Energy
Most of our energy today comes from non-renewable fossil resources such as coal and natural gas. These energy sources not only emit a lot of carbon into our atmosphere, but also must be mined and refined in a way that damages land and uses large amounts of resources. You can help reduce our reliance on these energy sources just by making a few simple changes.
Simple ways to save energy
- Set your thermostat on 78°F in the summer and 68°F in the winter, and turn it off when you are not at home.
- Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs or LED bulbs.
- Turn out lights when you are not using them.
- Unplug your cell phone and camera charger when not in use; they draw energy as long as they are plugged in.
- Plug home electronics into power strips and turn power strips off when not in use. Appliances that are “off” can draw power whenever they're plugged into an outlet.
- Turn off computer and monitor when not in use. Also be sure that your sleep modes are set for 20 minutes on the monitor and 2 hours on the computer.
- Wash only full loads of dishes and clothes.
- Air-dry dishes and clothes instead of using the dryer.
- Close the blinds and shades during the day to keep out the sun's heat.
- Your hot water heater is one of the biggest energy hogs in your home. Lower thermostat on hot water heater to 120 °F.
- Clean/replace AC filters monthly. Cleaning or replacing dirty air filters can save 5% of the energy used to run the AC system.
- Caulk or weatherstrip around doors and windows to prevent air leaks.
- Repair leaky air ducts. Leaky air ducts are recognized as a major source of energy waste and can prevent HVAC systems from working properly. Request a duct system test from your home's energy provider.
- Get a home energy audit from your local power provider.
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Check out Progress
Energy
and Gainesville
Regional Utility’s Energy Saving Tips for more ways to save.
How much do you use?
Calculate how much energy your home uses at the Department
of Energy's Home
Energy Saver.
Buying
a new appliance?…Look for EnergyStar!
EnergyStar® is a government-backed program to help you protect the environment through superior energy efficiency. EnergyStar appliances use significantly less energy and water than older models.
In addition, most large appliances are sold with a yellow energy efficiency label. These labels should be carefully examined and compared with similar products for the most energy and cost efficient product for you.
For more information and a list of EnergyStar certified products, check out http://www.energystar.gov
For More Information:
Physical Plant's Office of Energy Conservation has established energy contacts throughout campus to assist in the lowering of campus energy consumption. Their site also contains tips on energy conservation.
Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency
EDIS is the searchable Electronic Data Information Source of UF/IFAS Extension, a collection of information on topics relevant to sustainability. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/index.html
