Shoutout to Community Weekly Magazine and Chesterfield County’s CFL Recycling program

Wanted to give a ‘Shoutout’ to Community Weekly magazine (Richmond, VA) which has a front page photo and article about a FREE drive through CFL recycling program in Chesterfield County, VA.

They have two drive through facilities in the community which are administered by the county’s Household Hazardous Waste program. The facilities are free to residents – all you need to do is drive to the location and turn in the old CFL bulb.

What a great idea, Chesterfield County!

The article says one location is off Genito Road and the other is off Iron Bridge Road. Call (804) 748-1297 or visit Community Weekly's Web site for more information.

Ditch the stove and try some No-Cook Summer Meals

When it reaches scorching temperatures outside, there’s nothing more enjoyable than relaxing in the cool indoor temperatures. Keep these cool temperatures consistent by ditching the range and oven with some no-cook meals. Both the range and oven use significant amounts of energy. Keeping the range and oven usage to a minimum, you can cut back on cooling costs throughout your house.

There are plenty of ideas such as:

• (Appetizer) Mozzarella and Tomato Salad
• (Light snack) Hummus Salad Sandwich
• (Main Entrée) No Cook Vegetable Pizza
• (Dessert) Fire-Free S’Mores

We’re really looking forward to you posting your favorite 'low- or no-' cook summer meals!

Spinning and spinning and spinning and spinning …

There is a major misconception about ceiling fans and their ability to cool rooms…in fact, ceiling fans cool people, not rooms. Ceiling fans blowing air downward creates a breeze effect (in the summertime) which makes the room feel cooler than it actually is (up to 10 degrees cooler). The side benefit is this allows the user to turn the thermostat up a few degrees, maintaining comfort and spending less on an energy bill (savings up to 25% on cooling costs). But don’t forget, turn the ceiling fan off when you leave the room…it’s cooling you, not the room.

Another great benefit of ceiling fans is the ‘reverse motor’ ability on many models. This comes in handy in the winter time as the warm air in your home rises and the ceiling fan gently mixes the warm air down to where you are. You’ll notice the warm air reaching your body (in most cases) allowing you to reduce the workload of your heater.

From Our Office to Yours

Energy consumed by buildings constitutes 30% of the total energy used. You can find more information from Energy Information Association, which shows that by making office buildings more efficient, we help reduce the amount of energy used.

Small efforts to save energy around your office can really add up. For example, we use lighting dimmers at company facilities to reduce output in the evening and on weekends.

Our IT Team also ensures that any new computer equipment purchased is ENERGY STAR® qualified.

You can work with your building energy manager or facility manager to help implement these ideas.

For more business saving energy tips, use our business calculator.

Need a place to plant shrubs?

If you’re out landscaping your yard, consider planting shrubs near your AC unit. Giving the AC unit shade allows it to work more efficiently (up to 10%) without compromising the cooling abilities. Make sure you don’t plant the shrubs so close that you limit the air flow the unit needs to run properly.

Nonetheless, this is a great way to add character and pizzazz to your lawn.

What to Do if a CFL Breaks

There are trace amounts of mercury in a CFL, so the Environmental Protection Agency recommends the following in case of breakage:

Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes.

Carefully scoop up fragments with cardboard or paper and place in a sealable plastic bag. With gloved hands, wipe the area with a damp paper towel or disposable wipe and place in the same plastic bag.

Double bag and place in an outdoor trash can for regular disposal. (Note: some states prohibit throwing out broken CFLs with regular trash. For those in Virginia, check out the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality for state household recycling standards.)

Wash your hands.

You can read more on the EPA Web site.

Increase the environmental benefits of CFLs by recycling old ones. A great resource fore recycling centers is Earth911.org.

Your Pet's Electricity Use

posted by Tom Everyone loves their pooch and wants to give them the best they can. But have you considered that your pet may be wasting energy?

A colleague of mine jokes that even his dog has things plugged in. And it's true! The rechargeable flashlight used to take the dog out for a walk, the night-light by the dog's bed, the running water bowl, the light in the fish tank, the electronic kitty box cleaner . . . they all use electricity.

One common habit is to leave the television on during the day so Fido can watch his favorite episode of The Price is Right. Running your plasma TV for 9 hours a day can use roughly an additional $8.50 a month, which quickly adds to the electric bill.

Another wasteful energy source is an automatic watering bowl. A non-electric unit can perform the same job.

Just like you, I love my pets, but I also stay energy conservation conscious. There are lots of ways to continue spoiling our four-legged friends without using needless amounts of energy. Grab the leash and take Fido for a walk. Snuggle with your cat. I bet they'll appreciate your time and affection more than anything they see on TV!

Keeping Your Hot Water Heater Insulated: a Jacket!

posted by Bob

Many hot water heaters are located in unheated locations around your house (such as crawl spaces and garages) and can benefit from a pre-cut jacket. These jackets can cut back on standby heat loss by 25-45%, resulting in savings of 4-9% overall for water heating costs.

How do you know if you need a jacket for your water heater tank? Touch it! If your tank is warm to the touch, a jacket could be beneficial.

To compliment the jacket, hot water pipe insulators are another great idea. Both the jacket and the pipe insulators are easy to install and a great do-it-yourself project. The pre-cut jackets cost $10-20 and can be picked up at hardware and home improvement stores.

Additional water heating savings can result by adjusting the temperature dial to 120 degrees.

To learn more, visit the US Department of Energy’s Consumer Guide.

Have a Happy and Safe 4th of July

posted by Alison

With the extended holiday weekend upon us, we wanted to take a moment to wish everyone a safe and happy Independence Day.

Safety is one of Dominion's core values. It is with this thought that we encourage everyone to consider the proper safety precautions in all activities - be it a family bike ride, enjoying fireworks, or relaxing at the pool.

This holiday is also great day to implement energy conservation measures. By grilling outdoors, you avoid excess heat gain within the home from large appliances.

If you are using paper plates for the family picnic, buy plates made of recycled or biodegradable material.

Consider designating a bin for the beverage containers and then recycle.

Draw the shades to keep excess sunlight out, and consider turning the thermostat up, especially if family and friends will be enjoying the outdoors.

To enjoy the fireworks at night, turn off lights in the house, it will reduce light interference.

We hope you enjoy the weekend and find new ways conserve!