This post is part of a campaign sponsored by Energy Upgrade California.
MomsLA has partnered with Energy Upgrade California to let you know some of the easiest things you can do around your home to save energy. Making even simple changes to the way you use energy in your home can have an impact on the environment around us.
Think about how important this is to our kids’ future, given the fact that California is in the middle of an historic drought; the choices we make now will impact the California we see in the years to come – and the California our kids will see.
What if you could help your kids learn the importance of saving energy by playing a game with them? Energy Upgrade California has created a couple of ideas for you: Golden Bear Bingo, an online game designed to help teach kids some easy ways to save energy around the house, and the Energy Efficiency Scavenger Hunt for Kids.
Golden Bear Bingo is both fun and informative, and very easy for little kids to play. And while they play, they’re learning easy things your whole family can do around the house to save energy.
Ten Ways To Save Energy at Home
We know our MomsLA readers probably know all these ways already, but just in case you need an idea or a reminder, here are ten ways you can save energy.
1. Take Short Showers
The difference between a 5-minute and a 10-minute shower is about 25 gallons. Try to see just how quickly you can get clean!
2. Turn off the Water When Brushing Your Teeth
A family of four could save up to 3,000 gallons a year by doing this. And it’s so easy.
3. Fix The Leaks
A faucet that drips 60 times per minute wastes more than 3,000 gallons per year. Boo!
4. Fill ‘Em Up
Run both your dishwasher and washing machine only when they’re full, and wash clothes in cold water as often as possible. Bonus: you’ll do laundry less often!
5. Hang ‘Em Up
It’s California! We’re blessed with terrific weather and sunshine most of the time, so hang up your laundry if you can and skip the dryer.
6. Lower The Flow
Switch to Low-flow showerheads and toilets. It’s worth it to save water.
7. Switch to LED
LED light bulbs use 75 percent less energy and last 25% longer than incandescent bulbs. Sweet!
8. Recycle, Michael!
Recycling isn’t just for bottles and cans, it’s for appliances, too. Recycling one refrigerator reduces carbon emissions roughly equivalent to taking two cars off the road for a year. Yikes!
9. Put On a Sweater, or Take It Off
California has given us the amazing weather we love, so take full advantage of it and wait until the very last minute to turn on your heater or air conditioner. Open the windows or bundle up instead.
10. Go Big or Go Home
Looking for more? You could add solar panels, a tankless water heater, a greywater system, insulate the attic, and even remove your lawn and replace it with Native and Drought-tolerant plants.
Energy Upgrade California has many more ideas for how to save energy at home and at work, if you really want to take things up a notch, plus they’ve got info about rebates and incentives that can help cover the costs of these energy savers.
Sarah Auerswald is the co-Founder of MomsLA.com and pretty energy efficient, if she does say so herself. MomsLA has partnered with Energy Upgrade California to get the word out about this important initiative, and we have them to thank for many of the facts listed in this post, as well as the photo of the Golden Bear mascot.
