How to Conserve Energy?

When we consider “conserving energy” we are taking on a massive subject. We could focus on saving energy as an individual – the energy we use in our own bodies. We could think about saving electrical energy in our homes – turning the lights off when they are not in use. We could consider buying a smaller automobile so that we use less gasoline, thereby conserving energy from fossil fuels.

It’s a huge task! The bottom line for many people is that they want to use less electricity, less gasoline or whatever, all so that they can save money. Some people do give consideration to conserving the coal, natural gas and petroleum that are available in limited quantities on the planet. Whatever the motivation and whatever specific area you want to conserve energy in, there are some definite steps you can take.

High Spots

We can really only hit the high points in a discussion of how to conserve energy. Each individual method is simple to begin with but can contribute so much to saving natural resources. Here’s one particular example, in brief: You can save on electricity, and save money, by lowering your refrigerator’s internal temperature a couple of degrees. Be sure to keep food cool enough so it doesn’t spoil!

By lowering your refrigerator temperature you are using less electricity, which ultimately means the supplier will have to burn less coal or other fuel to produce electricity for you. Lower the freezer temperature a degree or two as well.

When you start to clean “things” in the home, make sure you are using the appliance to its full capacity. What does this mean? Don’t run the dishwasher until you have a full load of dishes. This will save water and electricity for heating the water and drying the dishes. Don’t wash a tiny load of clothes. Try to wash larger loads of clothes to save water.

It’s OK to enjoy a hot bath or shower but you can probably get by with lowering the water-heater temperature a degree or two. Then cut your shower time by a minute or two each time. This will save water, which must be treated before it can be sent to your home. It will also save electricity for heating the water that comes from the shower head.

Staying Warm, Driving

Not too long ago, the recommended room temperature for a living room was 72 degrees F. When that question came up in a trivia contest a couple of years ago the correct answer was 68 degrees F. Lowering your home thermostat a few degrees can save a lot of money on the heating bill, of course. But this simple action can also save a lot of natural gas or other heating fuel to be used in the future.

We said we could only touch the high spots. One last thought: Driving five-miles-per-hour slower can save a lot of gasoline that is made from petroleum. It can also save you a lot of money at the gas pump.