Energy Saving Tips

Hello again, environmentally-minded friends! Today I've got some energy-saving tips for you.

My city's electric company has just switched to time-of-use pricing on our electric bills, so that means that energy will cost more or less depending on what time of day we use it. This is due partly to when renewables make the most energy (here, the prevailing factor isn't the solar panels but rather the windmills, which apparently make the most energy at night!), and partly due to when the highest demand is (the afternoon on weekdays).

Even if your power company doesn't use time-of-day pricing, you can help reduce the need for fossil fuels by timing your heaviest usage at night/early morning/weekends, because power companies have to have a capacity to meet their highest demand, which is usually the afternoon on weekdays as that's when business and factories are all open and running, and in the summer, air conditioners are running (ergo, if you look at that image, summer pricing being more expensive). So they have to burn enough fuel to meet that heavy load on a summer afternoon at the peak of demand. If everyone uses less power during that time, the demand is lower, so they burn less fuel. It's also helpful to avoid rolling blackouts when the power grid is overloaded.

But here are some other tips to save energy and help keep your electricity bill low!

Use Efficient Lighting

As your old lightbulbs burn out, replace them with more efficient ones. I still have a bunch of CFLs on my main fixtures, but I have LEDs for my plant lights (pictured), and an LED bulb in one of my salt lamps that I leave on as a nightlight.

Your Freezer Is More Efficient When Full

If you've got a bunch of frozen stuff in there, it acts like a cooler filled with ice, so it doesn't need to use as much energy to maintain that coldness. Like if you've ever thawed a whole turkey (it takes forever) versus a single chicken breast, the mass of the frozen turkey keeps it frozen longer.

If You Have A Dishwasher, Turn "Heated Dry" Off

This is probably the silliest, most wasteful setting. Do you really need to heat dry your dishes? Just prop the door open when the wash cycle is done and let them air dry! If you need something out of it right away, just wipe down that dish with a towel.

Dress For The Weather And Set Your Heat/Cool To Something More Moderate

The "heat" end of this one is difficult for me, but I really shine in the summertime on this front, because I love heat, lol. Most of the time, if I'm running the a/c, it's for Yuan more than for me. I'm cold unless it's around 80*F or higher.

pictured: Yuan loves the a/c

Use A Power Strip And Turn It Off To Stop Energy Vampires

There are some electronic devices that drain a little bit of power even when they're off. Think televisions with a "standby" light, anything with an electric clock that you don't need, your laptop or phone that will top up its charge all night. There are some things that you might need that clock or for your phone to be full before you leave for work in the morning, but there are many things where you don't really need that little drain going all the time.

Hang Up Your Laundry Rather Than Use The Dryer

I use my dryer sometimes, but more often, I hang things up. It helps keep your clothes in good shape for longer, too, as running through a dryer wears them out. And if you live in a dry climate like me, hey, a little extra moisture in the air as they dry doesn't hurt. ;)

In the summertime, put a fan in front of the wet clothes, and it will blow cooler air over you, which feels nice (again, drier climate only: in a humid climate that's probably the opposite of what you want).

So there are a few ways to save on your electric bill, even if you're a renter like me and can't put solar panels on your roof. :) Speaking of, if you've been reading my blog for a while, you might remember a long time ago I bought a mini solar panel with a battery bank that was meant to basically charge your phone with. Yeah, that didn't last. It took days to fill the battery just using the solar panel, and in less than a year I think, the battery began to expand and I had to recycle it. You get what you pay for I guess as it wasn't terribly expensive, but I had thought since it was just a little one suitable for a phone charge it would be enough. I guess I was wrong! Maybe someday I can get a larger panel and set it out on the balcony, but that costs money I don't have right now. So in the meantime, I just try and reduce my use where I can!