Things I do to Reduce Energy Consumption

Since I make a point of trying to live a frugal lifestyle I thought I might share a few things that I do to keep my energy costs down.

1.  I keep the heat set at 62 F.  Any colder and even wearing layers doesn't seem like enough sometimes.  (Makes hot showers feel extra nice though).  I have found that it is a good temperature for sleeping.

2.  I don't keep the water heater at it's highest setting.  When it is at the highest setting the water coming out of the tap can easily scald me.  For safety as well as for the energy savings I keep it at a setting that lets me have enough hot water for a shower, without the possibility of cooking myself.

3.  I have a plastic insulating layer over all my windows.  I have found that this cuts drafts down enormously and the heater kicks on much less frequently.  I also have runners along my doors to keep draft down from that area as well.

4.  I close off rooms that I am not using.  By close off I mean I close the heating vents in these rooms and keep the door closed to prevent any additional heat loss in these areas.  I basically only heat the main living area, the bedroom and the bathroom.  No sense in spending money to heat rooms that don't need it.

5.  I don't have a clothes dryer.  I have found that I can easily dry all of my clothing on one or two drying racks.  Since I only have to worry about my own laundry this works out well since I only wash one or two loads a week.  It only takes a day to dry most things, though some heavier items like jeans can take two days to dry.

6.  I don't have a TV.  Here I can save money both by not having a cable bill, but also by not having to use electricity to keep one running for hours on end.

7.  I do my best to turn off any lights in rooms that I am not using.  It seems like common sense, but it still keeps energy costs low.  I also use ambient lighting when at all possible.  I think that lighting a few candles can help heat a small room as well as provide some light.

8.  I try to do as much as I can outside when there is daylight.  Not only does this keep me from using lights and other energy consuming devices indoors, but it keeps me in shape too (I don't generally sit around when I am outside!)

9.  I only use cold water to wash laundry.  I find that my clothes get just as clean with cold water as they do with hot, and I have less trouble with colors bleeding and fading when I only use cold water.  By not heating the water for loads of laundry I also save a bit of propane in the long run.

 This list is only a drop in the bucket of all the things one can do to reduce energy consumption.  Feel free to add your own suggestions!