree or two higher when no one is home during the day in the summer will contribute to energy savings.

Having pre-determined temperature settings will also prevent family members from adjusting the temperature on a whim.

2) Switch from incandescent lighting to high efficiency compact fluorescent bulbs. They use at least two thirds less energy and have a significantly longer bulb life - almost 10 times longer.

Also, ask all family members to turn off lights whenever they leave a room and put the kids in charge of ensuring every family member is light-conscious.

3) Up to 30 per cent of the cooling in your home is lost through poorly fitted windows and doors. Caulking and weather stripping around windows and doors and upgrading to energy efficient windows will conserve energy.

Also, make sure everyone in the family closes doors when entering and exiting the home to prevent the cool air from escaping.

4) Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth. There is no reason to keep the water on, and turning it off can save up to eight gallons of water.

This practice is another way to get the kids involved in conservation.

5) Keep the kids from standing with the refrigerator door open while choosing after-school snacks by having them decide what they want to eat before opening the fridge.

6) Install a low-flow showerhead to reduce hot water consumption. Even a 10 minute shower with a conventional showerhead can use up to 42 gallons of water.

Low-flow showerheads are easy to install and use far less water. Go the extra mile and set a household shower-time limit.

7) Take advantage of the warm summer air and hang laundry out to dry. Sheets hanging on a clothes line also make great backyard mazes, which will surely be appreciated by younger family members.

Be sure to check your local municipal bylaws before installing a permanent clothesline.

8) Unplug vampire electronics - devices including mobile phone chargers and computers that draw power from outlets even when they're in stand-by mode.

You would be surprised at how much energy your computer uses even when it's left in "sleep" or stand-by mode.


More information on this topic is available online at www.directenergy.com or toll-free at 1-888-334-8221.

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