From Guest Blogger Joe Pawlikowski: 3 Ways To Practice Conservation at Home in 2013

In this age of social media, it is easy to talk about pressing issues. Users take to social channels and discuss topics that will impact our futures. Prominent among them is the issue of our environment. But while many people feel they have the answers to the pressing questions of our times, few of these people take action.

In our age of seemingly infinite information and knowledge resources, it is easier than ever to put simple plans into action. That is to say, those who speak up in social forums can also play their part in the solution. Whether it’s organizing a drive to write members of Congress concerning legislation, or taking simple conservation measures at home, the means are readily available.

Everyone can start with conservation in their homes. For nearly a decade we’ve been inundated with basic advice, such as replacing incandescent lightbulbs with CFLs or LEDs. Yet there are many other measures we can take in our own homes to reduce our environmental impacts.

Conserve Water: Check pipes and fixtures

When I was a kid I used to watch Mister Wizard’s World religiously. In each episode he taught important scientific principles through tantalizing experiments. Yet one of his lessons that stood out to me had little to do with science. It had to do with leaky faucets and how much water they waste.

In the bit, Mr. Wizard set a faucet to leak slowly, about a drip every two or three seconds. He asked the kid working with him how many gallons that leak would fill in a year, showing him 20-, 30-, and 50-gallon containers. The kid selected the 20-gallon container. Mr. Wizard shocked him, and me at home, by saying it was none of them, but rather a 100-gallon container (which he produced for effect).

Your home might contain a number of leaky faucets. Tightening the fixtures might be the only way to fully close that pipe and prevent the water from leaking out. Additionally, there might be pipes in your home that leak. These are more damaging, because you cannot see them. Using a leak detection apparatus can let you know if and where your pipes are leaking, so that you can tighten them or have a professional fix them if necessary.

Conserve Electricity: Switch to tankless water heaters

Water heaters can be a homeowner’s greatest pain. They’re fragile appliances, failing throughout their lifespans. Water heater repair is no cheap matter. Even then, the average tank water heater lasts only about a decade. So not only does the unit itself cost you several hundred dollars, plus installation, but it costs you more in repairs, and then replacement within a dozen years tops.

To make matters even worse, water heaters are huge energy sucks. Richard Harris of NPR found that his water heater consumed about 35 percent of his home’s electricity. His solution was switching to a natural gas water heater. My own parents took this advice, and have been happy with the solution. They’re consuming gas in place of electricity, sure, but it’s a net environmental gain.

Homeowners can increase this effect by going with a tankless gas water heater. Tank heaters consume energy by keeping a large tank of water warm, ready for heating when needed. Tankless water heaters, on the other hand, heat water on demand. They use less energy, since they are not keeping a large tank of water warm at all times. The next time you need water heater repair, it might prove more efficient just to outright replace it.

Conserve Oil: Programmable thermostats

When a few friends and I rented a house after college, we had one overriding goal in mind: reduce our costs as much as possible. We all had entry-level jobs that paid the bills but left little room for flexibility. So when a lump expense, such as oil, came up many of us had to cut back in other areas. The last thing we wanted was to fill our oil tank twice in a winter, so we took measures to conserve.

Thankfully, our landlord had installed a programmable thermostat in the house. This allowed us to lower the temperature while we weren’t home during the day. Since we all left the house between 7:30 and 8:30, and since we all got home between 5:30 and 6, it was an easy task. The heat went from a modest 67 while we were home to a hair below 60 while we were out. When we got home, the house automatically heated back up.

Yet we took this a step further. We all had heavy comforters on our beds, and we all liked sleeping under them in the winter. At around 10 p.m. we set the thermostat to again lower to around 60. For the next eight hours we conserved oil, with the heat kicking back in before the first of us woke up. For two winters we lived in that house, and we managed to purchase just a tank and a half of oil.

We live in an age where we can back up our impassioned social media speeches with genuine action. Talking only fills the room with hot air, and typing on social media only fills the web with pixels. Taking genuine action to back up our words is the only way to make a true difference. Thankfully, taking action at home is simple and effective. With a few measures we can conserve water, electricity, and oil at home, reducing our own environmental footprints. And what better way to lead than by example?