(Almost) Free Ways to Save Energy

1. As incandescent lights burn out, replace them with CFLs (compact fluorescent lights) that will last ten times longer.
2. When you leave a room, turn off the lights.
3. Avoid light pollution. Use only as much light as you need both inside and outside.
4. Unplug appliances and other electronics that continue to use power even after you turn them off. Anything with a LED (light emitting diode) that shines even after you turn off the device is a phantom power user. Your TV, cell phone charger, and printer are likely culprits. Plug them into a power strip and turn off the strip.
5. When you replace electronics, look for a charity that can use the old ones. Check mygreenelectronics.org to locate a recycling source. Take advantage of Catawba County's Household Hazardous Waste Collection Days for unusable ones.
6. Calculate your personal greenhouse gas emissions by using this calculator: www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/ind_calculator.html. Find out what you can do to improve your score.
7. Shop locally for food. Go to catawba.ces.ncsu.edu and click on Foothills Fresh to find out about local food sources.
8. Be mindful of water use. Fix a leaky toilet and save up to 200 gallons of water a day. Repair a leaking faucet and save up to 74 gallons of water a day.
9. Let your grass grow. Tall fescue thrives when it is cut to a height of 3 inches. Visit tarheelgardening.com to find other simple steps for a beautiful landscape using water efficient, environmentally friendly techniques.
10. Return wire hangers to your dry cleaner or laundry.
11. Turn off the water while you brush your teeth.
12. Turn off the TV unless you are sitting down and watching.
13. Operate your dishwasher and clothes washer only when fully loaded.
14. Check the air pressure in your car's tires.
15. Return plastic grocery bags to the store. Usually the collection site is just inside the front door.

Whether big or small, every change you make, makes a difference. Which tips will you use? See the poll below.

Save Water and Money

Low-flow showerheads can nearly halve water usage and lower power bills--an impressive savings at a time when drought conditions are limiting water and energy costs are rising. A typical five-minute shower with a non-conserving showerhead can use up to 40 gallons of water; a low-flow head would use about 28 gallons for that same shower; an ultra-low-flow head would require only 7.5 gallons. Many low-flow showerheads are inexpensive, easy to install, and designed to maintain pressure so that it seems as if more water is being used per shower. Similarly, low-flow sink faucets are available to further reduce water usage.

Simply installing a high-efficiency (low-flow) showerhead and faucets could save the average household up to 7,800 gallons of water per year. And because 73 percent of the water used for showering is hot water, replacing a non-conserving showerhead and faucets with low-flow models will reduce the amount of power needed to heat the water thus reducing a household's power bill. High-efficiency showerheads can cost from $8 to $50 and can reduce water usage by 25 percent to 60 percent. Low-flow faucets can cost as little as $5 to $10 each.

The two main types of low-flow showerheads and faucets are aerating (adds air to the water stream to maintain steady pressure and keep the spray full) or non-aerating (adds pulses to the water stream to deliver a strong spray). Aerating showerheads either draw the air into the water stream or inject compressed air. There can be significant differences in spray quality from model to model even with the same flow rate. Check with a resource such as Consumer Reports for specific information on how different models function.

Showerheads manufactured after 1992 are required to use less water than their predecessors (a maximum of 2.5 gallons per minute). If your showerhead was manufactured before 1992, consider replacing it with a high efficiency model. Use this easy test to see if a new showerhead could save you water, energy, and money:

1. Place a bucket, marked in gallons, under your shower head.
2. Turn on the shower at the normal water pressure you use.
3. Time how many seconds it takes to fill the bucket to the 1-gallon mark. If it takes less than 20 seconds to reach the 1-gallon mark, you could benefit from a low-flow shower head.