Use this page to find actions that your household has completed or plans to complete. Browse the categories on the left to find actions for the Power Saver, Green Leader, or Renewable Star Challenge.
Once you have signed in, you can click Add to My Challenge to add an action to your To Do List, Already Completed to mark an action as complete, or Not Applicable if the action does not apply to you.
Once signed in, you can rate each of the actions you have completed.
The highest rated action appear under the Most Popular Actions category.
ACTIONS
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Green leaves denote the number of Green Points earned by completing the action and its relative environmental benefit.
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Hammers denote the relative amount of effort needed to implement the action.
A key denotes a renter-friendly action.Dollar signs denote the relative cost of implementing the action. Free < $100 $100-$500 $501-$2000 > $2000 Use a smart power stripUsing a Smart Strip can cut the cost of vampire power in a home entertainment system in half. Even when your TV, DVD player, video game systems, and other electronics are turned off, they are still using electricity as long as they are plugged in. A Smart Strip makes it easy to cut off power to multiple devices when they aren't in use. Plug your TV or computer monitor into the "master" outlet on the Smart Strip, and plug any devices that you want to remain always on, such as a DVR or lamp, into the "constant-on" outlet. Other devices will only come on when the TV or computer monitor does, while devices plugged into the “constant-on” outlet remain on all the time.
Watch this video to learn how to use a smart power strip.
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Green leaves denote the number of Green Points earned by completing the action and its relative environmental benefit.
3
Hammers denote the relative amount of effort needed to implement the action. Hammers denote the relative amount of effort needed to implement the action.
A key denotes a renter-friendly action.Dollar signs denote the relative cost of implementing the action. Free < $100 $100-$500 $501-$2000 > $2000 Unplug power adapters and small electronics/appliances when not in useStandby power, vampire power, and phantom loads refer to the electric power consumed by electronic appliances, such as VCRs, televisions, stereos, computers, and kitchen appliances, while they are switched off or in standby mode. A very common "electricity vampire" is a power adapter which has no power-off switch.
Make sure to unplug your cell phone and reusable battery chargers from the outlet when not in use. These use energy even when not charging! You can also save energy by plugging electronics and appliances into power strips and turning them off when not in use.
Studies at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have estimated that standby power may account for 5% to as much as 10% of total residential household power-consumption in the U.S. That adds up to that $3-6 billion in energy costs and is equivalent to the power generated by between 18 and 36 average power stations.
Learn more about reducing vampire power from EnergySavers.gov.
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Green leaves denote the number of Green Points earned by completing the action and its relative environmental benefit.
2
Hammers denote the relative amount of effort needed to implement the action.
A key denotes a renter-friendly action.Dollar signs denote the relative cost of implementing the action. Free < $100 $100-$500 $501-$2000 > $2000 Use a microwave, outdoor grill, pressure or solar cookerCooking on a stove or using your kitchen oven, even for about an hour a day, can raise the overall temperature in your home by as much as four degrees. Heating caused by using your oven or stove makes it more difficult for your air conditioning thermostat to maintain proper room temperature. Using a microwave (which uses 66% less energy) or grilling outside can ease some of the burden on your air conditioning system, lowering your summer energy bills.
Go even greener by trying solar cooking! Search online for “solar oven retailers” or find instructions for making your own at home. Pressure cookers are another tool to save energy, and may be up to 70% more efficient than other cooking methods due to drastically reduced cooking times.
Jun 14 Lorett Chan
I do use a pressure cooker sometimes.
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Green leaves denote the number of Green Points earned by completing the action and its relative environmental benefit.
2
Hammers denote the relative amount of effort needed to implement the action.
A key denotes a renter-friendly action.Dollar signs denote the relative cost of implementing the action. Free < $100 $100-$500 $501-$2000 > $2000 Check temperature settings on your refrigerator and freezerThe EPA recommends keeping refrigerators between 34 to 40°F and freezers between 0 and 5°F. To test the temperature in a freezer, place a thermometer between frozen packages and check the reading after 24 hours. For the refrigerator, place a thermometer in a glass of water and set it in the center of the fridge for 24 hours before taking the reading. Limiting the frequency of opening and closing doors helps to keep the temperature consistent, saving energy and preserving food longer. Learn more about refrigerator and freezer temperatures from EnergySavers.gov.
Check out more fridge and freezer energy tips from the Consumer Energy Center.
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Green leaves denote the number of Green Points earned by completing the action and its relative environmental benefit.
5
Hammers denote the relative amount of effort needed to implement the action.
A key denotes a renter-friendly action.Dollar signs denote the relative cost of implementing the action. Free < $100 $100-$500 $501-$2000 > $2000 Wash clothes in cold water at least 75% of the timeWhen you wash your clothes in hot water, only 10% of the required energy goes to running the machine; 90% goes to heating the water. In most cases, cold water cleans clothing just as well as warm water. Cold water washing results in the biggest energy savings, but even switching temperature settings from hot to warm can cut the energy used to heat a machine load of water in half. Learn more about the benefits of washing in cold water and other energy-saving laundry tips.
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You must be registered and logged in to leave comments