Steps for Energy Efficiency from Co-Op America

Is it on? Mine is.

Alas, much of a badass I like to think that I am, my air conditioner is running. And it probably will be a few more times this summer.

Even with the air on, my goal has been to keep our electric bill below 80 bucks a month. So far, I’ve been successful. How?

• We keep the thermostat set at 79 degrees. So it’s not frigid in here, but our books aren’t wilting with humidity either.
• We turn it off at night and opt for a small fan to circulate the cool air.
• Shades are drawn on the hottest side of the apartment. In the morning, that means the kitchen. Late afternoons – the living room and my office.

And, when the air conditioner running, it seems as if I am more aware of other energy suckers in the house. I make deals with myself: “Ok, you can keep the air on, but you have to shut down your computer. Not stand by….shut the darn thing down.”  Or, “Did you unplug the toaster and coffee pot? no? Well I guess you get to sweat a little longer, don’t you missy….”

Do you do this too? (Search for ways to be  more energy efficient, not talk to yourself. You don’t have to tell me that)

Lucky for us, Co-op America has just posted an article on Steps for Energy Efficiency. They’ve broken it into 3 levels of activity – things you can do right now,  things that take a little more time but yield a lot more savings, and then finally, bigger changes, bigger paybacks.

I’m stuck on level 2 since I don’t own the place where I live so therefore, don’t have much say over my windows, roof, etc. But perhaps your not. Each section includes the how, the why and where to start for each tip. Nice! This should grant me at least a few more hours in the cool.

The mission of Co-op America is to harness economic power—the strength of consumers, investors, businesses, and the marketplace—to create a socially just and environmentally sustainable society.