Just yesterday I was preparing to shave and I left the water running for a while until it heat up and I though, what the hell am I doing, I am spending lots of water. And then I noticed I used to do this all the time. Do you also leave the water running until it heats or you just start using it as soon as you open the Faucet?
Well, I think with shaving, that's sort of an exception. It'd be horrible to shave with cold water! But, it's just something you need to be conscious of during daily tasks. Like when brushing your teeth, only turning on the water when you need to do so. Taking shorter showers is another way to save a little water. Also, I'm not so sure how much these cost, but you can also have toilets installed that only use a fraction of the water.
If you have to run the water until it heats up, you could put a stopper in the sink to retain the water and then use it to water your plants or something. One time during a drought, I actually used buckets of bathwater to water our lawn because there were watering restrictions in my area. We also used to have a washing machine that drained into the back yard so that the back lawn got watered.
Yeah, it's so common for us to use and abuse water like that, but at the same time when I watch those documentaries made in Africa and other poor countries and I see that they don't have water, that makes me feel bad. Not to mention the cost of water and gas I am having by doing that.
It depends. If I need hot water (like to wash grease off with grease....or to shower...), then yes, I wait. If I'm just rinsing my hands, though? Nope.
I recently replaced some lights in my family's house, and now they use about 20 watts an hour for both the kitchen and the hallway. Even better, they are advertised as lasting 50,000 hours, which means it'll be more than a few years before they have to be replaced. As for water, I take much shorter showers in the summer with cold water, which is just refreshing in the summer heat.
I think it is very important to save water and electricity. These are renewable sources of energy and water levels are depreciating in high standards and hence as more surveys predict, there will be acute water shortage by the end of 2030. Most of the world is already reporting lower average rainfall, and hence it is important to conserve water. As far as electricity is concerned, it should be not a waste of resource. Switching off the fans etc is a good step to start with.
Sure it's very important to save water and electricity foodietr, but have you read the opening post? I think that the main question is really if we are saving or if we are spending what we don't need, for example like I said leaving the water running until it heats up. In the summer we can go for a more extreme experience, like trying to take cold showers, it's really reinvigorating.
I do not heat my water because I live in a tropical country, so we prefer to have cold water over here. I'm the type that does not leave the faucet running unattended because I know that water is a precious commodity and I would be wasting it and my money if I waste it.
I used to leave the tap running when I was a kid but as I grew up I realized the importance of saving resources so I no longer do it. Whenever I use the tap, I'll only turn it on when washing. Other times like brushing my teeth or applying soap I'll keep it closed. As for electricity, I always make a habit of switching off everything when not in use. I think electrical equipments last longer when not left running all the time including the computer.
That is exactly what I do daimashin, even at work for example, I work in a university and we have lots of rooms, when I pass by a room or a bathroom and the lights are on, I always turn them off. I know I am not the one paying for that, but it messes with me to see energy being spent with no need.
That's what I always do too Peninha. Whenever I see taps running inn public toilets, I'll always turn them off. Many people that it's not their business so they don't care but not me. I can't stand wastage!
Yep, I really don't get how someone can leave a public restroom and leave a tap running, it makes no sense in my head, would they do that at home? I also teach that to my kids, to turn off the lights and shut down the water, I want them to grow up as responsible adults and it's never too soon to learn the good things.
I shave in the shower. I take a nice hot shower and the last thing I do before leaving the shower is shaving. Why? The hairs on your face will be nice and soft from the prolong exposure from the hot water. You will get a closer shave.
Yeah I used to waste a lot of water and electricity both. I wrote an article on it for YCN a long time ago. I would link to it but they shut down so here is what I came up with. Unplug everything when you don't use it, even if it only has a tiny light. If it's yellow let it mellow, brown wash it down. Don't wait for your shower to warm up before getting in the shower. Thaw food in the fridge not under running water. Turning off lights when you leave the room. Make a rain collection system to water your lawn or garden. There are a ton of them out there. I've slowly gotten better about this stuff over the years.
I think that shaving in the shower is something complicated Josh, how can you see your face while showering? Don't you ever get cut? I agree with the part that the face is soft and it would be easier to shave, but I don't think I will ever be able to shave without a mirror.
When I am waiting for the water to warm up I start the water running in the kitchen where I can put a tall container to catch the water to use on my plants. Once the water has gotten warm I will do the other things I need hotwater for. I try to save water if I can. We do use more than we need to just by not paying attention to what we are doing.
As far as I remember, I rarely leave faucets running. My parents are quite the misers so I guess their constant reminders to not waste water and to always be mindful of the things going on at home have stuck to my head. There were times, though, that I almost left the sink tap running but they never dragged on. I always come back to my senses before things go out of hand. When something's off, for some reason I always sense it.
I feel that there is a big difference in the price of water, at least in my country, so some people make a bigger effort to save, while for others it has no big meaning. I see it as a matter of principle, I try not to spend what I can save, regardless of the money involved.
