Green Habits and Goodies too

Happy Wednesday, TMS teammates. Today, I wanted to share some easy, small steps, that not only can help save money on energy bills, but are also environmentally sensitive.

- A helpful routine is to walk through the house and turn off lights, TVs, and electronic gadgets that aren't being used. I also unplug "vampire chargers" which continue to suck up power even when the device isn't attached.

- Don't become a household chemist, use only the recommended amount of detergent in your appliances; dishwasher, or washing machine. Excess detergent shortens appliance life and requires additional water, plus often leaves residue. Blech.

- Allowing hot foods to reach room temperature prior to putting them into the refrigerator, reduces energy demand by 40%.

- We've cut our heating and cooling bill with tinted windows and insulated drapes to practice passive temperature control. We also have several mature trees shading our home. My energy bills are usually 1/3 to 1/2 less than that of our neighbors.

Recently, I completed our utility company's home energy survey, and I got this Home Energy Efficiency Kit as a thank you gift. The compact fluorescent lights, night light, and water saving fixtures are very nice indeed.
How about you? What green habits do you have to share? Thank you so much!