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The
Sustainable Coldspring Committee invites you to join your neighbors
to: |
Frank Lee |
Libby Baker |
Please click On
Line Energy/Carbon Inventory Form and fill out survey
| Areas
under discussion: A. Community Garden B. Landscaping Green Issues C. Recycling – we want to do more D. Reducing Community Electrical Usage E. Reducing Individual Residents' electrical usage |
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Trattner's Energy Tips and Information |
| Did you know that the typical U.S. family spends more than $1,600 a year
on home utility bills? Unfortunately, a large portion of that energy is
wasted. And electricity generated by fossil fuels for a single home puts
more carbon dioxide into the air than two average cars. The good news is there is a lot you can do to save energy and money at home. Start making small changes today. |
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| • ENERGY STAR qualified refrigerators require about half as much energy
as models manufactured before 1993. • Use compact fluorescent light bulbs. • Air dry dishes instead of using your dishwasher's drying cycle. • Turn off your computer and monitor when not in use. • Plug home electronics, such as TVs and DVD players, into power strips; turn the power strips off when the equipment is not in use (TVs and DVDs in standby mode still use several watts of power). |
| Air Conditioning & Heating Tips | |
| • Use a programmable thermostat. • Set your thermostat as low as is comfortable in the winter and as high as is comfortable in the summer. 68 degrees in the winter and 78 degrees in the summer are recommended settings • Always purchase Energy Star rated appliances and air conditioners. • Clean or replace filters on air conditioners and furnaces once a month or as needed. • Have a professional air conditioning contract perform an annual tune-up on your AC system. • Whole-house fans help cool your home by pulling cool air through the house and exhausting warm air through the attic. They are effective when operated at night and when the outside air is cooler than the inside. |
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| Water Saving Tips ForYour Home | |
| • Replace your old toilet, the largest water user inside your home.
If your home was built before 1992 and the toilet has never been replaced,
then it is very likely that you do not have a water efficient 1.6 gallon
per flush toilet. You can check the date stamp inside the toilet by lifting
the lid and looking at the back of the toilet at the manufacturer's imprint
of the make, model and date of manufacture. • Replace your Clothes Washer, the second largest water user in your home. Energy Star™ rated washers that also have a Water Factor at or lower than 9.5, use 35-50% less water and 50% less energy per load. This saves you money on both your water and energy bills. • Use low-flow faucet aerators and showerheads. Install a showerhead that flows at 2.0 gallons per minute (gpm).Retrofit all water wasteful faucets by installing 1.0 gpm bath aerators and 2.0 gpm kitchen aerators. • Wash full loads of clothes and dishes. Make sure your clothes washer and dishwasher are full before you turn them on. Usually a dishwasher is more water efficient than hand washing and most new dishwashers don’t require pre-rinsing. • Take short showers instead of baths. Showers usually save 40 gallons of water over baths. Shortening your shower by 1 minute could save you up to 1,800 gallons per person per year. And remember to turn the water off while brushing your teeth, shaving, etc. |