This is sponsored content from BlogHer and GE.
In my continuing effort to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle, one challenge is to reduce our energy consumption and look for ways to conserve energy. This is not easy, particularly in a large family and with the huge amount of technology that relies on electricity to work.
In my area, we are very fortunate that our electrical provider offers a "Green Power Program." This program uses renewable energy from wind, biomass, low impact hydro, and solar energy sources. By signing up for this (optional) program, consumers can put their energy dollars to work and support the effort to move to greener power sources.
The biggest energy challenges in my home mostly stem from the use of household appliances and electronics. While we can take small steps toward conserving energy (like hanging laundry to dry, washing clothes in cold water, unplugging appliances that aren't being used, baking more than one thing at a time when using the oven, or using energy-efficient LED light bulbs) there is much left to be done when it comes to improving energy use at home. These small things that our family does can have a big impact when every household does them. GE believes that the widespread use of clean energy starts in the home. What changes have you made in your home to make it more energy-efficient? How do you optimize your home energy use?
The effort to move toward smarter energy consumption benefits us all. Do you have even bigger ideas about saving energy? GE’s ecomagination Challenge: Powering Your Home is an open call for ideas from businesses, entrepreneurs, innovators, students and every day people with breakthrough ideas for home energy creation, management and use. The ecomagination Challenge is GE's way of reaching out to entrepreneurs, innovators, students, and anyone with big ideas about home energy technology. The first phase of this challenge generated more than 3,800 ideas from all around the world and GE and their partners have committed to investing $200 million dollars into supporting these new ideas. There is still $100 million dollars up for grabs in the second phase of this challenge and it ends on March 15, 2011 so submit your ideas now!
Share with me what your energy use challenges are at home or share an idea that you submitted to the GE ecomagination challenge, for a chance to win a GE energy smart light bulb. The GE energy smart LED light bulb lasts for more than 20 years and ultimately saves you $85 in energy costs. Now that's smart!
Giveaway Rules:
-No duplicate comments.
-You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this
post
c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.
This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw and will be notified by e-mail. You will have 72 hours to get back to me or a new winner will be selected. The Official Rules are available here.
Find more discussion about the GE ecomagination Challenge at BlogHer and at the ecomagination Challenge blog.
You can also check out the ecomagination Challenge on Facebook, Foursquare, and YouTube.
I use CFL’s in most of my lamps. I turn on the dishwasher when I go to bed, to run it when power costs are lower. I cover up with an electric throw in the evenings and use an electric blanket on my bed, so I can lower the temp in the rest of the house. In the summer, I use a floor fan and ceiling fans to supplement the central air system. When I walk around the house at night and see all of the little red lights burning, it reminds me to turn off all unneeded chargers, power strips, etc. I’d love to try this new LED bulb!
ReplyDeleteI hate having so much garbage, and recycling is not offered in my town...so I try to resue things as much as possible. Any envelopes that mail comes in , I cut it up to use as scrap paper. I also wash out and reuse my ziploc baggies (until they get too gross, of course).
ReplyDeleteI wash clothes in cold water. I usually hang clothes to dry and the kids help by turning lights off when not being used.
ReplyDeleteMCantu1019@aol.com
Our home is all-electric and powered by a coal-powered plant, so using less electricity is doubly important. We've switched all our lights to CFLs, except for one fixture over the kitchen island that's incompatible. I try not to use that one unless working on that surface, instead using the fluorescent over the sink to light the room or even better, sitting/eating/working near the double-windowed patio doors for natural light whenever possible.
ReplyDeleteWe turn down the heat at night in winter! Thanks!
ReplyDeletekmassmanATgmailDOTcom
I "catch" the rinse water out of the washing machine (it pours into a wash tub) in buckets, and take that water out to pour on my garden. Its water that would have gone down the drain, and the little bit of soap that's left keeps the bugs off the plants, too. My garden always looks great, even in the hot hot summer!
ReplyDeleteHi, one of our problems was air blowing through our patio doors on windy days so we put in new energy efficient patio doors recently. We also use a programmable thermostat and timers on our lights to save energy.
ReplyDeletemaddiemb {at} comcast (dot) net
Tweet link: http://twitter.com/shala_darkstone/status/39313932367835136
ReplyDeletemaddiemb {at} comcast (dot) net
We unplug our recharger cords when not in use.
ReplyDeleterhoneygtn at yahoo dot com
Tweeted: http://twitter.com/#!/rhoneygee/status/39592776265891840
ReplyDeleterhoneygtn at yahoo dot com
Our biggest challenge is the age of our house. The Victorian style doesn't easily translate into energy efficiency. However we have great storm windows, a sensible gas forced air system on a programmable thermostat and we've sprayed foam behind the plaster wall and fully insulated the attic. That'll have to do.
ReplyDeleteky2here at msn dot com
Here's my tweet: http://twitter.com/#!/ky2here1/status/39638318245347328
ReplyDeleteky2here at msn dot com
unplugging items is great but the biggest energy saver so far is insulating sealing the windows- it amazing how much you can turn down the heat when everything is caulked and sealed and you open the drapes in the winter to let sunshine and light in and close it at night- some serious money saving
ReplyDeleteWe are trying to get our electric bill costs down so we try to make sure everything is off when we leave a room. We are also replacing our bulbs with EF bulbs as the other ones go out so it’s not so expensive!
ReplyDeletehebert024 at aoldot com
We wash and dry a lot of clothes, so we switched to a energy saving washer and dryer.
ReplyDeletelenz.nicole(at)gmail(dot)com
Our problem: having the most energy efficient appliances. We live in an apartment so we can’t buy and replace them. So I make them as efficient as possible. I use only cold water in the washer. Clean the lint filter and the back of the dryer regularly. We open the curtains wide on sunny days for light and close heavy curtains to keep cold out.
ReplyDeleteMy challenge is that the windows need to be replaced. We're saving up for it.
ReplyDeleteTweet:
ReplyDeletehttp://twitter.com/clc408/status/40029186970238976
I use CFL bulbs in just about all of my lamps (which made it hard to use my son's new easy bake oven!), we run our dishwasher at night when there is very little power being used, and I run around house turning off lights after my kids turn them all on :)
ReplyDeletejillk77 at aol dot com
I dont have an idea that hasnt been mentioned already :( I am conserving and using ideas I have gotten her
ReplyDeletewhit1966@gmail.com
I've had solar panels on my roof for 10 years -- I bought my system but now you can lease panels for zero-down from sungevity.com. Big electricity savings! Also, your school can raise money through the sungevity.org Beyond the Bake Sale solar fundraising program.
ReplyDeleteMy energy challenge is my teen daughter! She doesn’t turn stuff off… lights, tv, stereo, chargers, water…. the only thing that’s seemed to help with tv/stereo is that if she leaves it on and leaves the room, it’s OFF for the rest of the night! She doesn’t like that, and is a bit better about turning off, but so far to go! You'd think, since she's doing a class project on saving water that she'd bring it home, but no luck so far!
ReplyDeletesksweeps (at) earthlink (d0t) net
My biggest challenge is our kids, they won't turn off lights or shut doors. I don't understand it but my mom says I was the same way. I am queenesperfect at yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteI unplug appliances, use curly lightbulbs, keep the thermostat low, use a heat pump, recycle and repurpose. However, it wasn’t until I found a triple window leaking cold air that I was able to lower our out-of-control heating bill. I covered the windows in plastic, and the bill dropped dramatically. I’m still amazed at how much money and warmth one sheet of plastic managed to save.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great giveaway!
Tweeted you!
ReplyDeletehttp://twitter.com/Ida_Sessions/status/40874719704133633
We make sure to turn everything off while not in use, even power strips!
ReplyDeletetweeted
ReplyDeletehttp://twitter.com/#!/s8r8l33/status/41395978963660800
My challenge is getting my family to compost everything that can be composted. I am always taking stuff out of the trash that could be composted
ReplyDeletes8r8l33 at yahoo dot com
our challenge is we live next to a very wooded area. this blocks out pretty much all sunlight so it almost always looks like it is "night". This causes us to have at least one light on at all times just to see. :(
ReplyDeleteferriza2(at)yahoo(dot)com
Our newest thing is that we unplug everything that we aren't using.
ReplyDeleteWe have installed faucet aerators and low-flow shower heads to cut water heating costs, but the biggest problems is that all of the members of my family REALLY love taking long showers. We occasionally indulge now, but most of the time we limit our time in the shower.
ReplyDeleteMy biggest challenge is getting everyone else in the house to turn things off and unplug when not in use.
ReplyDeleteTweeted http://twitter.com/#!/kittycardero/status/42023809313804289
ReplyDeleteWe compost, reduce, reuse, reuse again, and recycle! We also reduce heat in winter and unplug items we dont use regularly. I also limit hot water use. OUr biggest energy problem is the a/c in the scorching summer. It HAS to be on.
ReplyDeleteTweeted: http://twitter.com/#!/MabltonRebelRam/status/42184694321651713
ReplyDeleteI'd love to win the LED bulb! This is something Ive been wanting to try out for quite a while to save on energy costs.
our energy use challenges are old appliances that aren't energy efficient, we are working on replacing them just as soon as we can afford to do so
ReplyDeletesusansmoaks at gmail dot com
I need a more energy efficient dishwasher, and my refrigerator is old enough that it probably is not as good as it could be. But the first thing I want to get is one of the new power strips that will leave items like the DVR on while turning off the other electronics plugged into it. I have been replacing my light bulbs as they burn out, and most of them now are CFL bulbs. About the only ones left are the high ceiling ones and a few smaller wattage ones that haven't had appropriate CFL replacements up to now.
ReplyDeletecgclynsg0 @ gmail dot com
We have leaky windows that we deal with by putting plastic sheets over them. We also had a problem with "vampire" energy-we have installed power strips. Thanks!
ReplyDeletedwellenstein at cox dot net
OUR biggest challenge wa s using too much hot water. We lowered the temp of the heater a few degrees and save lots of money
ReplyDeleteardy22 at earthlink dot net
tweet
ReplyDeletehttp://twitter.com/#!/Ardy22/status/42299125965930496
ARDY22 AT EARTHLINK DOT NET
My biggest challenge is air seeping through the windows and doors that are too thin or not sealed well enough.
ReplyDeletelazybones344 at gmail dot com
I tweeted here: http://twitter.com/#!/FotoMacro/status/42328942509694976
ReplyDeleteAngie
14earth at gmail dot com
keeping house costs to a minimum is important when one is unemployed.
ReplyDeleteI turn the thermostat down to save on fuel & $$! And I turn it lower when we are not home.
Thanks for the giveaway!
email in blogger profile.
tweet: http://twitter.com/js22222222/status/42334545281941504
ReplyDeleteemail in blogger profile.
Shut off lights when you leave a room, use daylight rather than turning on lights at all when possible, wash all your laundry in cold water when possible , line dry your clothing when possible, set your thermostat high in the summer and low in the winter, use energy efficient appliances and light bulbs, unplug things that are not in use, etc. We do all of these things and wish the whole planet did! Our power bill is still high to me, but to other people its insanely low. I wish I could afford solar panels for my roof!
ReplyDeleteScott
nynekats at gmail dot com
tweet http://twitter.com/#!/RePurrPussed/status/42332468703006720
ReplyDeleteScott
nynekats at gmail dot com
My biggest problem is getting the kids to turn off the lights when they leave the room.
ReplyDeletedonna444444@yahoo.com
I tweeted:
ReplyDeletehttp://twitter.com/donnak4/status/42365700593029121
donna444444@yahoo.com
We keep our heat lowered and try to turn off the lights once we leave the room.
ReplyDeleteDiane Baum
esldiane@gmail.com
My biggest challenge is my husband. He can't turn a light or a TV off, despite loudly proclaiming to the world what an environmentalist he is. I've given up - I just turn them off whenever he leaves a room.
ReplyDeleteI tweeted http://twitter.com/bsw529/status/42386624742572032
ReplyDeleteEmail address is in blogger profile