This Month’s Action Pledge – Saving Energy
As part of our effort to help the congregation use sound environmental practices, this month, the Green sanctuary committee offers suggestions for saving energy (and money) at home. Please read the following material and then take a minute to make your action pledge by going to the May Pledge.
1. Make the Switch to Compact Fluorescent Bulbs. CFLs come in lots of shapes and sizes for almost any light fixture in your home. A single bulb can save about $63 over its long lifespan!
2. Choose energy star appliances. Energy star is not just about major appliances. Find out about light bulbs, televisions, answering machines and more.
3. Find phantom energy use in your home. Things like cell-phone chargers draw energy whenever they are plugged in, even if your phone is not connected. Watt meters are available for loan - contact rschnapp@hecweb.org.
4. Seal air leaks in your home. Make sure leaks are sealed, especially in the attic, ceiling and roof. Cracks around windows and doors become less important when air flow through the ceiling is minimized. A top-sealing chimney damper helps stop drafts.
5. Make Heating and Cooling more Efficient. Use programmable thermostats. Make sure filters are clean for efficient air flow. Close drapes in summer to minimize solar gain.
6. Make sure your home is properly insulated. You can have insulation blown into attic to provide an R-60 rating (about 1 foot thick). Cellulose insulation is energy efficient and uses recycled newspaper. For more, see www.hecweb.org/File/energy_saversdoe.pdf.
7. Wash only full loads of clothes and dishes. It takes almost as much electricity and water to wash a small load as a full one.
8. Support a Renewable Electricity Standard (
9. Buy Green Power. Talk with your electric company. Many offer a green power option at low cost. Support Distributed Power generation and Net Metering to allow homeowners and businesses to generate electricity and sell it back to the grid.