Life as a Spectator Sport

Some of these are simple obvious things anyone can do. Others may require a small investment of time and/or money, but it will repay you many times over. Some aren't feasible if you don't live in your own house, but you may be able to suggest them to a landlord or property manager.

1. Turn off unused lights. Come on, is this not a no-brainer? If you don't need the light, turn it off! And "need" doesn't mean "I might need to go into the room later," or any of the other excuses people use for not turning lights off.

It has been claimed that a light bulb uses more energy when it is first turned on, so it is better, allegedly, to leave the light on if you might need it again soon (the figure I've seen most often was within four hours). This notion has been disproved once and for all, I hope, by an experiment carried out by the Mythbusters Crew on the Discovery Channel. The breakeven point for compact flash lights bulbs in terms of initial energy usage was a fraction of a second. They also did a longevity test to see whether repeatedly turning different kinds of bulbs on and off would shorten their life span. It did, but they calculated that with ordinary usage, a typical light bulb should last about five years. I have CF bulbs that have been working here for over seven years. So turn lights off yourself, teach your kids to turn lights off, encourage your co-workers to turn lights off.

One simple way to do this in your company is to suggest to management that restroom and storage room lights be controlled with a motion detector. These are not expensive to install, and they insure that the light goes off when the room is empty.

2. Eliminate "phantom" loads. These are the devices that use electricity even when they are supposedly turned off. The television comes on instantly when you press the power button on the remote because it has an internal circuit that watches for the signal. If yours is a typical television with a picture tube instead of a flat LCD panel, it also keeps current running through the picture tube filament to keep it warm. This is like running a light bulb continuously, 24 hours a day 7 days a week, adding to your electric bill and making the utility company consume more oil or coal.

Other phantom loads are things like the clock on your stove, your microwave, your coffee pot, even one brand of toaster. How many clocks does one kitchen need? Put a battery operated clock on the wall and you don't need any of the others. You may not be able to easily disconnect the clock on your stove, but you can put the other devices on an outlet strip that gets turned off when nothing is being used.

The ubiquitous indicator lights on almost all electronic devices are another major consumer of electricity. Each one uses only a tiny amount, but add them up and even in a single household the total can be surprising over time. Multiply that household by the millions around the country, and indicator lights (most of which aren't necessary anyway) eat up huge amounts of our natural resources. Walk around your house at night and see how many little red, green and yellow lights there are. Every one of those is making your electric bill go up. Whatever the device is, disconnect it from the electric outlet and plug it into an outlet strip that can be turned completely off.

When I say things like this in public, I hear protests of, "But so-and-so has to stay on all the time." Yes, some very few things do need to stay on. My housemate's Rescue Alert base station has to stay on all the time. Some other kinds of medical equipment obviously have to stay on all the time. Most things don't. Plug them into outlet strips and turn them completely off when they aren't in use.

By the way, some outlet strips have indicator lights to show when they are turned off. I can't quite fathom why that would be necessary, but if you find that you have bought one of those, take it back.

And turn your computer off when it's not being used. Plug everything into an outlet strip and turn it completely off. You may have been told that your computer doesn't use much electricity when it goes into "hibernation." That's true. One computer in hibernation mode, all by itself, doesn't use much electricity. Millions and millions of them all hibernating at once do. Talk to your employer about whether it's necessary for all the office computers to be left on. Your company's network servers may need to stay on, but very few desktop computers should need to be left running after business hours. Even some small networks can be turned off when the business closes for the day. I always turned my company network completely off at night and on weekends. That adds a measure of security, as well, for computers with an "always-on" internet connection. No one can get access to your computer if it's turned off.

Be aware that some inkjet printers suck up ink from the tank into the printhead every time they power up. Considering how little ink there is in many inkjet tanks nowadays, turning the printer on and off every time you turn the computer on and off could make the ink run out much faster than it should. The obvious answer is to turn the printer on only when you're going to use it and leave it completely off all the rest of the time. Unfortunately, many of the newer printers don't have a power switch. I put mine on a separate small power strip that I can turn off when I don't need the printer.

Laser printers have a heater in the drum that keeps it at the proper temperature all the time. But since most printers aren't used continuously, there is no reason to leave your laser printer on all the time. It won't use up the toner to turn the printer off whenever the computer is turned off, so you can put it on the same outlet strip as your computer. Then it will be on and available while you're using the computer, and turned completely off when your computer is off.

3. Manage the heating wisely. If your heat is controlled with a thermostat, turn it down. Many American homes are heated to a higher temperature in the winter than where the air conditioning is set in the summer. Not only is that wasteful of energy, but the overly dry air can aggravate respiratory problems, make static electricity worse and damage furniture.

Turn the heat down more at night. Wear warm pajamas to bed, or a long nightgown. Bundle the children up in blanket sleepers if they are still small enough to wear them, and too young to keep the covers over themselves at night.

Go back to traditional methods. Put a hot water bottle at the foot of the bed so your feet aren't cold when you first climb in. Drink something warm just before going to bed. Wear bed socks. Add a blanket or a quilt (or two).

I'm not crazy about electric blankets because of the low-level alternating current fields your body is subjected to. I'm aware that the risk has not been proven, and that every manufacturer of electric blankets claims it doesn't exist. I prefer not to find out the hard way that they were wrong. But if you have no qualms about using them, it's certainly better to heat the bed than to heat the whole house.

Close off unused rooms. Why heat space that doesn't need it?

Install a programmable thermostat if that would be appropriate for your home's occupation patterns. If someone is home all day, then it probably won't work for you. But if your home is empty during the day and you don't think you can remember to turn the thermostat down when you go to bed and when you leave in the morning, a programmable thermostat will take care of it for you. Many of them do not require professional installation, but even if yours does, the savings in electricity or gas will pay for it quickly.

Keep the heating and a/c system in good repair, and clean. Change filters monthly, or as soon as they begin to look dirty. I have to change mine more often because I live next to a large plowed field, and the prevailing winds constantly blow dust into the house. Choose reusable filters that can be cleaned in the sink or tub and don't have to be thrown out. If you live in an apartment with individual heating or a/c units, you can still change the filters. When I managed an apartment complex, we gave the tenants free filters. All they had to do was come into the office and ask for them. Keeping the filters changed saved them money on their electric bill and saved us money on equipment maintenance. A clean system doesn't have to work as hard, and lasts longer before breaking down.

Have the whole system checked at least once a year. Yes, it's an extra expense, but if your refrigerant is low or there is some other problem, the cost of operating the system is likely to be more than the cost of the maintenance visit. Many heating and a/c companies offer annual contracts for maintenance inspections that will save money over a regular service call.

Check for air leaks. There has to be some fresh air influx in a house. But many older houses are virtual sieves. Look at the obvious places first: doors and windows. Many products are available to renew the seals around windows and doors, and you can also buy plastic sheeting to put over windows. This doesn't provide any insulation but it does stop drafts. Most newer exterior doors have a gasket in the door frame that prevents air flow around the door itself, and this gasket material can be purchased in larger hardware stores if it needs to be renewed. Check for air leaks with a candle (carefully!) on a breezy day, with the heating or a/c system off (so your own air blower won't interfere).

If your house has a crawl space, you can cover the vents in the winter to keep cold air from flowing under the house.

If you have storm windows that can be taken off in the summer, make sure you put them back on in the winter. If you have the kind where the exterior set stays in the window frame all the time but can be raised and lowered independently of the interior set, make sure both sets of windows are down. The dead air space between the windows prevents air circulation and the heat loss that goes with it.

If you have a fireplace, you're losing heated air up the chimney even if the damper is closed. There is a product that fits into the lowest part of the chimney under the damper to completely seal it off (obviously this has to be removed before using the fireplace!). I should add that I have no affiliation with this company and have not used the product myself. But it looks as though it should work.

5. Improve insulation. This can be a major project involving more insulation in attic, walls and floor, or it can be as simple as hanging insulated liners behind your existing curtains. Or it can be even more imaginative. A German friend tells me that they hang "wall quilts" on pegs on their walls every winter, and quilted drapes at the windows, to provide more insulation. After reading that, I began buying second hand queen size comforters from thrift shops, and cut them down to make winter window coverings. I double the panels, and bind the cut edges with wide bias binding. I hang them from the existing rods with curtain rings that clip onto the top edge. During the day I pull them back with simple tiebacks, and at night I let them lie flat against the window. My desk is right next to a window, and before hanging the padded drapes, that window was like a black hole sucking the heat away, even with the curtains closed. Now I don't notice it at all.

To improve insulation in the summer, consider planting something tall and viny on a trellis outside each window. It will grow up over the spring and summer and shade the window, then die back in the winter to let the sun in.

For a more high-tech solution, you can now buy fabric that hangs inside your windows and absorbs heat from the sun shining through the glass. The fabric releases the heat into the room and lessens your need for supplemental heat. As with the fireplace product, I am not in any way affiliated with this company and haven't tried the product myself. But I plan to do so.

6. Manage your hot water usage. This is true whether you have electric or gas heated water, but it's somewhat easier with electric. Go to one of the big box hardware stores and buy a hot water heater timer, and an insulating jacket. If you don't know how to safely install the timer, pay someone who does. I think it's unlikely to cost more than about $200 total even if you have to pay a licensed electrician. You'll save more than that in a couple of months of reduced usage.

The timer I bought has screw on terminals that contact a metal hand rotating around a dial. You set the terminals at the hour when you want the water heater to come on, and when you want it to go off. When the hand comes in contact with the terminal, it turns the heater on if it's off, and off if it's on. Very simple. All you have to do is set the time, screw the terminals in where you want them, and it works. You can also over-ride the timer by sliding the front panel switch to "On."

Doesn't the timer itself use energy to run its clock? Yes, but the usage is a small fraction compared to what is used to repeatedly heat the same water.

The insulating jacket keeps the water hot after the heater goes off, and ours works even better than expected. It will keep a 30-gallon tank of water hot all the way to the next morning if none is used. I normally turn the hot water heater off at the circuit breaker when we're going to be away overnight. Sometimes I forget to turn the breaker back on when we get home, and have been pleasantly surprised to find that the water in the tank was still hot the next morning. If you live in a rental property and can't add a timer to the hot water heater, you may be still be able to insulate it and save yourself some money.

The timer is not an option with a gas heater, but the insulating jacket can still be used. Look at the label when you buy one--some say not to use with a gas heater and others just specify to be cautious that the air vents are not covered.

Of course, turning the thermostat down on the hot water heater also saves money, and lessens the chance of someone being scalded.

7. Use task lighting instead of overall room lighting, and move the task to the light. These go hand in hand. Why turn on an overhead light if a lamp by your armchair would be sufficient? Why turn on additional lights if another room is already lit and could be used for the task? Obviously there are times when it isn't possible to move the work to the light, but that shouldn't be an excuse for never doing it. Sit in a sunny window if that's available, and you don't need to turn on a light at all.

8. Reduce water usage. There are many ways to do that, but one of the best ones is to just use some common sense. Turn the water off if it isn't actively being used. Don't leave the water running if the phone rings while it's turned on. Can't believe anyone would do that? I've seen it. Don't leave water running while you wash your face, brush your teeth, put your contacts in, etc. Don't run water continuously while you wash and rinse dishes. Don't turn the water on full blast if a slower stream would be sufficient. The amount of water that runs down the drain in the average household without ever being used is astonishing. Americans have come to think of running water as something infinitely available just by turning a faucet. As many of them are finding out now, water is a fast disappearing commodity. Use it wisely.

If you want to go beyond the most obvious ways to save water, replace older faucets with low-flow models, and older toilets with newer ones that need less water. Or use the time-honored method of a brick or a jug of water in the toilet tank to take up some of the volume. Don't do that if it results in flushing the toilet twice every time you use it, though.

Consider giving up the dishwasher. Unless you have one of the new super-expensive super-efficient models, you'll use far less water washing the dishes by hand. Even the energy and water-efficient dishwashers put harsh chemicals into your septic tank or sewage system. And it won't kill children to learn to wash and dry dishes by hand.

9. Save money on the laundry. When my kids were little and it seemed as though I was doing multiple loads of laundry every day, I asked my mother how she could have managed with one laundry day a week. She said, "I guess we just didn't wash things as frequently as people do now." That's true. One of the unfortunate consequences of having automatic laundry appliances is that people don't make as much effort to keep things clean as they did in Grandma's day.

This is an area that is guaranteed to create family rebellion and outcries if it isn't handled judiciously. But there are things anyone can do as a beginning. Take off the clothes you wore to the office and shake them out. After airing them, put them back in the closet to wear another day, if possible. Put an apron on over your casual clothing. When the family asks why you're wearing an apron, tell them it's to keep your clothes from getting dirty so they won't have to be washed after one wearing. Tell them that the more money you save on laundry, the more you'll have to spend for family outings, or the next family vacation. Substitute whatever reason would work with your family. Put bibs on the smaller children--they're less likely to object anyway. Suggest to the older ones that they could help by wearing aprons or bibs at dinner, and when they're doing anything messy. Some children will be helpful right away and others will take some time. Some of them won't ever cooperate, I know. But every little bit helps.

Use cold water for the laundry wherever possible. Use powdered detergent. Why pay the detergent company to put water in their product when you can do it yourself? You pay not only for the water but for the additional cost of shipping a heavier product. If you have a problem with detergent streaks on your laundered items, dissolve the detergent in a cupful of warm water and then pour it into the washer tub.

Hang your clothes out to dry, if possible. I know this isn't possible for everyone. But most people living in their own houses could do it if they were willing to. Some expensive subdivisions and gated communities have restrictions on laundry lines. If you live in one of those places, you aren't likely to be reading this anyway. But if you do, and you want to hang your laundry to dry, court cases have been brought in some states to force homeowner associations to allow laundry lines. Project Laundry List has an extensive website that includes information on energy-efficient washing and drying, states that prohibit restrictions on laundry lines, and other laundry-related items.

Another energy efficient idea is to use a highly concentrated product so you don't have to purchase it as often. Charlie's Soap is one such product. I have no affiliation with the company, but I do use their products and have been exceptionally happy with them. A box of their powdered detergent will wash 80 loads of laundry. Their prices include shipping to the continental US, and if you live anywhere near their plant in Mayodan, North Carolina, you can buy the product from several different retail outlets.

10. Finally, think creatively. If you're determined to reduce your energy usage, you'll think of ways to do it. What about night lights? You get a better night's rest if the room is completely dark, but I know that many children are apprehensive about not having a light. Try substituting a battery-operated LED light with a motion detector. If you locate it carefully, it won't come on every time the child turns over in bed, but will come on if the child gets up. Lowe's Home Improvement has them for about $10.00 each. They can be set to come on when the room is dark, or to come on only when motion is sensed, or to be on all the time. Use rechargeable batteries and you can save on the batteries too. I've had one of these in a dark hallway for over a year now. Because it uses very low current LED's instead of a light bulb, it lasts for a couple of months before the batteries need to be recharged.

If you do have to use a night light that stays on all the time, choose one with an LED array rather than a light bulb. They use far less energy.

Use battery operated wall clocks, and put rechargeable batteries in them.

If you commute to work in your own car, charge your rechargeable electronics and batteries in the car during your commute. Decent quality battery chargers are available almost anywhere now, and most will accept both AA and AAA cells. I charge my TomTom GPS, my cell phone, my Palm Pilot PDA, and the batteries for all my battery operated devices in the car. I bought an inexpensive 12v. adaptor that lets me plug in three things at once, so I can listen to the satellite radio and still have two things charging.

Look around you and ask yourself whether a particular procedure could be handled differently. Don't do things just because you've always done them that way. Think about your habits. Look on the internet for ways to save energy. The list I've given is just what came to me as I was writing it. It is hardly exhaustive, and doesn't address things outside the home.

A word of caution: one reason that people attempt to save energy and fail to keep doing it is that they try too much at one time. Pick one area at a time and work on it until it becomes habitual for you and your family. Then try something else. Most people still have time to do that. But start now. Don't wait until you're forced to cut back or to live differently.

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RSS Feed PERSONAL Send email to liz at life-as-a-spectator-sport.com Home I'm a mother, grandmother, a computer professional, Democrat, Christian. I welcome politely worded comments and email, my spam filter throws the rest away, so don't bother to flame me WHY 'LIFE AS A SPECTATOR SPORT' "If you're lucky not to live in the gutters of a slum, but still can't afford to take vacations in the Alps, you're part of that enormous middle class who lives life through the medium of the television, further separated from "real" life by air conditioner, by automobile, by dishwasher, microwave and ice-in-the-door refrigerator, by automatic washer and dryer, and all the other appliances and conveniences that make it possible for America to live life at second hand. I'm not sure why Americans decided that televised drama was better than the real thing, that cardboard microwave food containers were an adequate substitute for real dishes, and their contents for real food, or that cooking, dishwashing and face-to-face conversation wasn't worth the effort and time it required. Someone fed this nation a plastic crate of out-of-season tomatoes and told us it was life and we took them at their word, and we're so much the poorer for it that it's hard to know where to start to list the shortcomings." I wrote this a couple of years ago, but I have to admit it's much less amusing than I thought it would be to see the artifical construct falling apart. THE NON-ELECTRIC HOME Cleaning, 1 Cleaning, 2 Cleaning, 3 KNITTING BLOGS Extravayarnza Knitting Heretic Mind of Winter Pie Knits Persistent Illusion See Eunny Knit The Keyboard Biologist Taleweaver's Ramblings TECHnitting Wendy Knits FINISHED PROJECTS -------FINISHED IN 2006------- Peruvian Cap Tutti-Frutti Socks Shelley's Socks Carol's Socks -------FINISHED IN 2007------- Chain Link Socks Baby Surprise Jacket Valerie & Friend Baby Bonnet Rainbow Baby Socks Girls Pixie Hood Mitred Square Heart Red & White Socks Coffee Cup Pot Holder Nubbins Dishcloth Garterlac Dishcloth Suede Booties Kate's Socks Norwegian Sweet Baby Cap Half Thumbless Mittens Red Mittens for Akkol -------FINISHED IN 2008------- SELF-RELIANCE AND THE FUTURE -- Blogs and websites -- Causubon's Book Club Orlov Food Storage Made Easy From the Wilderness In the Wake Listening to Katrina Survival Topics The Modern Homestead The Oil Drum Notes from a Hillside Farm -- Mailing Lists -- 12vdc Power Living on the Land Rainwater Refrigeration Alternatives Old Ways of Living POLITICAL BLOGS and SITES The political sites have moved BOOKS I'M READING How to Grow More Vegetables, etc. Small Scale Grain Raising ARCHIVES February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 August 2008 July 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 November 2003 October 2003 September 2003 August 2003 July 2003 June 2003 May 2003 April 2003 March 2003 February 2003 January 2003 December 2002 November 2002 October 2002 September 2002 August 2002 July 2002 June 2002 May 2002 April 2002 March 2002 February 2002