As I turned on

my geyser/electric water heater today, I couldn't help but feel guilty about the energy consumed. This also encourages water consumption, who doesn't like a hot shower when it's raining outside.

The guilt wore down a little when I realised that the air-conditioner wasn't being used at all these days. The temperature right now in Bombay is Indian-perfect for a life with just a fan & plenty of (drinking) water. That makes my carbon footprint more of a cat-paw print. But then the underlying principle of a fan is cooling by evaporation, and this means I have to drink more water in the day, because I'm constantly sweating without actually noticing it, but only aware of it in theory.

All said and done, I'd like everyone (who aren't already) to be aware of a possible water problem faced by this city, and an energy crises (which hasn't hit us because 24-hr supply is guaranteed at a premium). What can we do to help? Here goes...

• Operate your water geyser in such a way so that all the water heated is used. This doesn't mean you finish off the water yourself, but if there are people waiting after you to shower, the heat will be better utilised.
• Set the hot water flow to such a temperature that's comfortable and not hotter than necessary. Every drop counts and so does every Watt.
• Don't use your air-conditioner just because it is there. Install mosquito nets on your windows & keep the windows open at night when possible.
• Collect enough clothes to do a full load of laundry at a time. This consumes lesser water & electricity when compared to washing clothes in small batches on an everyday basis.
• Turn off fans & lights when they are not needed (a very obvious one).
• Turn off the main switches of appliances that are not being used to eliminate "stand-by power loss". A good article about that here.
• Do not charge your electrical devices more than required. Keep an alarm of some sort when you know the charging will be complete and then unplug. Some devices these days let you know when they're done.
• LCD monitors for desktop PCs are way more energy efficient as compared to the older CRT variants. So if you are going for a new TV/Monitor, consider LCD/LED.
• If you own a car (hopefully not a gas-guzzler), then keep parts well-oiled, check oil quantity, engine coolant etc before you drive. Keep the air filter clean, and drive smoothly and at a reasonable speed. This will ensure your engine (and other parts) last longer, and you consume lesser fuel. Check tyre air-pressure on a regular basis as this is very important in giving you the mileage that you are looking for.
  

That's all I think of for now. If you have any, please contribute here.