Energy

SAVING MONEY AND ENERGY AT HOME

Did you know that residential power use is one of the biggest sources of greenhouse gas emissions? The average Illinois household spends nearly $1400 each year on its utility bill. Unfortunately a large portion of the energy purchased as electricity, natural gas, and propane is wasted due to inefficient windows, inadequate insulation, unsealed air ducts, or leaky building shells. Electricity generated by fossil fuels for a single home puts more carbon dioxide into the air than two average cars. The good news is that there is a lot you can do to save energy and money at home and in your car. You can make a difference even by making a few small changes like those listed below.

Tips to Save Energy Today

Easy low-cost and no-cost ways to save energy.

• Set your thermostat comfortably low in the winter and comfortably high in the summer. Install a programmable thermostat that is compatible with your heating and cooling system.
• 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).
• Lower the thermostat on your hot water heater to 120°F.
• Take short showers instead of baths.
• Wash only full loads of dishes and clothes.
• Drive sensibly. Aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking) wastes gasoline.
• Look for the ENERGY STAR® label on home appliances and products. ENERGY STAR products meet strict efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.

DO-IT-YOURSELF HOME ENERGY AUDIT

If you want to go further - and save more energy and money on your utility bills this winter - consider performing a complete home energy audit. You can locate a qualified auditor through the Illinois Energy Raters Association; or you can do it yourself using THE HOME ENERGY SAVER, a free tool available, developed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) as part of the national ENERGY STAR Program.

HOW GREEN IS YOUR BUSINESS?

There's no single way to define a "green business," but there are some general concepts that environmentally responsible businesses should understand. You can take a simple 20-question online quiz offered by the Illinois Green Government Coordinating Council that can give you an idea where your business stands.

Easy Ways to Go Green at Work

• If you have to print a document or email, just print the text you need.
• Put on more clothes rather than turning up the heat.
• Turn off your monitor when you go for lunch, a meeting or coffee break.
• Turn off your PC if you're not going to be using it for a few hours.
• Use timer switches to turn off vending machines when the office is closed.
• Make the most of natural lighting - open the blinds
• Use hand-dryers rather than paper towels.
• Use a laptop and projector to run meetings electronically.
• Mark junk mail 'Return to sender' or ask to be removed from the mailing list.
• Use (or install) video-conferencing to save travel for meetings.
• Reuse and recycle paper and other office items