By Andy Armstrong – Unitary Products, Johnson Controls
This month, as I’m celebrating National Popcorn Poppin’ Month, National Sarcastic Awareness Month and Workplace Politics Month, I’m going to make sure to remember that it’s also National Energy Awareness Month. In the midst of an economic crisis, saving a little energy sounds like a pretty good idea, doesn’t it?
Here’s my list:
- Finally get serious about compact fluorescent light bulbs. We have a few scattered around the house, but we still have a lot of regular bulbs. The CFLs use 75% less energy and last ten times longer. Duh.
- Turn the temperature on the hot water heater down to warm – about 120 degrees. That will save energy and maybe I’ll stop scalding my hands!
- Buy AND INSTALL a programmable thermostat. OK, I bought one a few years ago, but apparently you have to actually install them to work. I’m actually home only about eight hours a day and I’m sleep six of those. (I’ll deal with the sleep deprivation issue in March during National Sleep Awareness Month.)
- Have someone come out and check the furnace to make sure it’s running efficiently. After all, half of our winter energy bill comes from heating, so it pays to make sure the furnace is in tip-top shape. At a minimum, I can replace the filter and make a note on my calendar to that monthly.
- Caulk instead of complain about those drafts coming through the windows, around the fireplace in the family room and through that hole where the water pipes come into the house.
- Hardware stores have some cool electrical outlet and light switch covers tailor-made for blocking drafts. On a cool day if you put the back of your hand over those areas you’ll be amazed by the tailwind.
- Drip, Drip — not the financial kind, but the drips coming from that faucet I keep tightening when I know a 30-cent washer is all that’s needed. I’m also gonna’ spend about ten bucks replacing that rubber flapper thing in the bottom of the toilet tank instead of jiggling the handle and standing there until the water stops running.
- Finally, I think I may have our local electric company send an auditor out to go through the house and see if I’ve missed anything. Can’t hurt, right?
Around my office I know I can:
- Do a better job of turning off lights when I leave an empty room.
- Adjust the window shades to let in more daylight in the morning, and block the warm rays of the afternoon sun.
- Unplug stuff I’m not using, like my cell phone charger, printer and radio – and shut down my computer and monitor when I leave.
- Use the copier only when I absolutely must.
- And use the blank side of scrap paper for notes.
At the end of the month, I’ll feel better about my own personal energy usage and I’ll be saving money. Maybe I’ll buy some nuts for Squirrel Awareness Month!
