How Good Are You at Saving Energy? A Simple Test

It's no question that we are at the tipping point for the disastrous effects of climate change. I don't care if you just washed your pots, pans, and underpants in a river or drove your SUV to your mailbox we are working with Energy Upgrade California in encouraging all Californians to focus their consideration for the environment and increase their own personal energy efficiency. We decided to find out exactly how energy efficient we are and how we can improve it with this simple test. See how we scored our Energy Game from a Level 1 "Off the Grid Guru" to a Level 5 "Waster of Energy" and find out which one you fall on.

Sure, maybe we all know some simple things we can do to save energy like turn out lights when we leave a room and turn down the thermostat. It turns out, there is so much more we can do! Energy is used everywhere to grow, manufacture, move and consume everything we buy and use.

It literally takes energy to do everything from getting food and water into our homes to creating something as tiny as a toothpick or a staple.

That means the potential for energy conservation is also everywhere. If we concentrate on moving toward clean energy and saving energy wherever possible we could reverse climate change.

Check out our lists below of things anyone can do to conserve energy, see where you stand from a LEVEL 1-5 and what you can do to improve. Then tag #DoYourThing on social media with your energy saving game plan!

How good are you at Energy Saving?

LEVEL 5 Off the Grid Guru

LEVEL 4 Crunchy Mom

LEVEL 3 Conscious and Woke

LEVEL 2 Basic Switch Clicker

LEVEL 1 Waster of Energy

Energy Rating System Key:

LEVEL 1. Waster of Energy - You're super late to the energy saving party. You may as well sleep a little longer because that's the only way we get you to be less of an impact on the Earth. You might be worth the energy you use, so you're not a waste of energy, but there's a lot of room for improvement.
LEVEL 2. Basic Switch Clicker - You lights are off and somebody is home, but you could be doing more that just the basics.
LEVEL 3. Conscious and Woke - You read, you research, you are pissed, you are changing and improving every day.
LEVEL 4. Crunchy Mom - You've researched until the end of the internet, you can power a family of four for days on what some Wall Street Bankers waste in energy by breakfast.
LEVEL 5. Off-the-Grid Guru - If you can get online and read this, congratulations!

Cloth diapering saves energy.

LEVEL 1-2 Waster of Energy/Basic Switch Clicker Actions:

Turning off the lights when you leave a room.
Switch to LED bulbs in all fixtures.
Unplug appliances and electronics you are not using (printers, coffee makers, etc.)
Don't do laundry at peak hours.
Wash laundry in cold water.
Hang laundry instead of using a dryer whenever possible.
Read up and get your city's recycling system down so you don't miss or waste anything that can be recycled.
Buy energy efficient appliances when you replace old ones.
Don't buy world's largest tv - even if it's on sale. Stick with a smaller unit that uses less energy.
Be informed about clean energy initiatives and support them. (The California plastic bag ban started with voters signing a petition that defied big money in politics. Bag companies couldn't buy our loyalty and lost big time!)
Support politicians that focus on protecting the environment and clean energy.

If you haven't tried to do anything on this list, act now before you could stay a Level 1 "Waster of Energy".

A Level 2 "Basic Switch Clicker" gets through some of this list but can do more to become "Conscious and Woke" very easily...

Growing your own food saves energy!

LEVEL 3 Conscious and Woke Actions:

Cut back on your animal products use and consumption - go vegetarian.
Use less water wherever possible.
Use less car travel and more walking, biking, and public transportation.
Make fuel and energy efficiency the NUMBER ONE priority if you buy a new car.
Replacing grass and thirsty landscapes with drought tolerant designs and plants.
Use cloth diapers.
Breastfeed babies as long as possible if possible.
Start a compost (I did this on my apartment balcony - you don't even need a yard!)
Grow some of your own food (also doable on our apartment balcony)
STOP wasting food (Meal plan, freeze leftovers you can't eat, etc.)

You are Level 3 "Conscious and Woke" if you get through half the items on this list. You know what you need to do. Now it's time to do it! #DoYourThing

If you do nearly all of these actions move ahead and see if you are a Crunchy Mom or Off the Grid Guru

I am definitely a Crunchy Mom! Riding a bike saves a lot of energy!

LEVEL 4-5 Crunchy Mom/Off-the-Grid Guru:

Go completely vegan (much easier than it sounds. Just don't wear, eat, or use animal products)
Give up your car.
Stop watching TV.
Don't buy toys that use batteries.
Fight for change in your community whether it is just among your circle of family and friends or petitioning for change (a la plastic bag ban!)
Switch people to switch off their devices and play actual board games together.
Buy a tiny house, perhaps a solar powered RV.
Go off the grid.

If you do some of these you are most likely a Crunchy Mom who is saving the planet while influencing friends and family. You probably use more coconut oil than fossil fuels.

If you are an Off-the-Grid Guru please comment below. think it is so cool. I want to congratulate you!

Tag #DoYourThing on social media and let us know what you are going to do to Level Up your Energy Game!

MY own personal #DoYourThing Energy Goals

I don't want to buy any more cheap plastic toys.

I am a "Crunchy Mom". I'm a vegan. My husband and I share a car, I grow a lot of my own food, cloth diaper(ed) my kids but I am nowhere near off-grid living. Here are some energy saving goals I'm going to commit to this year:

1. Don't buy junk or toys that become trash quickly - Dollar Store toys, balloons, glow sticks, single use party/picnic ware.

2. Try to buy bulk for things we use a lot of like beans, chick peas, rice, legumes.

3. Switch from standard plastic toothbrushes to something more sustainable.

5. Restart my veggie garden.

6. Restart my compost.

What is the biggest thing anyone can do to save energy?

GO VEGAN!

The BIGGEST thing ANYONE can do that will save as much energy as nearly everything else they can do put together is to go vegan. Hear me out here...

Check out our Recipes page for all of our delicious Vegan Recipes!

Go Vegan to save energy.

According to One Green Planet A third of the fossil fuels used in the United States are for animal production, animal calorie uses 10 times more fuel for production than a plant calorie, and a single hamburger will have used up enough fuel to drive 20 miles. With recipes like the ones on this blog and hundreds of other blogs and millions of pins on Pinterest, anyone can go vegan and you will save more water, fossil fuels, and energy than if you check of almost the entire rest of the lists on this page.

How are you at Saving Energy?
Please comment below.

Are you doing anything energy saving that is not on this list?

I dare an Off the Grid Guru to comment below!