Energy Saving Tip of the Week

Welcome to the second of two recurring installment programs found on this blog: the Energy Saving Tip of the Week. Like Downtown of the Week, I will highlight an energy saving tip you can implement in your daily life to save some $ and this. Sometimes it will be through the implementation of technology, sometimes a change in behavior, but each will be a change that is attainable (ie I'm not going to recommend that you build a house oriented to the south, insulated with stray bales, and that runs off of photovoltaic electricity... though that would be cool.).

This week's tip:

Turn off the water while brushing your teeth. Most faucets run about 1 gallon/minute, take a moment to calculate how much water you can save from one of your ordinary brushing sessions. This also saves energy! Water down the drain is water that must be sanitized through the local water plant. This process takes energy that causes greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, if you use warm water to brush then you will save even more energy using this tip because it takes energy to warm the water going down the drain! Additional perks? Fitness for your forearms and a lower water bill (every cent counts!).