Seven simple steps you can take right now to reduce energy consumption and costs.

In cold weather

Secure your windows and doors. Close your windows and doors tightly and ensure the hasps are locked. Securely fastening doors and windows will cut down on drafts and cold air leakage.

Remove the screens from your windows. Screens can block 15% of the heat from the sun. This is most effective with south-facing windows.

Install storm windows. Leaky windows can add more than $500 per year in heating (and cooling) costs. Installing storm windows is less expensive than replacing windows, and they can increase the efficiency of older, single-paned windows by up to 70% by adding insulation and preventing leakage. Consider interior storm windows, which are less expensive, more airtight, and easier to install and remove than exterior storm windows. Because they can be made of acrylic, they are lighter and more durable than exterior storms.

Keep your feet and legs warm. We feel cold when our feet are cold; warming our feet and legs makes us feel warmer all over. Wear warm socks and slippers, and replace inefficient space heaters with low-cost, low-wattage heated mats or adjustable foot rests that fit under desks. This will also enable you to…

Turn down your thermostat. For every degree you lower your thermostat during the winter, you save 3-5% on your heating bill. Strive for 68 degrees when you’re home during the day, and 55 degrees at night or when you’re not home. A programmable thermostat can automatically adjust your heat so you don’t have to remember, and can save you up to $100 per year.

Year-round

Compost your food and yard waste. Reducing what you throw in the trash cuts down on trips to the transfer station, as well as reducing landfill waste. And it’s good for your garden! Don’t know how to compost? It’s easy; Tyringham Green is planning a composting workshop in 2009.

Replace your lightbulbs. Compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) use less energy and last longer than standard bulbs, while casting the same amount of light. CFLs use between one-fifth and one-third the power of incandescent and typically last 8 to 15 times longer. They do cost a bit more, but that is offset by savings in the cost of energy. Plus you may be able to get CFLs for free when you…

… Get a free energy audit. Call MassSAVE at 800-666-3303 and schedule a free Home Energy Assessment. When you have an assessment, Western Mass. Electric offers financial incentives to increase the energy efficiency of your home; they’ll pay 75% of the cost for residents to add insulation and seal air leaks — up to $2000 — and you can get a zero-interest loan, up to $15,000,  to finance the remaining 25% cost, or to invest in high-efficiency heating and  water systems, Energy Star windows, solar hot water systems, and other home improvements. If you like, they’ll supply and install a low-flow showerhead and faucet aerator at no cost. And rebates may be available when you replace appliances, windows, and heating & cooling systems with more efficient, Energy Star-qualified products

These simple measures will help you save money while you reduce your “carbon footprint.” If you’ve got more energy-saving ideas for our community, please share them with Tyringham Green.

Green book review

Eating more greens is good for you, but author Kate Heyhoe takes the concept one step further with her new book Cooking Green: Reducing Your Carbon Footprint in the Kitchen.  Heyhoe starts by coining the term cookprint: “The entire chain of resources used to prepare meals, and the waste produced in the process.” She covers a wide range of topics -  everything from appliances and cookware, fuel efficiency,energy-efficient ingredients, cooking techniques, and reducing waste. Her suggestions for reducing your cookprint are inventive and go against how many of us were taught to cook. For example, many foods don’t need a “boil” to cook – when making a hard-boiled egg, one needn’t boil it for the full 8 to 10 minutes that we’re used to. Heyhoe suggests that you simply bring a pot to a full boil for 30 seconds and turn off the heat and let the eggs cook in the scalding water for about 10 minutes.   Other easy to implement tips include:

cooking-green-cover

1) Always thaw food in the refrigerator – it’s safer and uses less energy since it cools the refrigerator.

2) Convection ovens use less fuel than traditional ovens.

3) Bamboo makes for great cutting boards, but new cutting boards made from recycled cardboard, plastic, and cork are even more eco-friendly.

4) Cook with a Crock-Pot on the stove instead of using your oven.

5) Pressure cookers save up to 50% of the energy used by conventional cooking, cooking up to 70% quicker.

Without changing your politics or disrupting your routine, Kate Heyhoe shows you simple technigues that can reduce your impact on the planet by rethinking how you cook, shop, and consume food. Though recipes are included, Heyhoe teaches the readers how to boil, bake, broil, and grill in greener ways, saving fossil fuels and shrinking everyone’s “cookprint.”