1. Make the switch to Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs







ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs:
  • ENERGY STAR qualified bulbs use about 75 percent less energy than standard
    incandescent bulbs and last up to 10 times longer.
  • Save about $30 or more in electricity costs over each bulb's lifetime.
  • Produce about 75 percent less heat, so they're safer to operate and can cut
    energy costs associated with home cooling.
  • Are available in different sizes and shapes to fit in almost any fixture, for indoors
    and outdoors.
CFL's contain small amounts of Mercury, so they should be disposed of properly. For
more information, please click
here.

2. Give your home heating & cooling systems a check-up
  • Install a programmable thermostat                                                                                 
    A programmable thermostat is ideal for people who are away from home during
    set periods of time throughout the week. Through proper use of                         
    pre-programmed settings, a programmable thermostat can save you about $150
    every year in energy costs.
  • Other great tips, such as changing your air filter regularly can save you a bundle
    on energy costs as well! Check out more information about Home Heating &
    Cooling here.

3. Turn down that thermostat!
  • For each degree you lower your thermostat, you reduce heating costs 7 to 10
    percent. By setting your thermostat back 10 degrees at night (8-10 hours), you'll
    save 10 to 20 percent in heating costs. The lowered thermostat setting saves
    energy dollars by reducing the length of time the heating system operates
    throughout the night.

4. Upgrade to energy efficient appliances
  • When buying an appliance, remember that it has two price tags: what you pay to
    take it home and what you pay for the energy and water it uses. ENERGY STAR
    qualified appliances incorporate advanced technologies that use 10–50% less
    energy and water than standard models. The money you save on your utility bills
    can more than make up for the cost of a more expensive but more efficient
    ENERGY STAR model.
  • Simple actions can make a big difference. If just one in 10 homes used
    ENERGY STAR qualified appliances, the change would be like planting 1.7
    million new acres of trees.

5. Unplug power-hungry electronics
  • Residential electricity use by consumer electronic products is responsible for
    more than 25% of household electricity use.
  • Electronics pull electricity from the grid even when not in use, or in "stand-by"
    mode. Unplug your household electronics when not in use or plug them into a
    power strip and just flip the switch to off when not in use!
  • Simple actions can make a big difference. The average home has roughly two
    TVs, a VCR, a DVD player and three telephones. If these items were replaced
    with ENERGY STAR models, it would save over 25 billion pounds of
    greenhouse gas emissions, the equivalent to taking over 3 million cars off the
    road.
If every American home replaced just one light bulb with an
ENERGY STAR qualified bulb, we would save enough energy to
light more than 3 million homes for a year, more than $600 million
in annual energy costs, and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent
to the emissions of more than 800,000 cars.
Here are just a few energy saving tips to help save the earth AND your wallet!
What can YOU do for the planet?
One Mile = One Pound!
The average 25 mpg car
releases about one pound of
carbon dioxide (CO2) into the
atmosphere for each mile
driven. If you drive 6 miles to
work, that's six pounds. Drive
10,000 mileas a year and that's
10,000 pounds of carbon
dioxide ... 5 Tons!!
(It would take at least 2 acres of
trees to remove that 5 tons of
CO2 from the atmosphere!)
Carbon Emissions  
Quick Fact
:
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Van Buren Conservation District is an equal opportunity employer.