The Giving Hands

The more we hear of global warming, the more scary it sounds. But imagine what happens if each and every one of us take some necessary actions in our daily lives, I’m sure we would all be able to slow down the rate of global warming in some ways!

OK, even if you don’t think it’s possible, these are still little things that we can do in our homes to reduce our electricity bills:

1. Clean or replace air filters on your air conditioning unit at least once a month. I’m sure the user manual provides some instructions on how to do this.
2. Turn down or shut off your water heater whenever you will be away for extended periods.
3. Switch off unneeded lights and fans even when leaving a room for a short time.
4. Set your refrigerator temperature to the optimum level (3 deg C or 37 deg Fahrenheit).
5. When using an oven, minimize door opening while it is in use. Likewise, reduce unnecessary opening of your refrigerator door.
6. Clean the lint filter in your dryer after every load so that it uses less energy.
7. Unplug seldom used appliances.
8. Use a microwave whenever you can instead of a conventional oven or stove.
9. Wash clothes with warm or cold water instead of hot.
10. Turn off lights, TV, computers and other appliances when not in use.
11. Purchase appliances and office equipment with the Energy Star label; old refridgerators, for example, use up to 50 more electricity than newer models.
12. Only use electric appliances when you need them.
13. Use compact fluorescent light bulbs to save money and energy.
14. Shut off electrical equipment in your office when you leave work.
15. Plant trees to shade your home.
16. Replace old windows with energy efficient ones.
17. Use cold water instead of warm or hot water when possible.
18. Connect your outdoor lights to a timer.

Do you have any ideas on how to conserve energy in your home? What do you do to avoid paying expensive electricity bills every month?? :)

Adapted and modified from Sustainable Environment for Quality of Life.