365 Ways to Save the Planet

Day 10 – Yep, it’s a thing and today is the day we celebrate! It’s the day to think about ways to reduce our use of energy and in turn cut costs. Hopefully, if you take a little time today to make some changes, those changes will become habits that you continue to do on a daily basis.

Here are some ways you can commemorate the day:

1. Turn down your thermostat (even a couple degrees can make a huge difference)
2. Use more blankets
3. Turn off unused lights (this one is a big one in our house)
4. Only run dishwasher and washing machine when full
5. Reduce the heat on the dishwasher (120 degrees is plenty hot)
6. Use cold water for laundry
7. Empty the dryer lint trap
8. Use dryer balls (I’ll talk more about these in a future post)
9. Lower water heater temperature (most are set at 140 degrees, 120 degrees is suggested, so maybe something in between)
10. Take shorter showers (this is a challenging one for me and most in the house)
11. Unplug unused appliances (even phone chargers can be energy vampires)
12. Use power strips to turn off electronics when not in use
13. Turn off the water while brushing your teeth (I’m doing better with this one)
14. Fix leaky faucets
15. Keep refrigerator coils clean (not sure the last time this was done, if at all)
16. Keeping the sun out during the summer cuts cooling costs
17. Only put cool food in the refrigerator, it takes more energy to cool warm food
18. Regulate refrigerator temperature (ideal temperature is between 37 and 40 degrees)
19. Stop preheating your oven (food with lengthy cook times do not need a preheated oven)
20. Try to use less energy during peak hours (ComEd – Off-peak (10 p.m. – 6 a.m.) Peak (6 a.m. – 2 p.m. & 7 p.m. – 10 p.m.) Super Peak (2 p.m. – 7 p.m.)

ComEd offers tips, discounts and rebates. Click HERE, to check them out. If you’re not a ComEd customer look for ways your energy supplier can help you.

Happy National Cut Your Energy Costs Day!

Tomorrow, I’ll talk about how three simple words made me rethink how I go about purchasing items for my home.