The best way to conserve energy is to use more renewable energy sources and to cut down on our energy use. The following are three main sources of energy and how we can individually cut down on our use of them:

Electricity

*American households spend over $1,000 annually on electricity.

• Almost half of the energy we consume in our homes is used for heat. Always check and replace your heating air filters and keep your thermostat on the lowest comfortable temperature.
• Make sure your air conditioner is well-maintained and is the correct size for the area it’s cooling. Also be sure to turn it off when you’re not around and use more fans to cool the immediate area.
• Make sure you always close your refrigerator door and keep the temperature between 36-38 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Only wash heavily soiled clothing in hot water because 90% of the energy used goes towards heating the water.
• Turn off all lights when you’re not using them and replace incandescent bulbs with new screw-in fluorescent bulbs to use 75% less electricity.
• Unplug any appliances that are not being used and try to buy more energy-efficient models.

Water

*Most people use 50-70 gallons of water every day in their homes.

• Always turn off the running water when you are brushing your teeth, washing your hands or doing the dishes.
• Wash only a full load of dishes in the dishwasher and let the dishes air dry.
• Take less baths and shorter showers.
• Only wash clothes when you have a full load.
• Repair any dripping faucets and toilet tank leaks.
• Try to avoid flushing unnecessary trash down the toilet

Automobiles

*Cars release 98 tons of fossil fuels into the air for every gallon of gas.

• Make sure your car gets routine maintenance checks to extend its life and improve gas mileage.
• Use cruise control on the highway to save gas.
• Ride a bike or walk to work if you live close enough.
• Inflate your car tires to the recommended pressures.
• Avoid unnecessary idling, excessive speeds and heavy breaking.
• Use the heating and cooling system sparingly.
• Plan trips ahead of time to avoid traffic delays.
• Consider buying a hybrid car, electric car, hydrogen car, biodiesel car or fuel cell car.

It’s quite obvious that we need to rely on more renewable energy sources such as solar energy, wind energy, geothermal energy and tidal energy to supply power to our homes, businesses and automobiles. If we continue to use nonrenewable energy sources such as nuclear energy and fossil fuels then we’ll just keep contributing to global warming. Global warming will eventually lead to abnormal precipitation patterns, a rise in the sea level and the possible extinction of thousands of species of plants and animals.

You can learn more about energy conservation practices and products at the Energy Star website.