Ways to Conserve Energy and Save Money

With fuel prices expected to spike, incorporating simple energy conservation measures into your daily routine makes more sense than ever. Radical steps aren't necessary; when it comes to conservation, a little bit goes a long way.

At Home:

• When replacing appliances, look for the Energy Star label. Although these appliances cost a bit more, they use less energy.
  

• Compact fluorescent bulbs last more than six times longer than regular light bulbs, and can save you about $601 a year.

• Many plugged in gadgets, including TVs, DVD players, and Dustbusters, use energy even when they are turned off, and can account for five percent of your energy bill. No one is suggesting that you unplug everything before leaving for work every morning, but yanking a few plugs before going on vacation or away for an extended amount of time might not be a bad idea.

• Clean naturally. You can go green with natural cleaning products that won't harm the environment. To make furniture polish, mix two parts cooking oil with one part lemon, or use baking soda to scour pans. Cleaning a car, boat or bike this summer? Be sure to use a soap that is environmentally safe if the run off is going into the ground or water and use a hose with an automatic shutoff nozzle.

• Avoid saturating your lawn and garden with chemicals that seep into the groundwater. Create natural fertilizer with compost. Fruit and vegetable peelings, coffee grounds, nutshells, dead flowers, all add beneficial nutrients to the soil.

• Showers use less water than baths, meaning shorter showers can save lots of water and lots of cash.

Transportation:

• Educate yourself on ways to commute, check with your local community transportation representatives to see if your area offers buses, trains or even carpool listings. Brandeis students can check the public safety website for shuttle times here.

• According to the Consumer Federation of America, you can improve your mileage by more than 15 percent a year by cleaning your air filter, checking alignment, pumping up tires, and keeping to the speed limit.

• Avoid accelerating or braking unnecessarily quickly to save gas.

• Additionally, check your gas cap. Missing or broken caps allow gas to evaporate. About 150 million gallons of gasoline evaporate every year.

• Unloading 100 pounds of gear from your trunk can save four cents a gallon!

• You'll also reduce fuel consumption if you don't idle your car.There are many ways to be green. All you have to do is a little research and choose a few that are right for you.

Stay Green--literally,
Savvy Student