Five Ways to Decrease Your Energy Use While You Sleep

This is part five of a five part series on Earth Day, conservation, and being green. With these small steps, we can all save money while making big changes to our environment.

Back in the day, sleeping didn't cost a dime. There was no such thing as a refrigerator, computers weren't invented, and cellphones didn't need charging. Today, even while we sleep, appliances run, air conditioners hum, and clocks stay lit up all night, all the while racking up our bills. Now if we could only find a way to get paid to sleep so we can pay for all of this!

Our energy bills aren't going anywhere, but there some things you can do to decrease your energy use while you sleep. Before you go to bed tonight, give one of these a try. Then, every night you can try to tackle another one before bed:

1. Plug your computer into a power strip with an on/off switch. Buy one with power surge protection to protect your computer during thunderstorms and electrical surges for even better use of the power strip. Computers that are left plugged in without a power strip can suck up tons of energy (and that story about how computers use less energy by staying on than turning them on and off is a myth).
2. Turn down the fridge temperature. Fruit and vegetables will keep longer at slightly higher temperatures than freezing, and you'll save on your energy bill.
3. Put more frozen stuff in your freezer. This will keep your freezer colder longer, and will prevent the frost mechanism from kicking on more often.
4. Unplug toasters, panini presses, coffee makers, or anything else that isn't programmed or doesn't need to be used. All things that are plugged in can use energy while you sleep!
5. Use a ceiling fan to move warm and cool air around your home. This will circulate the air that you pay for, and keep the thermostat from kicking on more often.

I hope you enjoyed this five part series on Earth Day and found it informative! Thanks for reading.


P.S.: The author of this page likes to blog on this site, and also sells a line of eco friendly products like reusable dryer sheets, paperless towels, soap nuts, organic facial care items, and organic household cleaners.

It's That Time of Year: Weatherstripping your Home

Weatherstripping is one of the most effective ways to increase the efficiency of your home, and it's very simple to install. With rising fuel costs, there couldn't be a better time to perform this easy maintenance task. Most weatherstripping is self adhesive, so it couldn't be an easier project.
The Benefits:

• With an average cost of around $20, you'll make the money back and see savings in just a month or two of cold weather.


• Stops drafts, blocks out noise from the outside.


• Keeps critters from entering the home when a tight seal is made on doors and windows.


• You can read more about how to install weatherstripping here.

Saving Energy by Turning Down your Refrigerator Temperature

The colder, the better, right? Especially in the heat of the summer, it keeps things fresher...right? Well, if you're fruit is freezing in the bottom drawer and your orange juice has icicles that might mean that you can turn down the temperature. You can save significant energy by finding the right temperature in your fridge and not cranking the dial to "9."

Cold air has other ways of escaping your fridge and increasing your energy costs. The door seals can often tear easily, and are one of the more fragile and heavily used parts of the fridge. Small tears and open gaps can leak cold air. You can easily replace your fridge door seals, or it might just need a good cleaning.

Another useful tip: a full freezer actually helps make your freezer more efficient! The frozen food helps keep everything colder, and your freezer doesn't have to work as hard. Just be sure to not block the fan when you pack it up.

As far as colors go, stainless steel and white make the most sense, as they partially reflect any sunlight. Heat absorbing black would be the worst choice. Consider buying a higher efficiency model if you're in the market for a new refrigerator to save the most energy and money.