Unplug Your Appliances

Only plug in your small appliances when you need them. Do we really need the clock on the microwave? Unplugging it will save you money every month. The same goes for all other small appliances in your kitchen and around the home. Anything with an LED, power adapter or remote will use power while plugged in, even if turned off. Just leaving these items plugged in can add dozens of dollars to your electric bill every month.

Although certain appliances need constant electricity, like refrigerators of course, those that do not are constantly using a small amount of power to enable them to be instantaneously ready — which is really not necessary. The accumulated effect of unplugging all these non-essential items would make a substantial difference in energy consumption. The list of things to unplug when not in use should include cellphone and battery chargers, televisions, DVD players, video games, computers, stereos, coffee pots, and toasters. Though in today’s society, anything with a plug is reasonably suspect of being a power vampire in your home. Many devices such as televisions can actually use almost as much power when turned off as they do when turned on.

If you cannot unplug these devices invest in smart surge protectors. These devices will allow you to easily cut the power to multiple devices when a master device such as a television is turned off. This can easily be used to turn off DVD players, surround sound systems and video game consoles with one click of the remote. They can be used throughout the home where groupings of appliances or applications are used together.

However when planning your power off scheme in the home, make sure that critical devices continue to receive power. For instance, if you use an Internet Telephone company like Vonage, you need to make sure that power to your modem and router is uninterruped to maintain service. The same could be said for the DVR in your entertainment system. It can’t work if there is no power. This is what I like about the Smart Power Surge. It allows you to designate some devices as always on while others are turned off. While the ultimate goal is that our homes wouldn’t use power at all when we don’t need it to, for most people that isn’t likely to happen. Being able to finetune your power consumption to your needs though is a big bonus that can save on the monthly energy bill and the environment with little impact on your modern lifestyle.

Simple Tips to Keep Your Business ‘Green-Friendly’

As global warming and environmental awareness continues to be a much discussed topic, it is possible that we have become completely desensitized to this pressing issue and have simply written it off as ‘too hard’ or ‘not something that we can do anything about’.

On the contrary, there are many seemingly small practices and changes that business and individuals can implement in order to ‘do their bit’ for the environmental situation.

From turning off the lights and your PC when they are not needed to using recycled paper, every little thing, when reproduced across the globe, can indeed have a positive effect. And in most cases not only will you be helping the environment but you will save on costs too!

Some examples of ways that you, and particularly businesses, can ‘do your bit’ include:

* Turn off lights when the room is not in use, this includes meeting rooms, offices, living rooms, bedrooms and kitchens.

* Turn off your computer when it is not in use, this includes overnight and can even stretch as far as turning it off when you go to lunch if you want to really be conscientious and proactive.

* Use recycled paper - this may be as small as reusing scrap/waste paper by printing drafts and documents for review on the reverse blank side, or even reverting to purchasing and utilising fully recycled paper for everything from contract and documents to business letterhead.

* Only print what you need to - do you really need a hard copy of that email, or can you store a copy electronically? There may be many other types of files that you can store electronically as well.

* Ensure that you, and your employees, not only have access to but make use of recycling bins for paper, bottles, jars, cans and any other recyclable material that your business may use.

Some businesses have become particularly proactive in the environmentally friendly arena. With technology such as video conferencing it is possible to meet with clients and do business deals without leaving your office. This not only saves travel time and costs but will reduce the impact on the environment as there is no transportation required, whether this is via taxi to the next suburb, or airplane to the next state.

As a way of ensuring that your workplace moves forward towards a ‘greener’ future you can possibly look to implement regular review and reporting processes. This may be through appointing a staff member to be responsible for monitoring current practices or even incorporating environmental awareness into employee evaluations, depending on what is appropriate for your situation.

Whatever steps you choose to take, the fact remains that we all need to start addressing what we can do to move towards an environmentally friendly workforce and business community.

Energy Efficient Kitchens

Efficiency is becoming a hot topic in many modern households. Not only do we know that saving energy helps our environment, but rising power prices also means that it makes fiscal sense to invest in an energy-conscious home. The kitchen is one of the top places where homes waste energy. This guide will help you determine whether your kitchen is energy efficient, and give you tips on how to improve your power usage.

Energy Efficient Refrigeration

Refrigerators are one of the leading sources of energy waste in the kitchen. Not only does it take a lot of power to keep our foods cool, but every time we open the door an influx of warm air makes the process start over again. Some tips for more energy efficient refrigeration include:

• Make sure that your refrigerator is in good working condition and well-sealed.
• When buying a new refrigerator, look for a model that’s rated for good energy efficiency.
• Keep your refrigerator full. The less empty space, the less cool air will be lost when the doors are open.
• Allow foods to cool before placing them in the refrigerator.
• Avoid opening the refrigerator doors more often than necessary.

Energy Efficient Cooking

The stovetop and oven can also be major sources of power waste in the kitchen. By being mindful of how you cook, you can save money and conserve power. Here are some tips:

• When cooking on the range, use as few burners as possible. A one-pan dish needs only half as much energy as a meal that needs to be cooked on two burners.
• Turn the heat down once you have reached the boiling point. Usually you don’t need full heat to maintain the boil.
• Don’t open the door of the oven to check progress. This loses significant heat, which requires more energy to replace.
• Don’t preheat unless necessary.

Energy Efficient Washing

Dishwashers are a huge boon to cleaning, but they can also suck up unnecessary energy. Some tips for using dishwashers more sparingly include:

• Rinse dishes to avoid the chances of having to put them through a second cycle.
• Wait until the dishwasher is full before running it.
• Consider drying the dishes yourself. The drying cycle of the dishwasher uses a lot of energy, whereas letting them air dry or toweling them off by hand uses none at all.

Prevent Your Kitchen Appliances from Wasting Energy

Even if they are not turned on, your kitchen appliances may be using up low levels of energy for no useful purpose. Items like microwaves, coffee machines, and bread makers use up a little bit of energy per hour even when not in use. This slow energy drain adds up, so unplug your kitchen appliances when not in use.

These simple tips to make your kitchen more energy efficient can help save the environment while saving you money at the same time, so why not get started today?