Going Green

Green is Good!

The Rivers team has recently "gone green" by changing our method of Marketing.  Now instead of mailing out post cards to our clients informing them of new socials or community fund raising activities, we now notify our clients by email. At first, our clients gave us some grief; who doesn't like getting fun mail mixed in with your monthly bills?  Then, they got used to the emails, and started forwarding our email to their friends and family, thereby making our sphere of influence larger.

If you would like to make your life a little greener, here are some tips.

Green home Basics

1. Recycle glass, plastic and paper products.
2. Avoid paper or plastic at the grocery store.  Use canvas bags instead!
3. Have Bills and Statements delivered by email
4. Clean out your dryer vent regularly.  Your dryer will use less energy and you are reducing the risk of a dryer fire.
5. When ever possible wash clothes in cold water
6. Un plug electronics, battery chargers and other equipment when it is not in use.  The electricity these items use can really add up.
7. Cut water usage by installing faucet aerators, low flow shower heads and low flush toilets.
8. Use a fan instead of using the AC
9. Turn off unnecessary lighting and use task or desktop lamps with CFLs instead of overhead lights
10. If repainting, use low odor or no odor paints.  This way you are not breathing in VOC's (violent organic compounds)
11. Turn your water heater down to 120° or the "Normal" setting when home, and to the lowest setting when away. Water heating accounts for about 13% of home energy
12. A 5° higher setting on your air conditioning thermostat will save about 10% on cooling costs.
13. Always buy ENERGY STAR qualified appliances and equipment - they're up to 40% more efficient and some even come with rebates.
14. Only run the dishwasher or the washing machine when they are full.  This will result in fewer loads, less water used, and more energy saved.

Information Pulled From:

http://www.managemyhome.com/

www.fypower.org/res/tools/energy_tips.html

Until Next Time!

Sarah Barnett, buyer specialist