Replace lights
Replace incandescent lights with ENERGY STAR certified LED lighting products or CFL bulbs.
Whenever we move homes, one of the first few things we do is, change the lights. We prefer LED lights, not only is it greener option, they are also soft and soothing on the eyes and not bright and artificial like incandescent ones. But of course, nothing can substitute natural daylight. We also keep our blinds and shades open in the daytime and almost never switch on the lights unless absolutely necessary.
Remove multiple lights
If a room has multiple light bulbs, remove few of the bulbs. Do not over light any room.
I do not like having too many light bulbs in any room, especially in my bathroom. I don’t want 5 lights hitting directly at me early in the morning. I removed a few lights and have a sensor electric bulb that glows softly when someone walks in. Sweet! Oh, even better, why do you need electric bulbs, just light a nice smelling candle and your bath will turn out to be very much pleasing!
Open windows
Switch off the central heating system before going out. When at home, switch off the heating system for a while and open the windows.
We open the windows and patio door to get some fresh air. To make it more fun, I put a nice thick rug on the patio floor. Sometimes we spend lazy afternoons in the patio. I make tea and a few sandwiches, switch off the heater and we have our little family tea time in the patio. A good thing for the mind and the environment!
Use Induction
Ditch natural gas and go for induction stove. Cooking is faster, cleaning is easier and it is a greener choice!
I initially hated cooking on an induction stove. It drove me mad because it gets hot really fast and for someone who is used to a gas stove, this was crazy. But once I got the hang of how it works, I absolutely fell in love with it. It is a greener choice because the electric energy gets converted to heat directly inside the vessel rather than outside the vessel, making it more efficient when cooking.
Do not refrigerate hot food
Wait for food to come to room temperature before sealing and refrigerating/freezing.
It takes more energy to cool food that is hot than food that is in room temperature. But USDA recommends that cooked food be kept at 140° F or warmer and that within 2 hours of cooking food or after it is removed from an appliance keeping it warm, leftovers must be refrigerated to prevent growth of bacteria. If you need to refrigerate food when it is hot, the alternative is to place the utensil containing the food in a bowl of cold water to bring down the temperature. And, seal the food and refrigerate.
Switch off and plug out gadgets
Switch off and plug out all electronic gadgets such as laptop, desktop, TV when not in use.
Phantom energy, an energy that is generated when appliances or gadgets are plugged in but not in use, consumes more energy than we think. Switching off the appliances alone will not help, the devices must be unplugged when not in use. We have a power strip that has many of our appliances connected in one place. We just unplug it and all devices get switched off. Easy and not at all time consuming!
Consider renewable energy
Renewable energy like solar energy is the best alternate green solution to electricity generated by coal power plants.
We live in an apartment, so using renewable energy is not a viable option for now. Taking steps to reduce the consumption is our best option. But whether using renewable energy or not, it is imperative to lower the energy utilization.