Green is good.
This is a topic most of us think about at least once each week, if not more. It comes to mind almost daily for me, as I separate recyclables (as determined by Austin’s single stream effort) from garbage. With the hot summer hitting hard in the late summer (and despite the rain this week), I’m feeling the sting of the higher utility bill as well. Anyway, it’s a good time to share some tips*, if only to remind yours truly to do a little more each day. And if I missed something obvious, easy-to-adopt or, simply, a good idea worth sharing with a bigger audience, please send it to me.
Recycle. Of course this is #1. It’s free, reduces consumption and increases energy efficiency.
Replace Light Bulbs. Use compact fluorescent lighting, which require 30% less energy and last longer. Two free bulbs for Austin Energy customers.
Save Water. 100 tips here, including turn off faucet when brushing teeth and shorten shower times.
Reduce Electricity. Turn off lights when you leave a room, unplug energy vampires (ie computer, cell phone charger and other appliances) when not in use.
Drive Less. Self-explanatory. Good alternative is Car2Go.
Adjust Refrigerator Temperature. Refrigerators use the most electricity in the house, so adjust to the average temperature of 37 degrees F (fridge) and 0 degrees F (freezer).
Support Local Farms. You will be cutting back on gas and decreasing our dependence on oil with the trucks that are used to ship produce.
Hope you caught the story in the Statesman this week on what green building really means to Austin Energy. Congratulations on 20 years!
Need more information? Give me a call.
*Thanks to RISMedia
