I watched a great documentary tonight called The 11th Hour, produced and narrated by, of all people, Leonardo Dicaprio. It was definitely weird to see and hear him talk about something serious, but I suppose thats always the case when actors take non-acting positions on the screen. If you're interested in watching the movie, there are plenty of ways to get it.
Despite it being very cold both at night and in the morning, I've had the heat off in my apartment for the past month. I didn't turn it on even once. I did this mainly because the previous two months' gas bills were over $250 and I simply couldn't afford paying that much for heat. When I received this month's bill, I was happy to see it under $150.
That's when I realized how living without heat wasn't all that bad. Sure, it was a little annoying, but it wasn't cold enough to make me sick -- I simply dressed warm. It never got below 45 degrees because the residual heat from the furnace in the basement (for the apartment above me) rose up and provided some heat to my first floor apartment. I saved a ton of money and helped the environment at the same time. All that by simply overcoming a minor inconvenience.
I keep all of my lights off in my apartment (there are seven rooms) except maybe one where I sit at my computer. I turn off all of my computer screens when they're not being used and I unplug things like my multi-function printer until I need to use it. I have three computers and two routers running 24/7 and I turn on an electric space heater every now and then when my feet are cold. For the past three months my electric bill has not topped $50.
There are tons of more ways that I can reduce unnecessary energy expense and I will continue to look for new ways to reduce waste. Every little bit counts.
What’s that link you gave me awhile back about which appliances use the most electricity?
I’m bad about not turning off my monitor when I turn off the computer. Also bad about leaving the TV on in the living room when I’m sitting in the computer room.
reCaptcha – Television It – how fitting for a topic on electricity
I’m not sure, but I think this might have been the site.
Turning things off just needs to become a habit, much like everything else that you want to make sure gets done. 🙂 Form good habits and you’ll be able to do things without effort and without even thinking about them. Much like taking a shower, brushing your teeth, eating, etc.
Habbits…
Getting into the hall closet to get my shoes. I don’t need to turn the light on, but I do.
Going out to the kitchen to fix my lunch, I don’t need all 6 lights that turn on, but I do.
I have plenty of window light during the day, so why do I turn on lights, habit. The only rooms I need to use a light to see during the day are walk-in closet, so I don’t pull out my green pants when wanting my brown ones and the bathroom (that’s obvious).
When I enter a room, the lights go on. When I leave the room, the lights go off. Always. In the morning and during the day when its light outside, I never turn the lights on.
If you have bad habits, convert them to good habits!