Tips for an Eco-Friendly Lifestyle
Here are some more ways for YOU to help conserve energy and resources around your house or dorm:
Dishwashers 
- Don’t run the dry cycle - let dishes air dry or dry them with a towel
- Use full loads
- Turn the water temperature down to 120º F
- Scrape your dishes instead of rinsing them before loading
Refrigerators
- Make sure the refrigerator is not next to an outdoor-facing wall or an oven
- Vacuum underneath your fridge every 3 months - dust builds up around the coils and reduces energy efficiency
- Let hot foods cool before placing them inside your refrigerator
Washers and Dryers
- Use cold or warm water: 85-90% of a washer’s energy use goes towards heating the water. A lower temperature is also better for the condition and longevity of your clothes
- Clean the lint filter so clothes will dry easier. This will eliminate the need to run the dryer twice. Not only can clogged filters increase energy use up to 30%, but they are also a fire hazard
Water Usage
- Shortening your shower by only 2 minutes saves 5 gallons of water from needing to be heated up and used
- Turn off the water when brushing your teeth
- Compatible Kohler toilets, marked by signs in the facilities on campus, have dual-flush options to conserve water
Electronics 
- Unplug unused electronics - even blinking lights use energy. A power strip can be a quick and easy way to shut down many appliances at once
- 40% of all household energy is geared towards appliances that are “turned off”
- Chargers (i.e. cell phone, iPod) use 1 watt per hour each. If constantly left in, three chargers would use 72 watts in a day, 504 watts a week, and 2160 watts in a month
- Switch to rechargeable batteries to minimize toxic waste
- Switch from incandescent to compact fluorescent light bulbs in lamps
- Turn off lights when leaving your room
Thermostat
- Increase the temperature by 1 degree in the summer and decrease 1 degree in the winter. In the winter, you can save 2% in heating costs for each degree you turn down on your thermostat for 8 hours. The reverse applies in the summer
- Shade your windows to prevent unneeded heat from entering your room
Cars
- Walk or bike to your destination or carpool when possible
- Slow down! Driving at 90 mph rather than 65 mph requires almost twice the energy and driving at 65 mph rather than 45 mph requires 1/3 more energy to overcome wind resistance.