• If computers are on your holiday shopping list go for a laptop not a desktop. Laptops use about half the energy of desktops and if you snag an Energy Star model, you’ll save even more – these use up to 70% less energy than a traditional desktop.
• Choose smart energy in the kitchen. For example for most jobs a microwave, pressure cooker, or toaster oven all use less energy than your stove and oven. Another smart kitchen move is to choose an electric kettle over a stove top model.
• Wash ALL laundry on cold. Yes you can, even very dirty stuff. It’ll all still get clean and you’ll save scads on heating that water. While you’re at it, try an alternative clothes dryer solution.
• Insulate your water heater tank.
• If you’ve got a waterbed, make sure you make your bed daily. A waterbed looses tons of energy when left uncovered. If you cover it up, you’ll use 1/3 less energy to heat your bed.
• Do a fridge check. Your refrigerator uses a scary amount of energy and not taking care of it makes it worse. Make sure to clean the coils every six months and maintain clean seals on the doors; free from grim and crumbs. For example, you should be able to stick a piece of paper in your fridge door and it should not slide out.

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• Lowering your thermostat by just a couple of numbers can save you a lot. If it’s cold put a sweater on first then gauge how warm you actually need the thermostat set at. For each degree you turn the heat down, you could save 1% which sounds like nothing, until you turn it down 5 numbers each day, all winter long. It adds up fast.
• See if you qualify for a Home Weatherization Assistance Program – which is FREE if you do qualify but will save you scads of cash.
• Seal gaps or cracked seams in or around exposed ducts, doors, windows, baseboards, outlets, and so on. Each crack in your home lets that cold air in.
• Place window shrink wrap on older windows. Consider using this year’s tax refund for newer better windows that will keep out the cold.
• When you leave, turn off the heat! There’s no need to pay to heat an empty house – unless you have pets – don’t leave the heat on all the way, but it’s not cool to freeze them.

P.S. plant some evergreens – it won’t help right away but could help a lot later on.

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The piece covers how homeowners can take their home’s energy efficiency to the next level through more-efficient product upgrades and additions as well as simple, low-cost and even no-cost upgrades and actions.

Bob Markovich, home and yard editor of Consumer Reports says, “According to our recent nationally representative survey, of more than 2,000 Americans, only 12 percent added or upgraded their home’s insulation in the past three years and just 5 percent had insulated their heating and cooling ductwork — quick fixes that save you money for years to come.”

Consumer Reports looks at four key categories in the October issue…

• Heating and cooling
• Water
• Recycling
• Electricity

Consumer Reports notes that the Heating & Cooling category is the area where homeowners can save the most. Some of their tips include…

• Use a combination of caulk, foam board, expandable sealant, and weather stripping to mask leaks.
• Check insulation levels; if the attic has less than 11 inches of fiberglass or rock wool or less than 8 inches of cellulose, you should probably add more.
• Get a programmable thermostat.

Water Consumption is an area where you may be able to save more than $400 annually, and most of those savings, according to Consumer Reports is simply by stopping drips and leaks. Other tips…

• Upgrade to water-efficient fixtures.
• Watch the water heater; lower the temperature to 120 F and insulate hot-water pipes.

Electricity Use was another good place to save money and the changes here are easy. By simply changing 10 incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent light bulbs and replacing three major appliances with energy-efficient models, you could save hundreds per year.

Recycling is an awesome category to see, and I’m glad CR decided to include it in their report. While recycling only saved about $250 per year, many people found it easy to do and thus lowered their garbage bills. According to CR, you should try RecycleBank, which “Lets people put all of their recyclables in one container instead of separating them by type then it weighs the container and issues rewards or points redeemable at local retailers, the average households get $250 worth.” They also note you should redeem bottles deposits as millions of dollars are unclaimed every year.

The full report on energy-saving products — including Consumer Reports tests of pellet stoves and solar water heaters, and tips on saving energy costs — is in the October 2009 issue of Consumer Reports Magazine. It’s also available online at www.ConsumerReports.org.

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All that said, I do get the ordeal of having a large family and all sorts of wet towels to contend with. It’s not THAT big a deal because if you actually showered, your towel is not getting dirty, BUT when someone (who will remain unnamed in my family’s case) leaves their towel on the floor, which is not so clean it gets tricky.

What to do…

Hang a peg rack rod. Such as one of the choices above from the container store. Then grab some multi-colored towels – i.e. white for dad, blue for mom, yellow for little Jim, and so on. Allot each family member a hook, a color, and now you’ll be able to tell who has which towel plus you’ll be able to find out which of you keeps tossing that towel onto the carpet.

A second idea is to snag towels that feature monogrammed names or for smaller kids pictures. I’ve tried the whole idea of hanging towels behind the door in bedrooms instead of in the bath, but that never seems to work out because someone always forgets to grab their towel then you have yelling going on, “Can someone bring me my towel!”

How do you help your family to remember which towel is which?

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

1. See if you qualify for a weatherization program in your area. Most folks think these are only helpful in winter, but that’s not true. Many weatherization programs will wrap your water heater, hand over a microwave, and look for areas where you can make money saving changes.

2. See if you can get a low-cost or free energy audit from your local electric or gas company. Energy audits can reveal surprising ways that you can reduce your cooling (and heating) costs year-round. If you can’t get an inexpensive audit you can try to complete a DIY energy audit.

3. Weatherproof your home.  Again, this is something that some people consider good for winter weather, but it’s also useful in warmer times – why let cool air escape?

4. Consider a Solar-Powered Attic Fan: A solar attic fan saves some strain on your normal cooling system and saves you energy and money. There’s no hard wiring required to install one of these fans either, which means you can even install a solar fan yourself. See an install.

Solar-powered attic fan options…

• R.E. Williams Contractor Inc.
• Solarstar
• Greendepot

5. Try roof whitening – this is a more expensive option at the get go, but will save you money on your summer cooling costs over time.

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If you have a disposal, you need to run it for about 30 seconds before you run your dishwasher or debris left in the disposal can be pulled into the dishwasher drain line and clog it – which of course can lead to my issues. Do I always run the disposal 30 seconds? NO. From now on I will though, and hopefully it solves my problem.

Other ways to keep you dishwasher in tip-top shape (and save you from repairs and new washers) include:

• Use less detergent. Dish wash detergent companies say to add a certain amount of dish soap to your load of dishes, BUT if you actually read your manual, it likely says ONLY add a teaspoon. The soap people want you to buy more soap, but more, doesn’t always equal cleaner and better. Too much detergent can clog your washer and leave icky residue on dishes. All this means you need to waste more water and energy running your washer again and you waste soap.
• Periodically check the holes in the spray arm of your dishwasher. Small bits of paper and other junk can get stuck in there and then your machine won’t work as well.
• You need to clean your dishwasher filter out once in a while. Check your manual for instructions.
• Keep the exterior clean as well which can help avoid soap buildup and rust. Plain old hot water and a little soap work fine.
• Always read your specific manual. There’s a section with upkeep and cleaning – actually follow this. It may seem like a small thing, but having to buy a new washer can be pricey when you’re not expecting it.

Got any other cool dishwasher tips?

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String and clothespins: I hang most of my clothes up to dry year round to save money, save energy, and to make my clothes last longer. However, if you’ve never hung your laundry up to dry, summer is a great time to try it out. A set of clothespins and some string is super cheap and you can hang the string anywhere between two points. Tip for apartment dwellers - hang your clothes right on the hangers on the shower rod.

Air conditioner filters: Air conditioner filters are super inexpensive but save you a lot on your energy bills during the summer. When your filters are full of gunk they don’t work as well and that means your air conditioner has to work harder overall which in turn raises your cooling costs.

Ice pop molds: Making homemade ice pops saves you money because they eliminate expensive boxed ice treats, reduces your gas use (no more frequent trips to the store), and it allows you to use up leftover foods in creative ways. Besides that, homemade ice pops save resources – there’s no excess packaging and your trash can doesn’t fill up with lame plastic ice pop wrappers. To save the most, buy ice pop molds that come with holders vs. ice pop molds that require wooden sticks.

Solar cooker: Solar cookers cook with the sun, kids think they’re way entertaining, and your house will stay cooler because you don’t need to turn the oven on, so of course a solar cooker will lower your energy bills too. You can buy a solar cooker or easily build your own. If you’ve never used a solar cooker, you’d be surprised at all the great recipes you can make with one. IF a solar cooker is not for you, try an inexpensive barbecue. No matter how you do it, cooking outdoors saves you money because it lowers your energy costs.

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According to Consumer Reports, an efficient dishwasher can use less water than washing dishes by hand, no matter how frugal you are at the faucet.  

Here are some other tips to lower your bill while using your dishwasher:

1.  Only run your dishwasher when it is full.
2.  Turn it on the energy saver cycle.
3.  Don’t prerinse your load.
4.  Use an enzyme based detergent to get your dishes completely clean. See Frugal Friday #2 for more information.
5.  If your dishwasher has a booster heater, turn it down. Most booster heaters can raise the water temperature 20 F.
6.  Turn off the heated drying option. If you don’t have this option on your dishwasher, then after the cycle finishes, open the door and allow it to air dry. (I try to run my dishwasher at night after the kids are in bed. When the dishes are clean, I sometimes open the door to allow them to air dry.)
7.  Use the shortest cycle that will get your dishes clean.

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