Alliance to Save Energy Offers Tips to Save Energy, Water for Earth Day 2003, Beyond

In keeping with the Earth Day 2003 theme, “Water for Life,” the Alliance to Save Energy offers consumers ways to save water and cut home energy bills – including the energy needed to bring water to your home and to heat water – and for reducing pollution and increasing electricity reliability during the heat of summer:

Saving Energy and Water

• Come clean without cleaning out your wallet. Cut related utility bills up to 30 percent with an Energy Star clothes washer. A washer with the Energy Star label – the government’s symbol of energy efficiency – uses about half the energy that a 10-year-old model consumes, saving up to $120 a year on combined water and energy bills. Energy Star washers, available in both top- and front-loading models, also use much less water – 18 to 25 gallons per load, compared to 40. Wash clothes in cold water whenever possible for additional energy savings.
• Save up to $100 on combined water and energy bills over the lifetime of an Energy Star dishwasher. Compared to conventional models, it uses 25 percent less hot water and energy than the federal minimum standard for energy consumption.
• Load ‘em up! For additional savings, do full loads of clothes and dishes. Most of the energy used by dishwashers is to heat a set amount of water, so running smaller loads wastes both energy and water. Air dry dishes for added savings.
• Approximately 15 percent of home energy use goes to heat water. A high-efficiency water heater uses 10 to 50 percent less energy than a conventional model, for substantial savings. These water heaters exceed minimum federal appliance standards, often with better components and improved technologies that can extend equipment life. For additional savings, insulate that efficient water heater and hot water pipes with foam pipe insulation, a water heater jacket, or other approved insulation materials.
• A leaky toilet can drain your pocketbook – and waste precious water. Toilets are your home’s biggest water consumers, and a leak can waste up to 52,800 gallons a year.
• Don't be a drip. Fix drippy, leaky faucets around the house. Replace old faucet aerators with newer models that use less water while providing more water pressure, and consider water-saving faucet attachments. Check for leaks in pipes, hoses, couplings.
• Use a broom or sweeper instead of a hose to clean the garage, driveway, or sidewalk.
• Let it grow. Mow the yard less often – longer grass reduces water loss from evaporation.
• Go with the flow. A low-flow showerhead saves up to five gallons a minute. Take showers instead of baths, and shorter showers rather than longer ones.
• Don’t let water just go down the drain. Collect rainwater in cisterns or rain barrels for irrigation or washing. Re-use water from washing fruits and vegetables to water plants. Connect gutter downspouts to rain barrels, or direct them to trees or plants.
• Reap what you sow. Use a layer of organic mulch around plants to reduce evaporation. Plant during spring or fall when watering requirements are lower. Water earlier or later in the day when temperatures are lower. Choose lower maintenance, native plants.
• Watering passersby or your neighbors on the sidewalk? Adjust sprinklers to water lawns and plants, not pavement or people.
• Use a hose with a shut-off nozzle while you water plants or wash your car, and turn it off at the faucet when you’re through. Better yet, use a bucket of water and a sponge to wash the car.