Damek.

I value efficiency, particularly when it comes to energy. Alex and I have used compact fluorescents for years; they save energy and money. Yet our current apartment has track lighting in the living room, the room we spend the most time in, with special bulbs you can’t replace with CFLs. Granted, the track’s three bulbs already use only 20 watts each.

But now I’ve come across some LED-based bulbs which should work with less than 3 watts. The price is comparable, so I’ve ordered one to test, and if it doesn’t blow the power main for the building (just kidding, Mr. Landlord), replacing all three should save a bundle of energy. I’ll be sure to report the results…

I’ve also finally rejiggered my living room electronics to be effectively unplugged when I’m not using them. See, power supplies suck down some energy even when the device they power is off. Plus, devices with remote controls are always using some energy to monitor for signals from the remote control.

I used to do this 3 years ago in our first apartment. I set up two power strips, and one gets the things that can safely be “unplugged” when not in use. Then, when we we’re not using them, after turning them off we also flip the switch on the power strip, cutting off all power. What can safely be unplugged? The video screen, the speakers, the DVD player, the printer/scanner, and a few other small things (audio switchbox, external backup hard drive, etc.)

No, I’m not sure how much energy this saves, but you know what? I know it saves some, and the living room seems quieter, too.

Finally, since I enjoy a nice cup of tea now and then, I’ve regularly used our smallest stove pot to heat water on our gas stove. As far as I can tell, this isn’t the most efficient way to heat water, especially when I forget that I put water on, thus wasting more energy water. I tried a whistling kettle but it didn’t whistle, so I returned it (and whistling kettles are kind of expensive). Besides, part of the problem is that I don’t think the gas-to-water heat transfer is very efficient.

So I got a small electric tea kettle, a Bodum Mini Ibis. It has a metal element directly in contact with the water, and an automatic shut-off when the water boils. In addition to reminding me nostalgically of the electric kettles I saw everywhere in England, it seems more efficient all around.

These are just some little ideas. Upper Green Side has some bigger ideas…