This holiday season, give green. Not cash, but energy-efficient gifts that return savings all year round. Here’s a handful of ideas to consider for family members, friends and colleagues. You can find most of them easily at a local retailer, online or in a big box store.
Save the world, one battery at a time. Approximately 230 million products that rely on battery power are currently in use in American homes and businesses, according to Energy Star. This makes an energy-efficient battery charger at about $10 to $25, a great gift idea, especially for a budget-conscious college student. Consider chargers qualified by Energy Star, because they use 35 percent less energy than conventional chargers. If you’re replacing a less-efficient one, remember to recycle it.
Smart power strips are a good gift all around, especially for friends who like their electronics! Smart strips suit any room where there are several electronic devices plugged into the wall. Many run less than $40 at hardware stores, and some turn off electrical devices not in use.
Know someone skeptical about energy savings? The P3 Kill A Watt Electricity Usage Monitor can be found under $20 online and will let someone calculate electrical expenses by the day, week, month, or year. It monitors voltage, line frequency and power factor. Knowing these facts, you can uncover whether it’s time for a more energy-efficient refrigerator or freezer. Other, more sophisticated models can exceed $100.
Light bulbs can light up a holiday stocking. Energy-efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs or LED bulbs are a unique gift if you want to encourage friends or family to start saving energy. CFL bulbs are about one dollar each. A pack of eight LED bulbs runs less than $50 and you can hand them out sporting a red bow in ones and twos.
Along the same lines, consider a range of handy LED gadgets. For example, a highly efficient LED reading lamp for a friend or spouse who likes to read in bed runs about $20. Headlamps on headbands, at about $20, please many people — from fitness fiends who work out in the dark to kids playing in pillow forts.
Mini LED flashlights make a nice smaller gift, run just a few dollars, and easily fit into a purse or coat pocket until needed. You’ll find many larger ones for about $20.
For the friends who like to be prepared, consider an emergency radio to add to their stash of supplies. Compact emergency radios come in several configurations, some with a flashlight. They offer both solar and wind-up recharging.
Now for those pragmatic folks you know — how about caulk and weather-stripping as a gift? Both are useful energy-saving home project ideas and are perfect to protect against the winter chill, at just a few dollars. Or, what about a motion detector for outside lights, starting at about $10?
For friends and family members who enjoy detective work, there’s the thermal leak detector. With it, they can sleuth out not only hot and cold spots in the home, but check the temperature of the family cat. It will reveal any corners, nooks, crannies and walls that are mysteriously colder or warmer than they should be. They run from about $20 to over $40.
For the erudite in your group, check out energy-savings ideas in books available online or at bookstores. Some are even available as e-books.
Energy Adviser is written by Clark Public Utilities. Send questions to ecod@clarkpud.com or to Energy Adviser, c/o Clark Public Utilities, P.O. Box 8900, Vancouver, WA 98668.
