Reducing your energy use is one of the most powerful sustainability choices you can make, and with the right tools, it can save you money, too.
Most consumers’ greatest environmental impacts are linked to energy use. This means that using less energy is a great way to practice sustainable living. Fortunately, this can also save money. Here are a few ways to advance sustainability while saving money on energy costs.
Take advantage of available help
Utilities like Southern California Edison and the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power offer educational resources, rebates, loans, and other incentives to help you save energy. It can sometimes be confusing to sort through the various options, but it is well worth the effort. For example, you can get a rebate for a smart thermostat that will reduce your heating and cooling costs by learning your habits and automatically adjusting heating and cooling when you’re away or asleep. Low- and moderate-income customers often qualify for special financial incentives from the utilities.
Choose efficiency when making major purchases
There is a significant difference between the most and least efficient appliances. If you get a washing machine that is 30 percent more efficient than an inefficient one, it will reduce your environmental impact by 30 percent each time you use it and will save money on electricity and water bills.
Nowhere is the impact greater than with vehicles. Within every vehicle class — SUV, sedan, pickup truck, etc. — there is a wide variation in fuel economy. By choosing the most efficient, you will minimize your environmental impact each time you drive and will spend less money on gasoline.
Electric vehicles (EVs) can be especially sustainable and cost-effective, in part because they require less maintenance. With the elimination of federal EV tax credits, the state of California has stepped in with attractive state tax credits, meaning an EV will likely save money over its lifetime.
Make no-cost changes for sustainable living
Some changes don’t require you to buy anything but will still save you money. Here are two simple examples.
First, wash your clothes in cold water using a laundry detergent designed for cold water use. The clothes will still get clean. Most of the environmental impact from clothes washing comes from heating the water rather than from operating the machine.
Second, don’t automatically rinse your dishes before loading them into the dishwasher. Instead, scrape food into the garbage and only rinse when dealing with things like cheese and eggs that stick to plates. Modern dishwashers and detergents are designed to detect and break down food soils. It also takes less water and energy to use a dishwasher than to wash dishes by hand.
