What are you, personally, doing to mitigate your energy costs?

Question

Not bragging, just some thoughts, because I know we're all suffering under this:

1) Take Navy showers (15 seconds to get wet, turn water off, later, 30 seconds to rinse, done)

2) Use wastewater from dishes on your plants

3) Insulate all pipes in the house

4) Get thick drapes to cover sun-facing windows

5) Carpool, cut back on auto use, alter drive times so that avoid traffic

6) Telecommute where possible

7) Grow your own vegetables

Any other ideas out there? And BTW, the Navy shower thing actually cut our gas bill by about 1/3. That's even allowing one full shower a week as a reward.

Answer 1

Disconnected our electric

Use wind power electric battery back up

Use ground water in the home

Ride bicycles with a trailer to go to the store

Heat the home with tree wood in our back field that comes from fallen trees

Live in a 160 year old home that has 10 inch walls

Soft brick inside and outside walls with wood siding on top out side walls

Answer 2

We don't waste food in our home for spiritual reasons, but it helps to cut our consumption

We take shorter lukewarm showers

We buy from socially responsible companies

We carpool and take public transportation

Drive an economical car

We shut lights off when not in use

We recycle

We donate items to local charities

We reuse

I use cold water to rinse dishes or fill one side of the sink for rinsing w/ cold water

air-dry clothes

We buy locally when possible

We borrow books from the library as opposed to buying them

Answer 3

well me myself and i since i am only 11 dont have much of a choice but ido do somre thing s

Answer 4

-Living in an off-the-grid, 314 square foot home.

-Lighting with candles, propane lanterns, and a skylight - from my reading chair I can see well enough from natural light to peruse a magazine until almost 10p.m. (I love summer!)

-Driving a non-glamorous but practical car (97 Escort wagon stick shift) that gets 35+ mpg, and TRYING, not always succeeding, to tame my lead foot and keep it under 65.

-Sharing a car with my partner and planning errands and work schedules to only make one trip.

-Telecommuting. I have a tiny closet office in the neighbors' home, since no electricity in mine, and work there 3-4 days a week.

-Brewing my own local beer!

Answer 5

I wash my laundry by hand...and hang to dry

Our enegry consumption habits have our electric bill at a meer 27 - 35 dollars amonth....most of which is service charges

I recyle all i can...re use lots

Our garbage output is minimal due to the fact we buy less...packaged products......we grow and make what we can,

or buy fresh at the market

We Respect The Earth for she provides all that we need to survive this EarthWalk

When I say we.....it is because I am part of a home that does their part to..."Walk Softly". We do it together as ...ONE

Peace and Love to All

R.R.B.

Answer 6

1.making sure I turn on the central air only on days its hot....2. bathing the dogs only when they're dirty...3.only drive my car when I need to go someplace....4.only buy vegetable someone has grown...5.take ARMY showers-only use enough water to get clean, and NEVER bend over after the soap!....6.my pipes aren't insulated,so I put drip pans underneath to catch the sweat,and use that water to wash the dishes,only have to worry about copper poisoning that way!...plus I can only wash dishes about every six months or so--darn sweat is s l o w .......and 7.stay outta Wal Mart(has nothing to do w/ conserving.I just hate Wal Mart!

Answer 7

1) clothesline, can't beat the smell of air dried.

2) walking when and were I can

3) Lights out!!!

4) Keep tires properly inflated and change air filter when needed, no jackrabbit starting and driving slower.  Cuts on gas tremendously

Answer 8

I turn off lights in rooms that I'm not using.  I run fans instead of the A/C.