In the last entry, I discussed things that you can do inside your house to save energy. Oddly enough, there are not as many websites and blog posts out there dedicated to what you can do outside the house to conserve, even though there are plenty of things to do! Here's what I gathered, but I hope that you'll chime in with comments on your outdoor energy-saving tips.

• Motion sensors: Liza at Moms...check nyo suggests using motion-sensing lights outdoors. Instead of burning constantly, motion-sensing lights will detect if something is moving in the area, like you, or a car, or even a bad guy.
• Fluoresce: Compact fluorescent light bulbs are perfect for outdoor flood lights, especially if you have some that you leave on all night. The ones we use are 26 watts, but are the equivalent of a 90 watt incandescent light. That's less than a third of the energy required to give off the same amount of light.
• Go solar: Don't worry - I'm not talking about installing solar panels on the roof! I mean "solar" as in solar landscape lights. We have a really treacherous front walk that's terrifying in the dark, but wiring lights to run alongside it would be costly and time-consuming. Solar lights can illuminate walkways and just need to be stuck into the ground. No muss, no fuss. Popular Garden has some great information on these sun-powered lights.
• Seal around the windows: Renaissance Ronin has some really wonderful tips about energy conservation, including how to caulk around windows to save 20% on heating/cooling costs, as well as how to choose new windows if yours need replacing.
• Crawl around: Check your basement, attic, and crawlspace for duct and insulation problems. Make sure that insulation is in good shape and that it's thick enough. Inspect your ducts and see if there are any holes in them. Rodents think of ducts as tiny highway tunnels and can chew right through the non-metal ones if they can't find a handy on-ramp.
• Don't sprinkle in the rain: If you have an automatic sprinkler system, install a rain sensor that prevents the sprinkler from running if it has rained recently. By the way, check your water bills - many places average your water usage during the winter months when you don't water the lawn and use that rate to determine your bills for the rest of the year. It always pays to conserve water, but even more so during averaging times.
• Push that mower: Why not sell that gas mower and leaf blower and get yourself a push mower and a rake? Not only will you conserve energy, but you'll get a good workout.
• Clean and tune: Check the outside parts of your air conditioners to make sure they're not clogged up with leaves. In fact, it's not a bad idea to have a professional check out your heating and air conditioning systems as the weather changes to make sure they're working as designed.

Did any of these tips strike a chord with any of you? Do you have anything you'd like to add? Be sure to leave a comment and let us know what steps you take outside the house to conserve energy.

Posted by Dee | tagged: Energy