Small change to make today: Save money with your water heater temperature

25% of your energy bill and usage is probably attributable to your water heater.

Lower this by turning the temperature on your water heater down! Almost all homes have it turned up far too high. Try just adjusting it by one notch at a time, until you find a balance of having enough hot water, but not more than you need. Our biggest appliance cost us the most money and waste the most energy, so by making adjustments to them you save the most for the least effort. By turning your water heater down just 10 degrees you will probably save 3-5% off of your energy bill, plus you are saving the environment!
When you go on vacation, turn the water heater to the minimum.

Energy Efficient Clothes Washer

If you need to buy a new clothes washer, spend a little bit more now to buy an energy efficient clothes washer which will save you money over time.

An energy efficient clothes washer reduces your energy bill, water bill, and you will spend less on detergent.

Save Water
An energy efficient washing machine saves about 18 gallons of water (equivelant to a single shower) on each load.

Save Energy
"If your washer is more than 10 years old, you’re paying about $145 more each year on your utility bill than you would if you owned a new ENERGY STAR qualified model."

Save Detergent
Because of the efficent way the HE washers work, you need far less detergent - just about 2 T/load. That means less waste in our oceans and streams, and you spend less money on detergent.

Save your Clothes
HE washers don't use agitors that twist and pull your clothes.

Saving Electricity and Money with Compact Fluorescent Lights

According to the US Government, "If every American home replaced just one light bulb with an ENERGY STAR qualified bulb, we would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year, more than $600 million in annual energy costs, and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more than 800,000 cars." Plus, you save about $30/bulb over the light bulbs lifetime. I replaced all the lightbulbs in my house and my bill went down immediately.

The lights look different than traditional ones - instead of the bulb style, they are spiral.

You can buy the bulbs at any store that sells regular bulbs. I buy mine at King Soopers for about $1 each. If you buy just one bulb each time you go to the store, and replace the old bulb as soon as you get home, you can convert your house for no noticable cost in just a month or two.

Another great thing about the compact fluorescent bulbs is that they don't generate heat, so in the summer your house will stay cooler with less energy on your part.

If you aren't sure which bulbs to buy, the US Department of Energy and the EPA have combined and created a guide to help you pick the right bulbs for your needs.

Worm Composting

Worm composts are great for colder climates as you can compost indoors (even in your kitchen) year round without creating an odor. It is also great for apartments or patio homes with no garden. This is a simple way to compost kitchen scraps.

Worm compost climate requirements: You can use worm composters indoors or outdoors, as long as you keep it in a temperature between 40-80 degrees F.

The best way to get worms is to purchase them alongwith your worm compost bin. You can also try the worm exchange (those with worms giving them to those who need worms) http://groups.yahoo.com/group/worm_exchange/

If you are handy and want to build your own worm composter (not very difficult), see http://planetgreen.discovery.com/food-health/build-worm-compost-bin.html

Compost Bin Alternatives

You can build or buy a wide variety of compost bins. These are used for outdoor use and can be used to compost a large amount of material, including yard clippings and kitchen waster (never put meat or dairy into a compost bin!).

The simplist way to create a compost bin is:

- Get a large plastic container (such as a garbage container or rubbermaid storage box that you no longer need). The bigger, the better. The only requirement is that it has a lid.

- Drill many holes in the plastic bin (to increase air circulation which will help speed the decompostion), space 1-2 inches apart. Holes should be on all sides, including bottom and lid.

- Place it wherever is convenient, your yard, garage, patio

- shake the bin or stir the pile every day or so.

- keep the contents moist, but not wet. (If too wet add dry leaves, shredded newspapers, empty unbleached paper rolls, etc.)

- after about six months, your compost will be ready to harvest. To harvest, just remove the composted materials and dig into your soil.

Learn how a variety of compost bins at any of the following

- http://extension.missouri.edu/explore/agguides/hort/G06957.htm

- http://www.backyardgardener.com/compost/index.html

What Not to Compost

What not to compost can be the easiest way to know what to compost.

Things that you should not compost are

• chemically treated wood
• diseased plants
• meat and bones (unless very experienced)
• fatty foods and oils
• pet and human wastes
• dairy products
• inorganic material (plastic, wood)
• bleached paper

What can I compost?

Essentially, you can compost anything that was once alive. Be careful about meat though (see below for more comments).

The most obvious things to compost are:

• any fruit/vegtable peelings, etc. leftover


• leaves


• grass clippings (although I have a mulcher on my lawn mower and prefer to leave the grass clippings on the grass to help that soil)


• plant clippings - keep your yard under control by taking small clippings every day and adding them to your compost.

Other things you can compost are:

• hair


• nail clippings


• coffee and tea grounds


• unbleached paper such as paper towels, toilet rolls, etc.

Some things that take a bit longer, but are definately compostable include:

• egg shells (crush them up a bit with your hands before putting them into your compost bin)


• nut shells

Meat is compostable, but if you are new to composting I could not recommend it. If you choose to compost meat, I would not compost it in a compost pile - only compost it if you are using the direct to garden method that I discussed yesterday. Also, it needs to be dug in immediately, not left sitting about and rotting. I would definately only compost meat by throwing in some conifer clippings with it as they are strong smelling and throw off the scent to any vermin that it might otherwise attract.

Easy Garden Composting Creates Great Soil at no Cost

According to the EPA, each American generate an average of 4.62 pounds of trash a day. As a nation we create 254 million tons of trash a year. Yard trimmings and food scraps, which are compostable, make up 1/4 of all our trash.


Composting decreases our garbage and makes our soil more nutritious, helping us to grow healthier plants, generating more oxygen and cleaner air!

Composting also saves you money. There is an old saying, "plant a 50 cent plant in a 5 dollar hole." Composting will give you great soil without spending money.

There are many ways to compost; my favorite method is straight into the garden. It takes about five minutes. Here are the steps:

1. Collect compost in a container in the kitchen. I use an ice cream bucket.


2. Take the kitchen compost into the garden, dig a hole about 6" deep, throw in the compost


3. Take a shovel and break up the compost while mixing it with the soil


4. Optional: throw on some yard compost (leaves, grass, small branches)Throw the dug up soil back on, rinse tbe ice cream bucket out with water and throw that on top of the soil, and I am done.

In a week or two the garbage will be fully composted and you will have great soil and soon a great garden.

I hope you will give composting a try - it is incredibly easy and you will be shocked by how much less garbage you produce.

TIPS AND TRICKS

Frequency
I am a bit lazy and I also don't like to get cold. I live in Colorado where the temperature is very moderate and there are not a lot of vermin around. In the winter, I have 4-5 buckets of compost that I build up before I dig it in. As I fill one pail up, I put it outside on a table where it is not easily accessible to any local animals. The compost waits there until I am less lazy and it is warm enough for me to go out and dig it in. In the meantime, the compost freezes at night, then thaws in the sun all week, so it starts breaking down nicely before I even dig it in.

Water
If I am running water in the kitchen sink to wash my hands, etc., I put the compost pail under the tap and capture the water in with the compost.

Animals
Every now and then either my dog or the neighbourhood racoon dig up my compost. To stop them, I have done two things: First, I add a couple of small conifer branches in with the compost - this changes the scent so that it is less appealing. Second, I pick up any doggy poop around the yard and throw it in or on top of the compost - no animal likes that!