- Give Your Car a Break. Carpool, use mass transit, walk or bike whenever possible. Leaving your car at home just 2 days a week will save 1,590 lbs. of greenhouse gas emissions each year. Keep your car well-maintained to maximize its fuel efficiency, safety, and reliability.
- Light Up Your Life. Replacing your five most frequently used light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) can save more than $65 a year in energy costs. They provide high-quality light output, use less energy and last up to 10 times longer than standard incandescent light bulbs, saving money on energy bills and replacement costs. Remember to always turn off your lights when leaving a room.
- Use a Low Flow Shower Head. A 10-minute shower can use less water than a full bath. A new showerhead also will save energy — up to $145 each year on electricity.
- Stop Your Leaky Faucet. A leaky faucet can waste gallons of water. Hot water leaking at a rate of one drip per second can waste up to 1,661 gallons of water over the course of a year, and waste up to $35 in electricity or $35 in natural gas. Fixing drips is a cost effective and easy way to save energy.
- Use the Proper Pot. A 6-inch pot on an 8-inch burner wastes over 40 percent of the burner’s heat. Using the right sized pot on stove burners can save about $36 annually for an electric range, or $18 for gas. Covering pots and pans also helps you cook more efficiently and keeps your kitchen cooler.
- Safely Dispose of Household Hazardous Waste. Many common chemicals you may have in your house can pose hazards to people, pets and the environment if they are not disposed of properly.
- Turn Down the Temperature. Set your water heater thermostat to 120 F or lower. Savings resulting from turning down your water heater temperature are based on two components: reduced standby losses (heat lost from water heater into surrounding basement area); and consumption (from water demand or use in your home). Set too high, or at 140 degrees F, your water heater can waste anywhere from $36 to $61 annually in standby heat losses and more than $400 in demand losses. Set at 120 degrees F, you will save energy and money.
- Reduce, Reuse , Recycle. Reduce the amount of garbage you generate by looking for products that have less packaging. Buy recycled products. Reuse goods, you don’t need by donating them.
- Paper or Plastic? Neither. Take your own reusable bags to the grocery store and avoid having to choose between the lesser of these two evils.
- Plant a Tree. Trees absorb carbon dioxide — as much as a ton over the lifetime of the tree. Trees also provide shade, which can reduce heating bills.
SOURCE: Green Works Orlando