Check out these travel tips for saving energy and resources while you’re away! Find this article here, in newsstands, or at www.c-ville.com/Abode
We’ll leave the light on for you” is the familiar refrain of Motel 6’s Tom Bodett, but these days rising energy costs and CO2 emissions mean we don’t have to leave the light on, a motion sensor detector will do! So as you head out for a well-deserved break, here are some energy (and water) savings tips.
If you want to keep an outside light on for safety reasons, motion sensors or solar walkway lights will do. Indoor light timers which can leave one light on for a couple of random hours to take make your home look inhabited are inexpensive and easy to use.
Why not give your appliances, electronics, and other power-using devices a vacation too? Anything plugged in still draws energy, so unplug those toasters and digital clocks during your final sweep before locking up. Turning off the A/C can save you $15+ a week. If you’ll be away awhile, consider adjusting the temperature setting on your energy-losing fridge (Fridge 40, Freezer 5) after getting it close to empty (invite the neighbors over to raid).
There’s nothing like coming home to a dried up garden or plants to bring on a buzz-kill. Purchase a watering spike made of glass or clay. Fill with water and they slowly water your plants while you’re away. Even “Bettier,” fill a plastic juice jug with water, carry it to your plant, poke a hole in the bottom, and set in directly in the soil. I haven’t tried this one, but you could also place your plants in a tub of an inch or so of water, depending on how long you’ll be gone. Too cumbersome? Try covering your freshly watered plants with a clear plastic bag, trapping the humidity and moisture. Use stakes or pencils to keep the plastic away from the plant leaves.
All else fails, a friendly neighbor may enjoy helping out.
Hope that helps!
Betty
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