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Conservation Tips
According to the EPA, the average person will use 50 gallons of water a day. Nearly 97% of the world's water is salty or otherwise undrinkable. Another 2% is in the form of glaciers and ice caps. We must all be responsible for that remaining 1%. Here are a few ways to be water wise.
Water Conservation Tips
- Take quick showers rather than baths. Try to keep it under five minutes.
- Keep a bottle of drinking water in the fridge. Running tap water to cool it off for drinking water wastes water.
- Check faucets and pipes for leaks. A small drip from a worn faucet washer can waste 20 gallons of water per day.
- Turn off water while brushing your teeth or shaving and save 2 to 3 gallons per day.
- Don't use the toliet as a garbage can. Place a trash can next to the toliet and use it instead.
- Water your lawn before 7 am, otherwise you can lose up to 30% of your water due to evaporation. Remember, you are using 3 to 5 gallons of water per minute.
- Run only full loads in the washing machine and dishwasher. This saves energy, too.
Energy Conservation Tips
Energy and the way we use it, is an important environmental issue facing the country. On average most consumers believe it is important to help the environment by conserving energy, but energy conservation can also mean huge savings on your power bill. There are several simple things you can do to help conserve electricity and save money on your electric bill.
- Looking for the Energy Star label, the symbol for energy efficiency, when buying home appliances and products. Households that replace existing appliances with Energy Star products can cut annual energy bills by 30 percent.
- Installing storm windows and doors. This move to prevent warm air from escaping can cut heating costs.
- Cleaning or replacing central air system filters once a month.
- Turning lights off when not in use.
- Replacing all light fixtures and bulbs that operate four or more hours a day with ones that use fluorescent bulbs to save money and energy.
- Letting Mother Nature light your home. Sunlight is brighter than a multitude of light bulbs, and it's free.
- Putting timers on a few lights in your home, and installing motion detectors on exterior lights.
- Using a microwave or toaster oven to cook small portions of food and a conventional oven or stove-top for larger items.
- Turning off TVs, VCRs, cable boxes, CD players, cassette decks and computers during long periods of non-use. This will cut costs and increase the life of that product.
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