EnergyMiser101

How Much Does It Cost to Take a Bath?

      I have eczema, especially on my legs and back, and I dread the coming of winter and the havoc dry skin wreaks on my body.

     But this year was different. In October, just as the old itchy skin problem was flaring up, an allergist I visited gave me a wonderful solution--daily warm baths and Aveeno Soothing Bath Treatment. It's been like a miracle. Not only does my skin look better, but it feels much better. In fact, my back has hardly itched, even though this winter in northern New Jersey has been about 9 percent colder than last year.

     What does all this have to do with energy consumption? Well, as I took these leisurely soaks in the tub, I got to wondering, just how much does it cost to take a bath?  You might be wondering, too, even if you don't have time for a bath yourself, but run one every day for one of your young kids.

   The quick answer is that it's not too bad. It costs about 46 cents worth of natural gas to provide the water I need for the tub. Read on for details.

Stop Newspaper Delivery While Away

     Temporarily stopping your newspaper delivery may deprive a neighborhood kid from making a little cash by picking up your paper, but it will benefit others. A lot of publishers will credit your account while you're away, so you'll save money and a tree—or at least a branch! Many papers also allow you to donate the cost of the subscription while you're away to a charity, or to have the papers you temporarily cancel donated to a school or other worthy public facility.

Home Insulation 2: Start With the Attic

    The daffodils are blooming, my eleven-year-old is wearing shorts, and my husband is talking about cleaning our screened porch, and I'm having nagging thoughts about temperture extremes, so my exploration of home insulation continues. I've picked up more information I thought I'd pass along in case you, like me, want to plan ahead for very cold or hot weather.

     The two most important things we learned are that you should determine by infrared testing how much insulation exists in your house and what conditions it's in, and, if you invest in insulation, start from the top down. (Other tips for saving money during the cold weather are to invest in a good digital indoor thermometer and to turn the heat down one degree for every hour you're all out of the house—up to eight degrees.)

Try a Metal Water Bottle

     I confess that our daughter has been taking plastic bottles of water to school every day for several years. This is bad for the environment since fewer than 25 percent of plastic bottles are recycled. Also, since the plastic used to make these bottles comes from petroleum, their production contributes to our reliance on imported oil and to polluting our environment.

     Bottled water is also not as good for the person drinking it. Tap water quality is closely regulated by EPA under the Clean Water Act, but bottled water is only regulated by FDA and is not subject to all the same testing requirements (although about a quarter of bottled water is tap water, so some of it does undergo the more stringent EPA regulations!) To learn more and/or to buy a bottle try the Back2Tap Web site or the Greensender Web site.

What Is Biofuel and Is It In My Heating Oil?

     Soybeans. When I think of them, I think of Chinese food or my first job as a reporter covering a beat called Oils, Fats, and Waxes. I don't think about heating our house. But, that's exactly what I found out that soybean oil is being used for—to supplement our fuel oil.

     You may have some in your heating oil too. But, don't panic. It won't cost you any more and it won't make your house smell like Chinese food. If you have oil heat, and your oil contains some biofuel (most likely soybean oil), you'll actually be contributing to a cleaner environment and a reduction in dependence on foreign oil—all at no cost to  you.

     Our local supplier, Mitchell Supreme, ran an article in its newsletter touting the use of biofuel in their heating oil. The idea of biofuels peaked my interest, so I gave them a call.