Why You Should Make Every Day Earth Day
This Earth Day—all over the country—teams of students, employees, and communities are venturing outside after a long winter to give our Earth some much needed love. Earth Day serves as a great reminder, but there are some really simple ways you can love the Earth every day. One simple step is with energy efficiency.
Why energy efficiency?
Efficiency means being able to achieve the same results with less effort (or resources) than would normally be necessary. Making a few intentional changes in your life—simple changes you’ll barely notice—can not only help your utility bill, but those changes also make a big impact in the demand for valuable resources. Here are 6 easy tips to being more earth friendly this spring:
- Unplug Dormant Electronics – Even though you’re not using the cell-phone charger or hair dryer, if they’re still plugged in, that plug is pulling electricity. Fittingly, these are known as ‘energy vampires.’ Remember, it takes a lot of resources to generate every volt of electricity you use, so don’t waste it on these vampires.
- Seal Your Windows - To keep your windows from leaking warm air in the winter and cool air in the summer, this simple technique can end up paying you back throughout the year. Window treatments can cost as little as $7 and can reduce heating and cooling bills by as much as 25%.
- Replace outdated appliances – Upgrade your kitchen and office with ENERGY STAR® rated equipment. We made this handy guide on what investments in energy-efficient appliances we think are worth the cost.
- Install LED bulbs - By increasing the efficiency of your home, you can help improve the lifespan of your appliances and home wiring. LED bulbs are 75% more efficient at lighting your home than typical incandescent bulbs.
- Turn your computer off - Even though most computers today have features that assist in reducing energy usage - turning your computer completely off will save more energy than if it’s in sleep mode. Check out these debunked myths about computer power use.
- Plant some more trees - Trees are a great way to increase our community’s energy efficiency. One well-placed tree can reduce up to 12% of a typical homes heating and cooling costs year round. For instance, evergreen trees block cold winter winds, while deciduous trees are great at shading your home from the hot summer sun.
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