You’re a food checker – and not the kind in the store. Peeking in on baking goods is a great way to allow perfectly good energy to escape. In fact the NRDC notes that opening the oven door to look at cooking food can waste as much as 25% of the heat inside an oven. That’s a lot and it adds up. Don’t peek, instead use the oven light. If you don’t have on, open the door very rarely.

You always preheat and cook until the timer says stop. Unless I’m making baked goods I rarely preheat. Most ovens heat super speed nowadays so preheating is wasted energy in my opinion. I usually put the food in, cook, then turn the oven off about 5-10 minutes early. If you leave the door shut your food will continue to cook.

You’re a clean freak. Cleaning your oven is smart, because clean appliances run better. However, if you’re so clean-minded that you cover your oven racks with foil you’re one, wasting foil and two food doesn’t cook as fast when heat is blocked by foil. Ovens are easy to clean without chemicals even if you skip the foil. Simply sprinkle a little salt on a hot oven spill, let it cool, then wipe it up with a wet cloth.

You cook one little thing. One potato to bake is no reason to turn on an oven. A microwave or toaster oven is a better bet for single items when it comes to energy savings.

Your gaskets are too loose. Gaskets are located between the panels on the oven door (or on the frame). If you can feel heat escaping from the oven door then you need to tighten or replace your gaskets. This is a DIY project BUT make sure you unplug the oven before fixing them.

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Post from: Blisstree

Reduce oven energy loss

Green cars are good! Green cars do save money and reduce your CO2. That said there is a cost to the planet for each new car made; even highly efficient, small cars. If your old car is small, you don’t drive much, or you have a newer car it may not make sense to replace it simply to get a super efficient car. Tires, seats, the body, electrical parts and so on all take energy and materials to make. If you’ve got a big old gas guzzler that you drive non-stop, then yeah, a newer energy efficient car is likely worth it. But if not, you may be better off in the meantime simply using smarter green driving tactics.

Green homes rock! Green homes in general are a good goal. Using green building tactics can make your remodel a healthier experience and green homes can save you money. There are however difference between a healthy home and a green built home. Many of the aspects that go into creating a green home can be healthy – i.e zero voc paint but some green aspects such as solar panels or energy efficient appliances may be healthy for the earth (which is good for humans), but you need to go beyond that for total human health. You need to consider what’s inside your home both related to air quality and furnishings. You need to clean your home with green cleaners.  Your home should have healthy HVAC, ventilation and filtration systems. Green and healthy do come together, but not in total. You need to consider both issues.

Energy efficient appliances save resources! They do to a point but human habits save more. For example if you have an energy efficient washer and dryer, and you always run hot water loads and dry everything, you’re not being as responsible as someone with an older set who washes on cold and hang dries. An energy efficient stove won’t save as much energy as a simple microwave. Energy efficient TVs are swell but watching one all the time is not as eco-friendly as the family with an old set who instead of watching TV gets out into nature for a hike. Along with considering your appliances also consider your actual use habits.

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Green issue to take with a grain of salt

Purchasing ENERGY STAR approved home products can save you double fold – first of all the average family spends over $2,000 on home energy costs each year. Energy saving appliances can save you up to 30% in costs AND you may qualify for tax credits and some major rebates as well, saving you even more. Lastly you should check with the IRS because many energy improvements qualify for tax credits. Read the Energy Incentives for Individuals in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

If you buy a hybrid car you can save even more on your taxes with the Alternative Motor Vehicle Credit – this credit allows you up to $3,000 depending on the type of car you purchase. Even if you don’t buy a hybrid you can still save oodles on gas and car repairs by driving greener each and every day – which adds up.

Green homes in general can also save you big time as research shows a growth in green home popularity, resale, and worth.

PLUS if you make just three easy green changes today, in ten years you can save $9,000 - learn how!

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Post from: Blisstree

Can you save thousands by going green?

The basics:

The federal government has set aside $300 million for the cash for appliance program as part of the economic stimulus plan. BUT each state is setting up their own little versions of the program, so you’ll want to keep up with local news to learn more. The program is going to allow consumers to upgrade old, less energy efficient appliances to new much more energy efficient appliances at great discounts.

By the end of November states are supposed to decide how the funds will be used in their own area. All state plans are only going to be for products that are Energy Star rated and in general it’s thought that consumers should see rebates of about $50 to $200 per item.

Perks include:

Unlike Cash for Clunkers, there’s no trade-in appliance required, but these rebate checks will be good for all sorts of appliances from refrigerators and dishwashers to furnaces and air conditioners. Also, on top of rebate savings, Energy Star appliances will save you cash and energy in the long run, making this a killer all around deal.

Like Cash for Clunkers there’s only so much money allotted though, so watch for your state’s plan to show up in the news so you don’t miss out.

Post from: Blisstree

Cash for Clunker Home Appliances

If your worms seem to be dying off

Moisture check: Make sure your bin is not too wet or dry. Water at the bottom of the bin means the oxygen has stopped flowing about the bin at a reasonable rate so soak it up. If it’s too dry, which can pull moisture right out of worm bodies, add some damp bedding.

Food check: Worms in the bin need to eat. If they polish off the bedding and food they’ll move on to eating their own waste which soon becomes toxic to them. If this happens get the compost out and add new fresh bedding and food.

Temperature check: If your bin gets super hot (above 80 degrees) you need to move it to a cooler location. If the worm bin is too cold (usually under 50-55 degrees) move it to a warmer spot like a basement or garage OR insulate is possible. Straw bales and solid foam can be used as an insulator.

The worms are vanishing (and dead most likely)

If your worms are gone there’s a good chance they’re dead; gobbled up by a rodent of some sort. Sometimes worms do leave but it’s not common for a bunch to get out and take of. Worm bins are fairly unattractive to most rodents but rats find them fun and will munch on worms. Make sure you have a good strong lid and that the holes in your bin are a quarter inch or smaller.

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Worm bin problems – worms are dying

• Don’t use it at all. Microwaves cook faster while using less energy than an oven. When you can use the microwave.
• Keep the door shut while food is cooking. Each time you open the door to peek at that cake, the oven releases energy.
• Clean your oven regularly. A dirty oven is less efficient.
• Turn it off early. I always turn my oven off about ten minutes early when cooking something that takes more than 30 minutes. By then the oven is hot, if you don’t open the door food will continue to cook.
• Forget preheating except for the important stuff. Sometimes you should preheat, but for a non-necessary item, like french fries, pop them in right away. They’ll still start cooking and turn out fine.
• Thaw foods safely before cooking to cut down on cooking time.

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Post from: Blisstree

Super speedy green oven tricks

Make your own rich compost in a homemade worm bin.

You’ll need a container of sorts…

The container can be simple or elaborate depending on how much time and money you want to spend on it. Worms like the dark so if you choose a plastic clear container surround it with a cover. Covers such as paper won’t work outside due to rain, so it’s better just to make a dark container. Worms also only need 12 inches of depth, so while you can have a deeper container, it’s not necessary. Keep in mind that the bin’s size directly affects how many pounds of scraps your worms will munch down and process per week. Use the one to one rule = one square-foot of surface area to one pound of scraps per week.

You can use a bucket, wooden box, or even an old plastic bin as a worm home. If you’re making a bin drill at least 10 or so holes on the bottom of the bin. Many people also drill holes near the top edge of the bin, which helps encourage air flow.

You also need a lid. Wood, rubber, a dark plastic sheet, or even hard plastic will do. Keep in mind that wind can send a lid flying, so make sure you tie plastic down, or latch the lids on – talk to clerks at a local hardware store to get the 411 on the proper latch. Your bin also needs drainage space so place the bin atop concrete blocks, bricks, or blocks of wood.

Now that you’ve got your bin…

Fill the bin with a moist but not wet bedding material like shredded newspaper in thin strips or dead leaves. Toss in a couple of handfuls of soil to facilitate the process of your worms actually eating. If your bin is outside, make sure it’s protected from heavy rain or too much sunshine. Then move some red worms into your bin. Bury food scraps and other compost material into the bedding of your compost bin each week. See what to and what not to place in your compost bin.

Removing your compost…

Once you see that most of the bedding and food materials have turned into compost, you’ll need to remove it. One method is to dump everything out onto an old sheet – not useful if you made a large bin, and shine a bright light onto the pile. Worms will head to the darker bottom of the pile and you can scoop most of the compost up and out. A better less worm stressing (do worms get stressed? Hmmm) way to do this is to move the good compost to one side of your bin. Put new bedding and new scraps in the other. Worms will go where there’s food – they don’t want to stay in the compost, so after adding a second pile, wait a week or so for the worms to all move, then remove the compost.

To see a huge array of composting educational materials available for download, visit the U.S. Composting Council.

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Easy Homemade Worm Bin

Kitchen composters have really evolved in the last few years. I remember seeing only those ceramic bins for composting and while it is composting, it just seemed like it maybe would smell a little icky and perhaps it might need to be emptied more (those bins are small). Now though you can own a full on kitchen composter, get some of that trash out of the trash bin, and make some healthy organic soil while you’re at it.

One composter I’ve been in interested in for a while is the NatureMills Plus Composter. (shown above). This composter comes in a few styles but I like the new XE which has an energy save mode which reduces the energy consumption by 75%.

Other benefits of the NatureMills XE include…

• Auto mixes.
• Continuous air flow and a carbon filter for removing trash odors.
• Fits under a cupboard or not – your choice.
• Can be transferred to outdoor use if you like and used in cold weather, rain, or snow.
• Up to 120 lbs of food per month can be added and processed continually.
• New usable compost is ready in two weeks time.
• This model, like all NatureMill models can handle pet waste, kitty litter, and cage beddings.
• Filter only needs to be replaced every 5-7 years

This is the kitchen composter I like, but there are other kitchen composters available – some similar, some not, but we’ll see them later.

Visit NatureMills to learn more.

Post from: Blisstree

Can you compost in an apartment

1. Energy: Look into renewable energy. Lower your thermostat, see if you can sign up for green power through your local energy providers, and turn out the lights.
2. Waste: Buy recycled goods, reuse the goods you own, compost buy items that come in recyclable packaging, buy used goods, and implement a home recycling routine.
3. Water: Take shorter showers, build a rain barrel, use low-flow shower heads, and test your toilet for leaks.
4. Community: Organize community clean up efforts, petition to plant more trees, tear down fences and make friends with your neighbors. People who communicate are better equipped to create eco-friendly change in a community.
5. Dwelling: Build or buy green homes or look for a green apartment community. Keep your home free from toxins and improve your indoor air quality.
6. Transportation: Take public transportation more often and walk, carpool, or bike more when possible. Choose a fuel efficient car.
7. Food: Buy local food and organics, especially the most important organics. Support local farms by signing up for a CSA or shop at your local farmers market.
8. Businesses: Buy products from local (when possible) sustainable businesses that have eco-ethics.
9. Employment: Many folks spend more time at work than they do at home. All those things you do at home – saving energy, conserving water, recycling, and so on, are all things you should do at work too.
10. Kids: Talk to your kids early on about green living. Teaching younger generations about eco-friendly living is one of the best ways to ensure positive green changes.

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Ten simple eco-focuses for green living

Brew coffee at home or at the office: Instead of frequenting costly coffee shops make your own and save some cash. Making your own coffee also means you’ll be using a reusable mug and can choose sustainable coffee. Coffee makers aren’t rated or labeled by Energy Star yet, but there are greener coffee makers available. Read Green Your Coffee Maker for tips.

Plug in a power strip: Power strips can save you lots of energy, and thus money over time. Energy Star notes that basic home office equipment, when left plugged in has a “phantom” power load that can range from a few watts to as much as 20 or even 40 watts for each piece of equipment. You should unplug items when not in use, but it’s far easier to simply turn of a strip then it is to unplug and plug in everything all the time. You don’t even need to buy a fancy power strip.

Use cloth: Cloth napkins and cloth rags to clean with save tons of money over paper products like paper napkins and paper towels. It may feel like a BIG, not small step to switch out paper but over time it becomes second nature, and you’ll wonder why you ever used paper products when cloth is easy, cheap, and green.

Wash on cold: You can wash anything in the washer on cold with good results which saves you a lot on hot water heating. You might think you need the hot water to disinfect, but most washers, even on hot won’t get hot enough to sanitize. Some washers (mostly front loading) have steam sanitizing functions that do heat up enough to sanitize, but typical top loaders don’t. If you wash on hot with your top loading machine not only are you not sanitizing, but you’re wasting energy in the process.

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Small ways to save money and the planet