Reducing consumption 2

Continued from yesterday...

• Turn off TVs, stereos, computers, etc. when not in use.
• Consider putting all the electronics in the entertainment center in a single accessible strip with a power switch, and turn it off when you leave the house or go to bed. This unfortunately resets digital clocks, but saves the trickle use of power to all these items.
• Do the same with small appliances in the kitchen and with computer workstations.
• Turn off your computer monitor if you're stepping away for more than a minute or two. They warm back up very quickly, and monitors are not only a big energy drain, they generate heat.
• Turn off the computer or put to sleep if you're leaving it for more than 5 minutes.
• Don't let water run unnecessarily
• Use a clothes line, if practical, at least for some things (sheets that air dry smell great)
• Keep the freezer close to full.
• Use the oven efficiently by fixing several items in it at once, especially during the summer, and limit or avoid using it during really hot weather.
• Make efficient use of an electric stove's burners. Keep in mind that the burners take time to warm up AND cool down. This means, for some items, you can turn the burner off before the food is entirely done, and it will keep cooking for a minute or two longer. 
• Another way I take advantage of this is using the same burner in succession. I heat the water for my coffee in the morning while I prep whatever I'm going to cook. When the water boils, I have the fry pan or sauce pan ready to go on the same burner. Since the burner is already hot, the pan is ready to cook as quickly as on a gas stove.

Continued tomorrow...