Green Options

Like this post? Subscribe to our RSS feed and stay up to date.

They’re not sexy, and the Department of Energy estimates 13% of your home energy consumption goes into a big tank of hot water. I’ve seen other estimates that go higher, and a larger or older tank will burn more energy. So your water heater may be one of the more boring appliances in your home, but it’s a leading load on your energy bill. Fortunately, there are easy ways to fix that.

First let’s talk about how to improve a water heater that you already have. For less than $20, you can hit your local DIY hub/ home improvement store and buy a water heater blanket with quick and easy assembly instructions. If Internet testimonials are true, it will probably take more time to drive to the store and buy one, than it will to install it. If your water heater already has a blanket, bravo! Just keep in mind that the big sticker on the front of your water heater has some important information. You might want to tape it to the blanket for easy reference. While you’re at it, you could also consider insulating some of your pipes or ducts (see first link in this paragraph) for even more savings.

As for the yawn-factor on water heater tanks, check out my favorite Myth Busters episode from the Discovery Channel. (Please don’t try at home, duh)

Despite the fact that our Wisconsin farmstead, Inn Serendipity, remains covered with that nameless white stuff, my heart sits outside in the garden, ready for spring. Since curing my spring fever won’t come from planting pea pods anytime soon, I’ve learned to channel this vernal quest for change by revisiting old ideas with fresh perspectives.

March begs for a dash of newness and, in the spirit of greening our lives and recycling, there’s no better food for fodder (literally) than revisiting the things we see everyday, probing for a nugget of inspiration. From dusting off old cookbooks (I’m amazed at how I can always rekindle an old favorite I haven’t made in a while from our B&B cookbook, Edible Earth: Savoring the Good Life with Vegetarian Recipes from Inn Serendipity) to foraging to the back of the pantry and finding that jar of grape leaves in brine (foodie impulse buy?), there’s a good shot of ideas nearby.