24 Hours Unplugged

Can you go a full 24-hours using as little energy as possible? This means no use of electronic devices, unplug everything that doesn't absolutely NEED to be plugged in, drive as little as possible, and possibly take cold showers. It's not as easy as it sounds, or is it? This week's assignment asked us minimize our energy use and reflect on the experience. So, here it goes.

What did I completely "unplug"?

• Warm showers: This was TOUGH, but I wanted to see if I could do it, and I can. Every morning, I look forward to warm shower. It makes having to get up at the crack of dawn everyday seem bearable. With that being said, I hated it. It was definitely not the way I wanted to start my day.
• All electronic devices, including cell phone, television, laptop and tablet, nor did I use the computers at work/school: These were easier to give than I thought. The cell phone was the hardest. I rely on that way to much. I had to dig out my watch, but I made it through. Without these, I was much less distracted and was able to focus on things that needed to be done. So productivity was definitely a bonus!
• All small appliances: These are usually unplugged as I rarely use them.

What did I minimize?

• Lights: I only turned a light on once it got dark, and I only had one on in the room that I was in. This really wasn't anything different than normal. I stay up late almost every night, so even though it was just one light, you don't realize how many hours it's actually on for and how much energy it's using until you're forced to pay attention.
• Driving: I only drove when I had to, which was to go to school and then come home. This is actually the most difficult. I drive way more than I need it. One of the things that de-stresses me is going off-roading to find a quiet place to study.

What am I willing and NOT willing to give up?

• I'm definitely not willing to give up warm showers. I'm willing to make a time limit, but not give them up completely.
• Giving up electronic devices is simply not feasible. However, I can reduce how many I use at the same time. I don't need to be watching TV, working on the computer, listening to music on my phone, and having my tablet displaying slide shows for school all at the same time. And yes, i'm ashamed to say this happens on a regular basis.
• Clothes dryer and washing in cold water: I didn't need to do laundry during this time, but one easy way to cut back energy usage is to wash my clothes in cold water and hang them to dry.
• Unplug everything that doesn't need to be plugged it. This includes TVs, chargers, small appliances, etc... If i'm not using it, and its not "important" than it doesn't need to be plugged in.

How can I increase energy efficiency in my home?

     I took a good look around my home. All of our appliances are energy efficient. All of our light bulbs are either low-energy or LED. Our windows are dual-pane to conserve energy. However, I would like to have solar panels installed. I know its not cheap, but it really does pay off.