Almost everything we do at home relies on electricity. But the most common sources can cause environmental damage. Unmoved by the plight of polar bears? Electricity also costs money. And we can all agree that more money is better. So here are a couple of ways to save power, excerpted from Sharon and David Bowers’s Shop Class for Everyone.
HOW TO SLASH YOUR ELECTRICITY BILL
SWAP YOUR BULBS.
A compact fluorescent bulb costs a fraction of what a comparable incandescent bulb does. With the addition of halogen and LED lights, you’ll get layers of light at a much lower cost.
WINTERIZE YOUR HOME.
Insulating your home will keep the house warm in the winter and cool in the summer, providing energy savings and comfort.
PROGRAM YOUR THERMOSTAT IN THE WINTER.
Set heating to automatically lower at night and during weekdays when you’re gone. Make sure the furnace is blowing freely by replacing furnace filters and clearing dust and debris from ducts.
REPROGRAM YOUR THERMOSTAT IN THE SUMMER.
In the summer, set the thermostat as high as you can stand, and consider alternatives to the AC, like fans and evaporative cooling.
KILL VAMPIRES.
Most electronics continue to suck (get it?) power even when they’re turned off, so plug them into a power strip and flip the strip off when not in use.
AVOID KITCHEN WASTE.
Don’t put your fridge in front of a heating vent and avoid southern-facing windows. Consider replacing your fridge with an Energy Star model. And match your fridge size to your lifestyle. You don’t need a 22-cubic-foot behemoth to keep a single yogurt cool.
BE LAUNDRY-SAAVY.
Heating laundry water is expensive and wastes energy. Most loads of laundry will be appropriately cleaned with cold water. Try to wash clothes only when the machine is full, but not too full. If you’re taking extra steps to save electricity, skip the energy-gobbling dryer and dry your clothes in the sun.
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF PROGRAMS AND INCENTIVES.
Your energy-saving habits will definitely save you money in utility costs, but they may also save you money in the form of government subsidies and other incentives. Visit the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (www.dsireusa.org) for information about incentives in your state.
More About Shop Class for Everyone: Practical Life Skills in 83 Projects
Did you remember your goggles?
There used to be a time when pretty much every high school offered Shop class, where students learned to use a circular saw or rewire a busted lamp- all while discovering the satisfaction of being self-reliant and doing it yourself. Shop Class for Everyone now offers anyone who might have missed this vital class a crash course in these practical life skills. Packed with illustrated step by step instructions, plus relevant charts, lists, and handy graphics, here’s how to plaster a wall, build a bookcase from scratch, unclog a drain, and change a flat tire (on your car or bike). It’s all made clear in plain, nontechnical language for any level of DIYer, and it comes with a guarantee: No matter how simple the task, doing it with your own two hands provides a feeling of accomplishment that no app or device will ever give you.
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