Tips for Spring Greening

Here are a bunch of suggestions for "greening" your spring, from taking advantage of daylight savings time to taking advantage of warmer weather.

In general, energy use and the demand for electricity for our homes is directly connected to when we go to bed and when we get up. 

In the average home, 25 percent of all the electricity we use is for lighting and small appliances, such as clocks, TVs, coffee makers and music systems. A good percentage of energy consumed by lighting and appliances occurs in the evening when families are home. When it is light outside obviously less lighting is used. We can also turn our outside lights on less often.

Now that you've changed the time on your clock, why not change your clock?There are alarm clocks that run from sunlight and ambient room light. There are even wall clocks that work from solar power.

After you cold wash your laundry, dry it in the warm sun as another way to save on your electric bills. Some may say it is unattractive. There are ways to solve that issue. You can use decorative poles and rope for the clothes hanger. Maybe even attach some plants and flowers to make it look more like a trellis. Try to do it in the backyard.

Try candlelit dinners—they're nice and with the sun setting later, easier. Serve less of those comfort foods that need long cooking time.  Plan night activities, such as camping, eating outside and stargazing that also save energy. How about getting some information on astronomy and take advantage of our waterfront and deep-woods parks?

Encourage kids tol use their TVs, computers, video games less when the weather is suitable for outside activities such as playing sports, rock collecting, doing craft projects with leftover pine cones, acorns, twigs. etc., planting, races, riding bicycles, scavenger hunts, etc.

We also use less electricity because we are inside fewer hours during the longer days of spring and summer.  When we are not at home, we don't turn on the appliances and lights.

The best thing to do is not only turn off but unplug. Yes, it is annoying but beneficial in the end and you may find some electrical appliances will be unplugged for days because you don’t really use them often.

While the amounts of electricity saved per household are small...added up they can be very large.

The National Fire Protection Association and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recommend that consumers change the battery in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors when we change the clocks for Daylight Saving Time. If you have a set schedule, you may cut down on the amount of batteries you use. This could also be the time to perform an annual energy audit.

The big concern moving toward the summer is air conditioning; however, there are solar operated fans now being marketed to consumers. I’ll bet as we approach the summer, more will become available.

Visit www.energystar.gov for information on rebates and discounts.

Please feel free to contact the author if you have trouble finding proper services or supplies.

 Relate, Regroup, Reduce!