October Energy Saving Tip #3: Hot Water (Part 2)

Because saving hot water is one of the easiest ways to save energy in your home, here are a few more tips for cutting back!

Wash Your Clothes in Cold

Most modern laundry detergents are made to work equally well in warm or cold water, so why not save yourself some money and set your washer to the cold/cold setting? You won’t notice any difference except on your energy bills, which could be as much as $70 lower per year. Save the warm wash for oily or extra stubborn stains and wash the rest in cold.

Take Shorter Showers

Showering can use more hot water than all other residential hot water uses combined and presents a major opportunity for savings. The average 10 minute shower can cost you between $0.60 to $1.50 depending on the heat of your water and the flow rate of your showerhead. That means that by only taking 5 minute showers you can save at least $80 per year.

Look for the ENERGY STAR Label

When you set out to buy a new water heater tank, dishwasher, or washing machine, be sure to pick a unit with the ENERGY STAR label showing that it is an efficient model. ENERGY STAR certified appliances perform just as well as their counterparts, and although they sometimes (though not always) cost a little more up front, over the lifetime of the unit they can save you big time on energy costs. This makes them not only the most sustainable choice, but the most cost effective as well.

City of Bellingham honored by ICLEI with national award for Energy Efficiency Innovation

Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI) awarded nine governments around the country with Leadership Awards for taking innovative actions to promote sustainability in their communities. As a lead partner and a key funder of the Community Energy Challenge, the City of Bellingham was recognized in the Energy Efficiency Implementation Innovation category, along with the cities of Aspen and Austin.

“This award recognizes Whatcom County’s commitment to reducing green house gas emissions by reducing the amount of energy we use,”  Bellingham Mayor Dan Pike said. “Bellingham is pleased to share this leadership award with Sustainable Connections, the Opportunity Council, Whatcom County, all six cities that also are committed to this effort, and a host of other local organizations.” 

The Community Energy Challenge is commended for implementing its unique Loan Loss Reserve program through Banner Bank and for providing financial incentives and technical guidance to make energy efficiency improvements feasible for a large portion of the residential and local business community in Whatcom County. The ambitious goal of weatherizing 900 homes and 150 businesses through the program is recognized for having a significant positive impact in the community. These projects have the potential to eliminate 7,000 tons of CO2 emissions per year, the same reduction that would be seen by removing 1,400 cars from the road annually.

To read more about this award, check out these links:
City receives national award for Community Energy Challenge
Aspen, Bellingham, and Austin Honored for Energy Efficiency Innovation

October Energy Saving Tip #2: Hot Water (Part 1)

Photo by stevendepolo

Although water can seem like something we have a lot of in the Pacific Northwest, there are many good reasons to conserve it, not the least of which is the fact that hot water is the second highest energy cost for most households. This can easily add up to $200 to $500 per year for the average household! The good news is that there are many ways to use less hot water in your home without sacrificing convenience or comfort.

October Energy Saving Tip #1: Phantom Draw

Photo by grendelkhan

Did you know that many appliances still draw energy when they are turned off? This has several spooky names, including vampire draw or phantom load, and can account for up to 5-10% of your residential energy use.

Not all electronics fall into this category, but anything with an internal clock, timer, standby mode, memory, or a little light can be sucking power even when you aren't using it. In order to avoid this unwanted draw, you can unplug appliances when they aren't needed or put them on a power strip and turn off the red switch. Flipping the switch on a power strip breaks the circuit so no more energy is being drawn while simply turning the item off often still allows it to use power.

October is Energy Awareness Month!

Every month is energy awareness month at the Community Energy Challenge, but since 1991 the federal government has recognized October as Energy Awareness Month. It's an effort to raise awareness about the ways in which clean and efficient energy systems are central to a thriving economy, clean environment, and healthy citizens.

Photo by zheem

Whatcom County is doing its part as local homes and businesses are receiving energy assessments through the CEC, and together we have already saved more than $269,249 in energy costs since 2009. That's 1,058 tons of greenhouse gasses that were never released into our atmosphere and a whole lot of saved money that was reinvested in the local economy.

All over the country businesses, non-profits, citizens, and government organizations are stepping up energy awareness. To learn more about Energy Awareness Month 2010, check out these links:

Federal Energy Management Program

Energy Star

Kill the Chill: Winterize

At the Community Energy Challenge we care a lot about weatherization, or the practice of protecting a building from the elements in order to save energy and increase comfort for the occupants. As the weather turns chilly it’s time to think about another very important and closely related W-word: winterization. From simple measures such as programming your thermostat or putting weather stripping around your door, to getting a home energy assessment and investing in an insulation upgrade, taking specific steps to prepare your home for winter weather can save you big on energy costs and help you feel cozy even when it’s chilly out.

Click here to learn about 19 ways to make your home feel warmer without turning up the heat.

Local event celebrates energy efficiency successes and ARRA support

Yesterday, a crowd of political officials, non-profit leaders, contractors, business owners, and weatherization personnel gathered at the Building Performance Center’s state of the art training facility to celebrate innovative energy efficiency programs supported by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

Congressman Rick Larsen, Representative Kelli Linville, and Senator Phil Rockefeller (visiting from the 23^rd District) applauded the groundbreaking work being done to increase job training, expand the existing low-income weatherization program, and establish the unique Community Energy Challenge (CEC), which brings affordable energy efficiency services to homeowners and small businesses while creating local green jobs. 

Jennifer Soners, a senior policy advisor from the Department of Energy, flew all the way from Washington DC to witness the event. Representatives from the offices of Senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray were also in attendance, as was Bellingham’s Mayor Dan Pike, Whatcom County Executive Pete Kremen, and other Whatcom county elected officials. 

So far the CEC has aided over 100 homeowners and 25 local businesses in reducing energy use which, combined with community efforts, will save $269,249 annually to be reinvested in the local community.  As Representative Larsen quipped: “For those nay-sayers on the Recovery Act, I say ‘let them come to Bellingam.’”