At the Park District of Franklin Park, we have implemented many ways to be environmentally friendly. Now, we want to share these tips with you! Once a month, we will share one environmentally friendly tip that will teach you how to be kind to our planet. Our second environmentally friendly tip is to reduce the amount of energy you are using in your home.
The first thing you can do is unplug electronics, appliances, and chargers not in use. Many modern devices sip energy even when turned off. Did you know your phone charger consumes 0.26 watts of energy with no phone connected? Here are some benefits of unplugging appliances:
- Save money
- Reduce energy usage
- Reduce your carbon footprint
- Reduce the chance of electrical fires (power strips can help with this, too!)
- Reduces the risk of damage during a power surge
There are many other ways to save energy. One way to conserve energy is to make your home more energy efficient. Besides unplugging your appliances there are several ways this can be accomplished.
- Sealing drafts
- Insulating walls and ceilings
- Replacing inefficient light bulbs
- Replace old appliances with energy-efficient ones. Many appliance manufacturers now offer energy-efficient models that use less electricity than older models.
- Use natural sources of light instead of artificial light whenever possible.
- Be mindful of your energy consumption. For example, you can turn off lights when you leave a room.
- Use a power strip to help with energy usage and plug multiple devices into one strip. You can also look into smart power strips which help reduce electricity usage and diminish energy vampires (appliances that suck your energy efficiency even when they are turned off).
Getting into the practice of unplugging can make a difference! Go around your house and unplug anything not in use. Do this regularly and see the difference it makes.
To learn about more ways to take care of the Earth, join us for our Earth Day Celebration event!