Image by LabGP & SigOther.
Follow these 5 easy steps to reduce energy consumption in the nursery and you can rest easy knowing you are doing your part. When you get done in the nursery, try implementing some of these same strategies in other parts of your home.

1. Use cold wipes. Babies do not need warm wipes. We got a wipes warmer for our baby shower. We keep wipes in it because it looks nice on the changing table, but we have never plugged it in.

2. Use energy efficient compact fluorescent lights (CFLs). Not only will they save energy, they will last up to 10 times longer than regular light bulbs.

3. Unplug the monitor and parent units when not in use. All those electronic devices that plug in with a power unit (the big box at the end of the cord) continue to draw power even if the device is not turned on. To avoid this unplug the device when it is not in use.

4. Put the lights on a dimmer. Not only does this save on energy, it also spares you from shocking baby awake in the middle of the night with bright lights.

5. If you use a humidifier, only run it at night when your baby is in the nursery sleeping.