Today is Earth Day, and the City of Coldwater sent out these great tips for community members to keep in mind.
“Earth Day is a good way to get people thinking about conserving energy”, Jodi Shook, Customer Service Manager said. “Energy conservation shouldn’t just be done around Earth Day; it should be done all year long. Taking one step now could lead to another step and then another. It might not seem like a lot, but if everyone is taking a step to conserve, it can have a large positive impact for our community.”
Here are five ways to ease into energy conservation:
1. Install compact fluorescent light bulbs – Energy Star qualified CFL’s use up to 75 percent less electricity than incandescent light bulbs.
2. Turn of the lights when you leave a room – this simple task can reduce lighting expenses by 10 to 40 percent.
3. Turn computers and monitors off when not in use – the monitor should be turned off if the PC isn’t used for 20 minutes; and both the CPU and monitor should be turned off if the PC isn’t used for more than two hours.
4. Unplug battery chargers when the batteries are fully charged or the chargers are not in use – Plug-in chargers continue to use power even when the device is fully charged or not attached to the charger.
5. Install a programmable thermostat – the U.S. Department of Energy estimates that programmable thermostats save one percent on energy bills per degree set-back for eight hours.
For those looking for an even greener solution, our new green pricing program, EcoSmart Choice may be for you. EcoSmart Choice allows both residential and commercial customers to support renewable energy development based on the purchase and retirement of renewable energy certificates. All CBPU electric customers are able to offset up to 100% of their electric usage with renewable energy for as little as an additional .007 cents per kWh.
It’s an opportunity to reflect on the importance of the environment and create awareness for the need to conserve energy. The Coldwater Board of Public Utilities (CBPU) encourages customers to take at least one step toward conserving energy. This not only helps individuals and businesses, it helps our entire community. To view a complete listing of Energy Efficiency programs and services offered by the CBPU, log on to www.coldwater.org or contact us at 517-279-9531. There are certainly other ways to conserve electricity; some require more effort than others, but all are beneficial.
To note: An Earth Day Celebration will be held on Friday, April 22nd
from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. between 73 W Chicago St (Integrative Somatics Institute) and 89 W Chicago St (Eby-Klein Center). Presentations and displays include Bicycle Registration and Safety, Tai-Chi, Drinking Green, Energy Efficiency, Recycling, Stream/Water Quality Monitoring, Backyard Wildlife Habitats, Paper Crane Folding and Fred the Fish! Don’t miss this fun, informative afternoon. from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. between 73 W Chicago St (Integrative Somatics Institute) and 89 W Chicago St (Eby-Klein Center). Presentations and displays include Bicycle Registration and Safety, Tai-Chi, Drinking Green, Energy Efficiency, Recycling, Stream/Water Quality Monitoring, Backyard Wildlife Habitats, Paper Crane Folding and Fred the Fish! Don’t miss this fun, informative afternoon.
