Here's a money saving piece from Yahoo that offers several "extreme energy-saving tips." We'll cover the piece in a few parts, but before we get started, here's the premise of the piece:
It's no secret that home-heating costs are expected to soar this winter. Fortunately, homeowners can cut their heating bills dramatically by taking a few relatively painless steps.
But why stop there? According to the Edison Electric Institute, or EEI, a Washington-based energy trade association, space heating represents only about 49% of the energy use in American homes. The other 51% is attributed to household appliances, lighting and water heating. And while those bills might not be soaring, you still can save money by practicing energy conservation. Some of these strategies might sound a bit extreme. But then again, you might be ready for some extreme measures once those winter energy bills start rolling in.
Let's get started on part 1 now, ideas that will save you money on lighting and cooking costs:
- Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs.
- Keep bulbs clean.
- When preheating an oven, don't let it sit empty for longer than necessary, and don't open the door to check on food.
- Use a microwave oven instead of a regular oven.
- Keep the inside of your microwave clean. It will cook your food more efficiently.
- Use the smallest pans possible. It takes energy to heat them.
- Use lids. They help the food cook more quickly by keeping steam inside.
- Use glass or ceramic pans in ovens. They heat faster than metal pans.
My thoughts:
1. We've just started the fluorescent bulb conversion process. We'll see what it does for us in the long run.
2. Clean bulbs? Never thought of that. Makes sense, though.
3. We're pretty set on all of the cooking tips. These don't seem that extreme to me -- seem kind of common.
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