How can I make my personal energy consumption more sustainable?

Here are some ideas you should consider:

• Turn your lights off every time you leave your room (or any room). According to Wesleyan's Utilities Manager Peter Staye, wasted energy consumption accounts for about 20% of the energy on campus.
• Replace all the incandescent (standard, pear-shaped) light bulbs in your room with compact fluorescents (twirly-shaped). This saves 75% of the energy your lamps are consuming. Free light bulbs are available at the Cardinal Technology Center in Usdan!
• Wash your clothes in cold water ("Bright Colors" setting on campus machines). This uses far less energy than warm water.
• When possible, dry your clothes on a drying rack or a clothesline instead of using a drying machine. Clothes dryers consume more energy than most household appliances.
• Only run your laundry machine and dishwashers when you have a full load. A half load requires as much energy as a full load!
• Unplug cell phone, iPod, and laptop chargers whenever the devices are not plugged in. When possible, put surge protectors into "off" mode to avoid needless electricity drainage. Doing this regularly can save you about $13 a year.
• Close all windows when buildings are being heated or cooled.
• Reduce the heat or bump the cooling setting 10 degrees for times you're at work or asleep—a programmable thermostat makes it easy—and you'll lower fuel bills 10 to 15 percent or more.
• Turn off the air conditioner on cool evenings and open the windows. Then shut them in the morning and lower the blinds and shades to keep your home cooler.
• On sunny winter days, raise the blinds and shades, especially on south-facing windows, so the sun heats your home passively, as it would a greenhouse. This provides carbon-free lighting too!
• Report to Physical Plant (work_order@wesleyan.edu) any inefficiencies in your Wesleyan residence, office, or workplace (such as dripping faucets, cracks in windows, overheating, etc.).
• Conserve water by taking shorter showers and turn off water while brushing your teeth, washing your face, shaving, or washing dishes.
• If you run water while washing dishes by hand, in 10 minutes you'll use more water than the dishwasher uses. Use a fully-loaded dishwasher when possible.
• Clean the coils of your refrigerator every six months and you'll save about $30 on your electricity bills.
• When using a stove, put a lid on the pot. Bake with Pyrex and ceramic pans, which retain heat better than metal pans.

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