Sometimes “new and improved” means the manufacturer has made the item more energy efficient or used a healthier or less toxic ingredient. However, sometimes the new feature is not needed by many consumers or doesn’t improve the function in proportion to the extra energy and resources needed to add the new feature. For example, does a razor with 5 blades really give a better shave than a razor with two blades? A five-blade head requires a lot more resources and manufacturing energy than a two-blade head (if you can still find a two-blade head in the stores). If I buy an appliance or product with a lot of features I will never use, all of the manufacturing energy and resources that went into those features will be wasted. Sometimes, simpler is better. Check out the features of the items you buy and pick the ones that are best for your needs.
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When you start a baking project, don’t automatically start pre-heating the oven as the first step in the project. Wait until you are about 5 to 10 minutes from putting your baking in the oven to start pre-heating. For some types of baking projects, you can turn the oven off 5 minutes or more before it’s time to take the baked items out of the oven. If you haven’t opened the oven door, there will be plenty of residual heat to finish. Opening the oven door several times to check on your baking also requires more energy to rewarm the oven each time.
Automatic lawn sprinklers are very convenient and if properly set, can help you provide the right amount of water to keep your lawn healthy but not overwatered. If you monitor conditions and adjust the sprinkler system, you can save a.lot of water. In most cases using less water also means using less energy to pump the water to your house and power the sprinkler system. A few ideas to help you reduce the amount of water and energy your sprinkler system uses:
Some of us are still enjoying the last cool weather before summer; others have already turned on the air conditioner for the year. Either way, there are things you can do to reduce the amount of energy used to cool your home while still enjoying the benefits of an air conditioner.
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