Tips for saving on winter energy costs

Believe it or not, these tips came from a bank e-mail newsletter.  I thought they were useful, and who doesn't want to save some money?  

• Replacing or cleaning old furnace filters can reduce dust and save 5% in heating costs.
  
• Opening up drapes and blinds on windows with a southern exposure lets the sun in, heating your home for free.
  
• Fireplaces pull heated air out of your house so use it sparingly and be sure the damper is closed when it's not in use.
  
• Moister air feels warmer, so by using a humidifier, you can set your thermostat lower to help you save money.
  
• If you want to know if your doors have air leaks, there is an easy way to do it yourself--no expert needed.  Simply place a piece of paper between the door and frame and shut the door. If you can pull the paper out without tearing it, you should weather-strip around the door.

Here are some money-saving tips that I have learned from living in Chicago, which gets very cold in the winter.  

• Always wear socks on your feet, especially if you have tile or hardwood floors.  Cold feet make you feel colder.
  
• Put lots of blankets on the bed.  You are going to be asleep anyway, so why not pile on the blankets and turn the thermostat down.
  
• Wear a robe/sweater around the house.  You wear more clothes outside when it is cold, so why not add an extra layer of warmth inside too.
  
• Drink lots of warm beverages--hot cider, hot chocolate, tea, coffee, warm milk.  Keeping your insides warm will help you feel warmer.
• If you live in an apartment, put plastic over your windows to keep the cold air out and the warm air in.
• Live in an apartment/house that is just the right size for you. If you don't have a lot of empty space, your home will feel warmer with less heat. 
• Get an apartment with radiator heat.  You will not be paying an enormous gas bill in the winter.   

Finding a mattress that is good for you and the environment

From the October 2008 issue of Body + Soul, there is an article on finding an eco-friendly mattress.   However, these sites offer more than just mattresses.  And beware of the cost of organic and all-natural bedding, because it is prohibitively expensive for many people, especially in challenging economic times such as these.  Try acquiring a piece or two at a time. 

Innerspring Mattresses

Lifekind, Nautral Rubber/Innerspring Combination Mattress

Good Night Naturals, The Dream

Solid Foam Mattresses

Green Sleep, Vimala Sleep System

Savvy Rest, Organic Tranquility

Simmons, Natural Care

Mattress Toppers

Furnature, Natural Rubber Topper

Vivetique, Wool Topper

Eco News

www.sustainabletable.org  provides a wallet-sized cheat sheet to take with you to the grocery store or farmers market, with a list of questions to ask about meat and dairy products.

www.centerforfoodsafety.org  provides a ready-to-send electronic form letter you can send to your elected officials and the FDA concerning food safety with the click of a button.

Sears.com and VenJuvo.com launched the Trade4Credit online program giving customers Sears store credit in exchange for unwanted electronics, including first generation Apple iPhones, digital cameras, digital camcorders, MP3 players, GPS systems, gaming systems, or any pre-owned electronics that are determined to still have value.  In addition, the Trade4Credit program offers participants free recycling and free shipping.

In praise of a vegetarian diet, or at least cutting back on meat consumption.  According to an article in E: The Environmental Magazine entitled "The Meat of the Matter"   

• "If all the grain currently used to feed livestock in the US was consumed directly by people, the number who could be fed is nearly 800 million."
  
• "The methane that cattle and their manure produce has a global warming effect equal to that of 33 million automobiles," the Center for Science in the Public Interest reports in its book Six Arguments for a Greener Diet. 
  
• Raising livestock for human consumption occupies 26% of the ice- and water-free surface of the planet, and the area devoted to feed these animals amounts to 33% of arable land.
• Livestock production consumes 8% of the world's water, causes 55% of land erosion and sediment, uses 37% of all pesticides, directly or indirectly results in 50% of all antibiotic use, and dumps a third of all nitrogen and phosphorous into our fresh water supplies.

Eco-Guilt

I left the house on Friday morning to get a cup of coffee at a great local place called Metropolis, and I did not take my stainless steel coffee mug.  I was so mad at myself.  Any time I forget my mug, get my leftovers in a styrofoam container, forget my canvas bags when I go to the grocery store, I feel guilty.  Really guilty, as in single-handedly feeling responsible for the demise of the planet guilty.  I can't help it.  

Even now, as I look around my living room, I see a lot of things that are unnecessary.  We are such a materialistic society, and even though people are now beginning to feel the effects of over-consumption, we still consume A LOT.  We use a disproportionate amount of resources in this country.  We take our lives for granted, but there is a reckoning that awaits us.  And it is going to be much sooner than people like to think.  Water shortages and food shortages and severe weather and ever-increasingly energy-intensive endeavors to extract resources are all a reality today.  

I should feel eco-guilt.  More people should feel it.  If we aren't going to do the right thing because we should maybe we WILL do it if we feel guilty enough.