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In a previous post, I talked about how I purchased a number of flourescent bulbs for the house and how many watts that was going to save. Well the other day, I bought more! I’m trying to strategically replace certain bulbs around the house. The issue is that if you need immediate light (say in a closet) the flourescents aren’t the best choice. They do take awhile to warm up. So here’s the tally for the moment:

• 5 Can lights in the kitchen @ 65W each = 325W
• 2 Can lights in the master bath @ 65W each = 130W
• 2 Can Lights Outside @ 65W each = 130W
• 1 Can light above fireplace @ 65W = 65W(duh!)
• 6 Can Lights Hallway/Stairway @ 65W each = 390W
• 2 Lamps @ 100W = 200W
• 1 Lamp, One Outdoor light @ 60W each = 120W
• Total Wattage Pre Green John = 1,360

Now, let’s look at the same comparison with the flourescents:

• 5 Can lights in the kitchen @ 15W each = 75W
• 2 Can lights in the master bath @ 15W each = 30W
• 2 Can Lights Outside @ 15W each = 30W
• 1 Can light above fireplace @ 15W = 15W
• 6 Can Lights Hallway/Stairway @ 15W each = 90W
• 2 Lamps @ 14W = 28W
• 1 Lamp, One Outdoor light @ 14W each = 28W
• Total Wattage With Green John = 296

That’s a savings of 1,064 WATTS! OR 79%!

Another thing I’ve done this year is switch to reusable grocery bags. After reading one report of what it costs to recycle the plastic bags and some of the harmful things they can do to the environment, I went out and bought 10 of the bags at Fred Meyer. To my amazement, they were only $0.89 cents each. AND they give you back $0.05 each time you use them. So eventually they will actually pay for themselves. I put 5 in my car and left 5 for Teri. Now, most times I forget to bring them into the store. When I do forget I tell the cashier to not bag my groceries, I’ll just do it when I get to the car. But I’m getting better about remembering to bring them in. In fact, later this month, I plan to pop-by about 30 of my clients and drop off a bag for them too! So if you’re on my mailing list, you may get a surprise little gift from me!

And finally in another post over at my Hurlbuthomes.com blog, I talked about changing the settings on my programmable thermostat. That made a huge difference last spring. So we’ll see how it does this winter. No more $300.00 + electric and gas bills I hope!

I know these small contributions won’t make a huge difference in the grand scheme of things. But I feel better knowing they’re helping a LITTLE.