Energy conservation

[guiseppewv]

How many people try to conserve energy (electricity, natural gas, oil, gasoline, diesel, etc....)? If you do why do you and what do you do? If you don't why don't you? :)


I do try to conserve energy. I do the following things:

1. Turn lights off in my house when they are not needed (i.e. when I am not in that room)
2. Turn down the thermostat, during the colder months, when I am not at home or asleep.
3. Turn most of the lights off at my office building when I leave. I am usually one of the last if not the last one to leave and the building is pretty big. Actually our building has lighting sensors in the bathrooms, so almost all of the lights shut off in the bathroom if nobody is in there.
4. I try to keep my car tuned up so I get the best fuel economy that I can from my car.

[speedracer120]

I "conserve" but I voted as rarely, cause I know I could do more. Like stay of the computer. :heh:

[DarkFury]

My latest effort to save electricity... converting all the halogen and incandescent light bulbs in my house to compact flourescent lighting.

Right now, I've gotten about 80% of them... however there are a few bulbs that require standard lighting so they remain. :D

[speedracer120]

Back "home" I installed a lot of compact flourescents but I've found that they don't last too long, and the vanity styles don't last at all in the bathroom because they're not built for bathroom conditions. Which blows.

[DarkFury]

Back "home" I installed a lot of compact flourescents but I've found that they don't last too long, and the vanity styles don't last at all in the bathroom because they're not built for bathroom conditions. Which blows.
They claim that they last 5 to 7 years...

The ones in my bathroom are enclosed within globes... so far... so good.


Pretty much even if they last a year, using 13watts to produce 60 watts of light sounds pretty good to my electric bill once you consider all the lights I have in my house (and the folks who refuse to turn them off when they leave the room... /me looks at DFJ as a culprit of this.). :D

[ufcrusher]

I try to conserve as best as I can. First, I wait to do errands...thus conserving gas by doing them all together. Second, I carpool when I can. Third, I turn off lights/fans when not in use. Fourth, thermostat is always either warmer/colder than I prefer. 78 in summer, 68 in winter. Fifth, my tanks all have timers to make sure they are not on any extra hours.

[Markel]

Sign me up with the compact flourescent crowd (lets see...so far I can count 13 or 14 incandescents that I've replaced). In the winter, I have my thermostat set back to 58 at night (and at 68 during the day).

I think the poll needs an option somewhere between "Always" and "Rarely" - I'd put myself in a "Sometimes" category.

[OC]

We turn lights off when they're not needed. We've replaced most lights with compact flourescents. Most electronic items are on power strips to eliminate tiny electrical loads. We keep the thermostat a little low in winter and put on an extra layer of clothes. LCD monitors instead of CRTs. My car gets a consistent 41mpg. We almost always combine errands, and we've been walking or riding more often as the weather improves. THO does a lot of small-batch baking, so she uses the toaster oven instead of the regular one, which would use a lot more electricity. We keep the fridge and freezer fairly full since physical items retain cold better than air does. This allows the fridge/freezer to run less often.

We could use a bit less water, and my desktop PC is probably on far more than it needs to be. :P

[guiseppewv]

I try to conserve as best as I can. First, I wait to do errands...thus conserving gas by doing them all together. Second, I carpool when I can. Third, I turn off lights/fans when not in use. Fourth, thermostat is always either warmer/colder than I prefer. 78 in summer, 68 in winter. Fifth, my tanks all have timers to make sure they are not on any extra hours.


Your tanks? Are they Patton, Sherman, Tiger,.....? j/k what tanks are you referring to?

[jstreet]

I never did because all my apartments were all-utilities-included and I said what the hell. But my new apartment... gotta pay the electricity bill, so bring on the flourescents :D

[Markel]

Your tanks? Are they Patton, Sherman, Tiger,.....? j/k what tanks are you referring to?
I know that my brother has a timer on his (electric) hot water heater - it heats up before the morning showers, then "coasts" through the rest of the day and night.

[guiseppewv]

I never did because all my apartments were all-utilities-included and I said what the hell. But my new apartment... gotta pay the electricity bill, so bring on the flourescents :D

Did you not conserve at all when you were living in the all-utilities included places? I ask b/c I have one friend who lives in a utlities included rental and he will leave windows open in the winter and summer with the heat/A/C on.

[mcs328]

I tried buy compact flourescents but I've found that they blow out in the bathroom and in the chandelier type ones. The one in the chandelier is no where near as bright. I don't really see the costs savings per year actually. It has to be less but my electric bill hasn't gone down that I can tell...when's the payback?

[DarkFury]

I think the poll needs an option somewhere between "Always" and "Rarely" - I'd put myself in a "Sometimes" category.
:agree: I kinda feel out of place up there as well.

Of course driving a HEMI will do that with the given choices... :heh:


Your tanks? Are they Patton, Sherman, Tiger,.....? j/k what tanks are you referring to?
His FISH aquariums (i.e. "fish tanks). :heh:

UF and I are both avid aquarists....


I tried buy compact flourescents but I've found that they blow out in the bathroom and in the chandelier type ones. The one in the chandelier is no where near as bright. I don't really see the costs savings per year actually. It has to be less but my electric bill hasn't gone down that I can tell...when's the payback?
Do you have a single outlet chandelier? In my bathroom, I have 2 hanging globe fixtures, with a CF bulb in each. Together they provide quite a bit of light.

In your case, you might be better off replacing the fixture and just going full flourescent if you need more light than a CF can give... but on a side note, you can buy CFs in 100w output / 25 watt usage that should be plenty bright (maybe too bright).

I guess I'd have to see your application of the light... because as of right now, my bathroom CFs have been in for almost 2 years now and that's money in my pocket. :thumb:

[guiseppewv]

:agree: I kinda feel out of place up there as well.

Of course driving a HEMI will do that with the given choices... :heh:


His FISH aquariums (i.e. "fish tanks). :heh:

UF and I are both avid aquarists....



I tried to add another item to the poll choices right after I posted this thread but I was not able to. :(

Ahhh...I understand the tank comment now. :)

[Markel]

but on a side note, you can buy CFs in 100w output / 25 watt usage that should be plenty bright (maybe too bright).
Saturday I bought a 120w output / 30 watt CF bulb (for a lamp commonly used as a "reading light" in our family room).

[attgig]

yeah, i try to do when i can/convenient...but don't always... (especially when it comes to my driving style).

as for the CF's... i've replaced a few (as my old regulars have burnt out), but there is DEFINITELY a brightness difference. i had the regular 100's on my living room lamp thing (2 of them in series), and i changed to the CF on one of them, the difference of brightness between the two was very obvious.

so, i figure, when i buy more later, i'll replace with a higher brightness than what i have as a regular.

[ialsohaveadream]

I conserve water by not showering very often.

[OC]

I conserve water by not showering very often.This is my totally not surprised look.

[bachviet]

I try to conserve energy every chance I get.

[DarkFury]

Saturday I bought a 120w output / 30 watt CF bulb (for a lamp commonly used as a "reading light" in our family room).
In my computer room... I recently replaced the 300W halogen torchiere lamp with a CF torchiere lamp that produces 250W of light with 55W of power.

http://img.alibaba.com/photo/11151988/Ceiling_Lamp.jpg

I'm lovin' it... the room is MUCH cooler than before and the light level is about the same (I never ran the 300W bulb at full blast... it was TOO bright... and hot as hell!!! )

[kimchicowboy]

for me, these are the only electronics i have:

laptop
60W floor lamp
cell phone.

and electric heater which i don't use very often.

but my housemates on the other hand, watch tv like 5 hours/night and keep their lights on. gah.

[clutchy]

I ride a scooter to work, it gets 80mpg... and i put my computer to sleep when i walk away from it. Oh yeah and i turn down the thermostat to like 62 in the winter.

[Devhux]

I use CF lighting, and there's only one desktop in the entire house (2 if you count the server that is sitting here dormant until next weekend). All the other computers are laptops (3 of 'em).

I'd say that helps conserve energy. :)

[renovation]

i try to conserve energy in are home . we turn off lights when not in use . unplug all transformers when not in use . turn the heat down when not at home and on a programmable thermostat for are gas heater ,and Central air unit . also installed a new 90 plus furnaces ,and new high efficient water heater this last fall . are outside deck lights are 7 watt low volt on timers and we change the timer every couple of weeks as day lights hours change .
i drive the wifes car (2002 saturn vue 4 cyl. 5 speed )as much as i can to conserve on gas and my pocket . my trucks (work- pickup 1998 ford f-150 long bed ex. cab v8 )a gas hog . turning off my computer more then i use to .

[Agent Plissken]

I had one of the "cheaper" walmart flourescent bulbs that I put in a ceiling fan. The light spectrum as very odd, and it only lasted a few weeks before blowing out... What crap!

[Markel]

In my computer room... I recently replaced the 300W halogen torchiere lamp with a CF torchiere lamp that produces 250W of light with 55W of power.
I've got a couple of those type of lights in our house - MUCH nicer than the halogen type.

[guiseppewv]

Check this site out for some ratings of CF bulbs:
http://members.misty.com/don/cfapp.html

The author of the webpage also describes where to use CF bulbs and where not to. Interesting read/skim.

[dougadam]

Biodesial (vegetable oil) is awesome

[johnnymk]

R-49 Insulation in the ceiling, R-25 walls, energy efficient windows, thermal barrier underneath rafters, ridge vent, two attic fans, updated oil burner.

70 degrees all year round. Approximately $1000 annual bill total for heat and hot water, $100 for A/C. All lights are high efficiency.

[speedracer120]

Check this site out for some ratings of CF bulbs:
http://members.misty.com/don/cfapp.html

The author of the webpage also describes where to use CF bulbs and where not to. Interesting read/skim.

Good find.:thumbup:

[guiseppewv]

Check out this site for some tax breaks for home improvements:
http://www.energy.gov/taxbreaks.htm