While toting up our annual household expenses, February’s utility bill by far stood out as the highest of the entire year. Our bill includes water, so this month I’m challenging myself to reduce unnecessary water and energy usage and therefore, costs, as much as possible. We’re not going cold turkey exactly and barring use of the oven (darn!), but I’m committed to finding easy ways to cut these budget benders so that we can reap the financial rewards for going greener immediately. Here’s what we’re doing:
Bathroom
Water usage and heating of said water was a large part of the increase. It occurred to me when I was bathing my toddler, Nate, how indulgent (wasteful) I had become in letting him have a stream of water to play with. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates 14-25% of energy consumed in homes is for water heating. Now I just put in an inch of water to start with and limit the amount of time he can have running water. I even explained to him - he’s almost three - that we have to share this resource with others including his pals Anna and Clare who live down the street. By the look he gave me, I think I made an impression, and he didn’t push to have the water running after that.
Next, give myself the same rules I give Nate. Showers use two gallons of water per minute according to the United States Geological Survey website (insert website). I love a long, hot shower, but when our water was turned off for several hours due to a neighbor’s backed up pipes and I had an important meeting to attend, I had no choice but to bathe with water saved in a kitchen pot. I was shocked to find that I was able to do a good job including washing and rinsing my hair with well under one gallon of water. Now we know who the real water hog in the family is! Jennifer Anniston says she limits herself to three-minute showers. If she can do it, so can I.
Kitchen
Hand wash or use the dishwasher? Experts say the dishwasher is more efficient, but only if you don’t pre-rinse your dishes and only run full loads. I’m trying to break the pre-rinse habit. Anyone know of a 12-step program? Oh, and keep the dry heat button turned off. When the cycle finishes, open the door slightly to let dishes air dry.
Laundry
Wash clothes in cold water. Your clothes will be just as clean. Sheets are the only items I wash in hot water. High temps are needed to kill off dust mites. I usually throw in cycling and running gear too.
We always hang up workout clothes to dry - they last longer this way too - but in the last year we’ve also started hanging other items. Wet towels and jeans hold a lot of water and take a long time to dry in a dryer – one of the highest energy drains in the home. I bought a retractable laundry line at the hardware store and now we hang these heavy items across our deck. Hanging at least a few loads of laundry a week can really impact your electric bill, and besides it’s becoming cool again. Kids will get a kick out of helping, or at least running between the sheets and towels and you can explain to them how your family is doing something that benefits the earth. My friend Misty went three weeks one time without using her dryer! Vermont Clothesline Company, started by a couple who couldn’t find a clothesline they liked, created and now market aesthetically pleasing clotheslines. Find them at www.smartdrying.com.
A general guideline for household temperature settings is 68 degrees in winter and 78 degrees in summer. Don’t feel compelled to stay at these levels if you can do better. We keep our thermostat dialed to 65 degrees in winter and add another layer of clothing to stay comfortable. A cup of hot tea or cocoa can warm you up from the inside out too. As soon as the weather turns nicer we go – au natural – no, not the Adam and Eve way – I mean we leave the windows open. We take advantage of the cross breeze for as many months as we can and then switch to the air conditioner when the temps become unbearable.
Big Tip: Make sure your water heater is set at 120 degrees or lower. Every time you lower the temperature ten degrees you’ll save three to five percent in energy costs.
Tiny tip that really adds up: Turn off the water while brushing your teeth. You’ll save water and probably brush longer which will make your dentist happy too. Think about it. If each family member does this three times a day, seven days a week, you’ll save a significant amount of water each year. The USGS estimates we use one gallon of water every time we brush our teeth. That’s just crazy-wasteful.
To find out how much water your home uses, click here http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/sq3.html to complete a quick questionnaire from the United States Geological Survey website.
