Small Steps #24: Take a Cold Shower
(Photo by tanakawho.)
When I first arrived in Sri Lanka, I found myself appalled at the lack of hot water. Cold showers? Surely you jest! But as the constant heat and humidity began to wear on me, my morning cold shower became the highlight of my day: never again that day would I feel so cool. (Some days during the hot season required three or four cold showers!)
I'm not inclined to take my showers at the temperature the water comes out of the ground here (about 50 degrees). But by reducing the water temp of my showers from around 110 degrees (the average shower temp) to around 70 degrees, I can significantly reduce the amount of hot water used— and the amount of propane burned to heat that water.
How much energy does a cold shower save? Lowering the shower temp by 40 degrees for a six-minute shower would save almost 10,000 BTUs. Doing this for the entire summer (about 95 showers) would save 10 gallons of propane, saving $43 at today's prices, and reduce CO2 emissions by 130 pounds.
The cost of saving this energy: nothing.
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