How many of us go for sugar-loaded sodas or other bottled drinks because we want something cold and the water in our sink is too warm? Think of all the money (from bottled drinks and the gym membership you need to burn off all those calories) that could be saved if we just kept water in the fridge!
Did you know refrigerators account for almost one sixth of all the energy used in the average American home? That’s more than any other single appliance! Buying energy star is always important in trying to reduce energy use, but there are a few tricks that can help you conserve even more energy – and one of them, is storing water! Since water is very good at holding its temperature, keeping a pitcher (or more) of water in your fridge will help it to maintain an even temperature when you have less in your fridge, which means it will use less energy and cost you less.
Even more important, having cold water ready for drinking means less water wasted waiting for the tap to get cold, and less money spent on plastic bottled drinks, bottled water included! As Brita is fond of reminding us in their ads, “One Brita pitcher can effectively replace as many as 300 standard 16.9-ounce bottles,” which take a surprising amount of energy to produce, ship, and store. If you want to really cut down on your plastic use, you can find reusable steel water bottles at most convenience stores for a low price and take your water on the go, plastic free!
Don’t want to go for a filter? Even without one, much of the chlorine present in tap water from the filtration plants evaporates when water is left to sit uncovered. Even if you are only refrigerating tap water, the results will be purer and more refreshing even than most bottled water.
Who knew that something as easy as keeping a pitcher of water in the fridge could save energy, water, and your health! But that’s what sustainability is all about – little solutions for a big world.
