Install low-flow showerheads. These high pressure aerated showerheads deliver 2.5 gallons per minute rather than 4 to 5 gallons per minute and can reduce hot water consumption by 30 percent. A high quality, low-flow showerhead costs around $15 and will pay for itself within four months.
Wash your clothes in cold water. Washing machines do not require a minimum temperature. In fact, cold or warm water can be used for most laundry loads. Using cold rather than hot water can amount to a savings of $60 annually and keep 1,300 pounds of CO2 out of the air.
Use your dishwasher! A fully loaded, efficient, standard capacity EnergyStar dishwasher uses less energy than washing dishes by hand.
Install a solar water heater. In one day, the sun radiates enough free, clean energy onto the United States to power the entire nation for a year and a half. Contact Solar Source for more information and visit the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency for rebate information.
Install a tankless water heater to provide instant, unlimited access to hot water. Tankless water heaters can be up to 40% more energy efficient than conventional water heaters and run at 99% efficiency. A gas tankless water heater can cut approximately 30% of a homeowner’s energy usage.
Lower the temperature of your water heater. If you have a booster heater on your dishwasher, you can lower the temperature on your water heater to 120 degrees F.
Install a timer on your electric water heater. Installing a $30 timer that turns the heater on in the morning and off at night can pay for itself in about a year.
Repair leaks.
Install an insulation blanket around your water heater to make it more efficient.
For more tips, or to learn more about sustainability at St. Petersburg College, contact Jason Green at [email protected]. Then visit http://www.spcollege.edu/sustainability, join the facebook group and follow us at http://twitter.com/sustainableSPC.
