Many of the new faucets for sinks have a single handle that controls both hot and cold water.  The “off” position for many of these faucets is set so that if the handle is lifted straight up, a mix of hot and cold water will flow to the faucet.  If the water only flows from the faucet for a short time, the warm water never reaches the faucet.  However, hot water still flows out of the water heater and into the pipes leading to the faucet.  This means that the water heater has to heat new water to replace it.  The heat from the warm water in the pipes is lost without serving a purpose, and during the summer can end up putting a small amount of heat into the house, which then may cause the air conditioner (if you have one) to run a few seconds longer.  This is not a large use of energy, but it adds up over many days and many households.  When you use the sink faucet, start with the handle in the full “cold” position unless you plan to run the faucet long enough to get warm or hot water for a specific use. 

In the July 31 post, I discussed standby power, which is the electricity that electronic devices use when they are turned off or in a standby mode.  More ways to reduce standby power use include:

• When it is time to buy a new appliance, computer, or TV, look at the features each model has for putting it into a sleep mode that uses less standby power. 
• Check the owner’s manual for all your products.  Many have features that you can select that will reduce how that item uses energy.  Computers allow you to change settings so that the computer will go into hibernate or sleep mode after a period of inactivity.  You can select that period of inactivity based on your habits and needs.
• Consider using ENERGY STAR® products.  ENERGY STAR products are energy efficient and many have lower standby power.  You can read more at www.energystar.gov.   The website has information on a wide variety of products and how the ENERGY STAR ratings work.   Many products have ENERGY STAR labels attached at the store that helps you compare energy efficiency of products. 
  

Several decades ago, a TV commercial used the slogan “a little dab will do ya” to sell their product.  The phrase is a good reminder for me to be aware of the volume that I use of products such as shampoo, dish detergent, and laundry soap.  Experiment to get the best results with the least amount of product.  You then use fewer resources and also reduce the volume of chemicals going into the sewer.