Michelle
League City, TX
Well, we've done a few things. Hubby put window film on all the windows, and made storm screens to filter out sunlight as well. We reduced the # of bulbs and switched the remaining ones to compact flourescent bulbs. We keep the lights & other appliances off except when needed. We get our electricity from Green Mountain Energy, an almost pollution-FREE source! It costs more, but to save the planet, it's worth it. We keep the blinds closed during the day. When washing, I use warm & cold water. Warm for spots; cold for everything else; hot ONLY for really dirty items. And full loads only. I have a front-loading clothes washer. I plan to get a clothesline 'umbrella' to dry my clothes. (A portable one w/a base to use indoors & out. It doesn't break the HOA rules in my subdivision, whereas normal clotheslines are a No-No. I don't 'prewash' dishes in the sink. (You wouldn't believe how much H2O gets wasted that way!) I use the rinse cycle in the dishwasher instead, & only when the washer's full. I encourage my kids to conserve as well. They are reminded to turn everything off when they leave a room. I also remind them to save some water for 'Nemo' (you know, the fish in the movie) when washing hands or brushing teeth. A local group showed me how I can save money & reduce pollution by changing the way I drive: slow accelerations & slower driving (5mph below the limit). We have programmable thermostats and hi SEER AC units. I also run a buying club. We buy in bulk together & get our food 1x a month. I've also looked into biodiesel, solar panels & tankless water heaters. We live in a hurricane area, so we're hesitant to do panels. We'd like to do the tankless water heaters & some of the other things people here have suggested. Our new AC units cost us $5k to get (bought last month), so the other stuff will have to wait awhile... So, our 3 stumbling blocks are: money, time, and, well, I love him, but my dear hubby is also a problem. He uses lots of disposable items around the house: plates, utencils, bottled water. I want to recycle; he doesn't want the bother. Anybody got any ideas? :-)