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This Bold Green Move may be the most difficult of any I've proposed so far - but it may also be the most fun to try to accomplish. Here's the challenge: pick a day in the near future, and go that entire day without using any electricity - at all. No TV, no houselights, no Internet, no cell phones. Nothing.
Here's what you'll likely have to do:
1. Walk or bike to work wherever you go.
2. Find enough candles or lanterns to light your house for the nighttime.
3. Forego the computer, the TV, the stereo, the microwave.
4. Keep the air conditioning and heating off—this will be tough in middle of summer or winter.
5. Wash the dishes by hand (or leave them dirty until tomorrow).
6. Go without using handheld electronic devices like cell phones or iPods.
7. Unplug all of devices, to prevent phantom power.
8. Generally avoid any activity that requires electricity for the entire day.
If it ends up being a success, then perhaps you can schedule an electricity-less day every month - maybe even every week. Maybe even every day! Okay, unless you're particularly inclined to cave-dwelling, 17th Century style living, or happen to be Amish, probably not.
If you do end up making it a repeat effort, your energy savings could be substantial - and even if you don't, you could learn valuable lessons about which appliances are necessary, which you could use less of, and how to green your electrical use in general.
Good luck on your green day in the dark - let us know how you do in comments.
