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Use Your Energy Tip of the Month!

February 2010 Tip:
Sign the Pledge – Each agency has posted a signup pledge sheet for employees who make an energy difference. The pledge includes four actions:

* turn off the lights when I leave my office;
* turn off my computer/monitor when I am not using it, at night, before the weekend and before holidays;
* I will reduce the use of, or eliminate, personal electronic appliances and devices in my work space; and
* I will try an alternative mode of transportation - such as public transportation, bicycle, alternative fuel vehicle or start carpooling (using alternative modes for 2 extra trips per week improves air quality in our valleys)!

And, please don’t forget to minimize use of space heaters to save energy, avoid fires, and keep breakers from tripping. Some agencies have instituted a space heater exchange (exchange old space heaters for a new DFCM-compliant model or blanket) - see Mike Glenn (DCC), Lis Cohen (GOED), or Dominic Brown (GOED) for details.

January 2010 Tip:
The Wasatch Front’s air was rated “worst in the nation” this week? You can help clean up our dirty air by riding the bus or TRAX a few more times each week, consolidating trips, carpooling with a neighbor or coworker, using more electronic meetings (conference calls, webcasts, etc.), not idling vehicles, driving a smaller car (if you must drive to work), bicycling, and using the smallest and most fuel efficient motor pool vehicle available for state travel. For more information, check out the Clean Air Survey at: http://www.cleanair.utah.gov/survey.htm, carpooling database through: http://www.employeegateway.utah.gov, or UTA route planner at: http://www.rideuta.com/ridinguta/tripplanner/default.aspx.

December 2009 Tip:
For the holidays, “reduce, reuse, and recycle”. Purchase strands of LED lights for the Christmas tree, house, or office. A strand of LED lights uses 5-7 watts verses 40-60 watts for standard mini-lights - a big energy savings! Use a timer to control on and off times for lights. And, don’t forget to consolidate your shopping trips to reduce miles driven. Try gift “sacks” rather than wrapping paper for Christmas presents – these can be reused for future presents. With all the extra packaging and overall holiday trash, please remember that most curbside recycling bins take plastics labeled #1-7, cardboard, and cellulose (paper). For recycling information see: http://www.recycle.slco.org/pdf/recyclingGuide.pdf

November 2009 Tip:
Before taking a state vehicle for your next meeting, please walk around the vehicle to visually check the tires. If a tire looks a little low, stop at the nearest gas station and fill to the recommended level. Under-inflated tires can lower gas mileage by 0.3 percent for every 1 psi drop in pressure in all four tires. Besides, properly inflated tires are safer and last longer.

October 2009 Tip:
October is National Energy Awareness Month, but it is also a “shoulder” month for heating and cooling. That means that as weather turns colder, some days become almost summer-like. For part of the day, consider wearing a warm sport coat, sweater, or shawl rather than raising the thermostat or pulling out the space heater. By dressing appropriate to the season and setting a thermostat 5 degrees lower, you can save 15% on heating costs! Don’t forget to report any major heating and cooling malfunctions to your agency’s representative to the building manager.

September 2009 Tip:
Switch any incandescent light bulbs in your office to compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) by joining our “Light Bulb Exchange”. CFL technology uses 67% less power than standard incandescent bulbs and last ten times longer. Since 82% of Utah’s electricity is from coal fired generation, CFLs keep our air cleaner and leave more Utah coal to export! If you work for DCC or GOED, stop by the offices of Mike Glenn or Lora Rees (DCC) or Lis Cohen (GOED) for new bulbs. Please bring your old bulbs. Note: special orders are required for replacement bulbs on a dimmer switch or photocell.

August 2009 Energy Tip:
Make sure your monitors, printers, and other accessories are on power strip/surge protectors. When this equipment is not in use for extended periods like holidays and weekends, turn off the switch on the power strip to prevent equipment from drawing power even when shut off. Besides, the less time a PC is on, the longer it will "last." PCs also produce heat, so turning them off reduces building or home cooling loads. At home, this same use for power strips saves energy from audio visual equipment including standard and plasma screen TVs.

July 2009 Energy Tip:
Watch your speed and save. While each vehicle reaches its optimal fuel economy at a different speed (or range of speeds), gas mileage usually decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph. You can assume that each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.24 per gallon for gas.

June 2009 Energy Tip:
Have you ever heard of the "two minute rule" for turning off lights? In contrast to some old energy myths, it actually saves more energy by turning lights off when you leave your office and turning them back on when you return - if you are gone for more than two minutes.