Reduce, recycle, reuse

Recycling is one of the easiest ways to show your commitment to the environment. If you don’t already have a recycling bin, call your local government (or check their Web site) to find out about their recycling program and see if they will provide a bin at no charge. There are also some very helpful websites. At http://earth911.com you can search for all types of recycling information, including bins and how to recycle specific types of waste in your own locality.

At MSN's Green Directory you can find information about your nearest recycling center. The Yellowpages also have information about this topic under “recycling or “waste reduction,” which you can search on their site. Many local and chain retail stores also carry recycling bins, and they are available online at sites like http://www.recyclingbin.com.

Saving money at retail stores--without clipping coupons

For a while now I've been saving money without having to clip coupons. The basis of conserving is that you are saving resources. Well, when I visit my local coffee shops or go grocery shopping, I plan ahead and bring my own mugs and bags - saving me money.

Quite a few retail outlets are offering money off your purchase if you bring in your own resources. When I visit coffee and bagel shops, I bring my own travel mug and fill it up with my favorite house blend. I recently went to Starbucks to warm up one afternoon and received ten-cents off my purchase, just for using my own mug. I've noticed that quite a few stores will credit your purchase if you use your mug - Panera and Einstein Brothers Bagels are some other stores I know of. I've found that the discount for bringing your mug may be credited as money off your purchase or rung up as a 'refill' purchase, which is still cheaper than the normal beverage price.

The other place to save money without coupon clipping is the grocery store. Instead of answering the question "Paper of Plastic?" I say "neither" and hand over my own bags.

Kroger offers a ten-cents "buy back" rebate for each bag you bring in. A local grocer in Virginia, Ukrops, also offers this discount. I'm sure other grocers do as well, but these are the stores I patronize.

I've managed to collect quite a few mugs and bags - all sporting my favorite causes or just cool designs. You can do the same. Also, it never hurts to ask retailers if they offer a discount or gently remind the cashier that you are conserving resources by bringing in your own mug or bag.

If anyone knows of stores they patronize that also offer cash back rebates, we'd love to hear about it.

Being green … for Dummies!

Not all of us are Ty Pennington, Bob Vila, nor Al Borlan from Home Improvement, but many of us want to do more eco-conscious remodeling. While that might have been tough in the past without advanced knowledge or a perfected skill set, now it’s so easy a dummy could do it.

Here in Dominion's Energy Conservation group we’re often tossed fun books, magazines, toys and so on about conservation. One of the newest books we’ve received is Green Building & Remodeling for Dummies. But if you’re not into building or remodeling, there’s Green Living for Dummies. At a price of $17.15 and $13.59, respectfully, it’s a smart investment, especially the pocket versions. These books will help guide you, using basic principles, to gradually make your lifestyle greener.

Green Building & Remodeling for Dummies hits on a number of issues: Remodeling an Old House with Green Materials, Going Green with your Yard, Weatherizing your Windows and Doors (sure is getting cold outside) and the Perfect Green Nursery for Parents-to-be.

Green Living for Dummies hits on a different realm of topics by Explaining Organic, Turning your Garbage into Someone Else’s Gold, Disposing of an Older Vehicle and even Choosing your Food Source Wisely.

- OR -

If you don’t want to buy the books for Dummies, the US Department of Energy has a fantastic Energy Savers booklet which you can order for your organization (at 60¢ a piece!). If you don’t want to buy those books, grab a free PDF download on the Energy.gov site. Getting this online not only saves paper and reduces miles the book has traveled to get to your location, you also get immediate access to the wise tips.

Don’t forget to share this page to help others conserve energy and save money.

Auto Show in progress - debuting large line of Hybrids

The North American International Auto Show is going on now in Detroit. The Auto Show began on January 11 and will run through January 25. Automakers from around the world are debuting new lines of vehicles, many of which feature greater fuel economy.

Hybrids are not a new concept to the automotive industry, there are many models already using hybrid technology. It's the electric hybrids that are gaining market potential. Electric vehicles run primarily on electricity with fuel backup. Some prototypes suggest 70 - 120 mpg is possible and with 78%* of the population commuting less than 40 miles per day, this could be a viable solution for many urban dwellers. Just imagine the habit of coming home to plug in your vehicle to charge and never having to visit a gas pump again!

There are some automakers that are already on the forefront of this technology. Chevy will release it's Volt in 2010. Teslar Motors already has a waiting list for its sport-like looking electric vehicle.

The 2009 Detroit show just may be remembered as the event where green cars officially went mainstream.

*Source: US Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Omnibus Household Survey. For additional information, read how GM used this data in designing the Chevy Volt.

Pledge to be energy efficient

As many of you might remember, October was Energy Efficiency month. We had the pledge card on the blog and also sent it out to Dominion employees.

The pledges kept coming in, week after week, even after the blog post was bumped off the front page. It was incredible. We wanted to share the good news and few of the pledges.

We decided to take the pledges we currently have and post them up in one of our Dominion office buildings. There were some fantastic ideas that came in. People are really committing to conserving energy.

One of our pledge participants, Harry H., pledged to, "Turn off the lights and other electrical appliances not in use, like computer or TV. I will wash full batches of clothes; hang clothes to dry when possible. I will also insulate and caulk windows and seal up the garage door."

Another pledger indicated he was going to help others conserve energy by "having my wife take shorter showers, turn down the thermostat at my wife's office, and limiting my wife's television viewing."

All humor aside, these are really simple ways to cut back on consumption, most without requiring much attention on your part.

It was motivating to see the pledges continuing to pour in the door. Thank you to everyone who made this a success.

Save money on your taxes!

Making energy-efficient home improvements means saving on your energy bill, but you could also save money on your taxes as well. For energy efficient improvements you make this year, take a credit for up to $500 on your 2009 tax filing. Take advantage of further tax incentives available in different categories:

• Home Energy Efficiency Improvement Tax Credits include items such as energy efficient windows, insulation, doors, roofs and certain heating and cooling equipment. These products may qualify to receive a tax credit of up to $500. Check out a summary chart of tax credits available to homeowners.
  
  When filing for these tax credits, you'll need to use the IRS Form 5695. Click here for a sample Form 5695. For more information, visit www.energy.gov/taxbreaks.htm - and remember to consult your tax accountant for further guidance on specific tax information.



• For those who install solar electric systems, you can receive a 30% tax credit based on the cost of the system, up to $2,000, as part of the Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit. The good news here is that this credit is completely separate from the $500 home improvement credit. Geothermal heat pumps also qualify as part of this tax credit.
  
  Another aspect of the Renewable Energy Tax Credit relates to residential small wind turbine systems. This tax credit is for 30% of the costs of the system (up to $500 for each kilowatt of capacity).



• Purchasing a new hybrid? Check out the Automobile Tax Credits for vehicles purchased before December 2010 - the tax credit depends on the fuel economy and other economical factors. There will be some new plug-in hybrid vehicles coming to the market soon - these can also receive tax credit. For information on specific vehicle eligibility and an additional summary, check out: http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=157557,00.html



• There are also tax credits available for homebuilders and commercial buildings. These credits are awarded based on upgrades that make the buildings for energy efficient. To learn more, Business.gov provides a guide on Energy Efficiency Federal Tax Credits available to businesses.

Don’t forget to share this page to help others conserve energy and save money.

After Christmas LED Lighting Sale

Now that many people are starting to pack away their holiday decorations, it's a great time to get next year's decorations really cheap. Even though you won’t need the decorations for another 350 days, you can save some bucks on energy-efficient decor by snapping up post-holiday bargains.

Check Christmas Lights Etc. for their online "AFTER CHRISTMAS SALE" for discounted LED lights. Not to mention, they also have Christmas trees on sale with free shipping. That’s a good deal!

Don’t forget to share this page to help others conserve energy and save money.

New Year's Resolution: Cut back on energy usage

Happy New Year! Ringing in 2009 means pledging yourself to new year resolutions. I’m sure everyone made all sorts of resolutions to lose 10 pounds, write thank you cards to Auntie Claire and Uncle Jeffrey and to be more organized.

This year, make a resolution you’ll actually keep: to conserve energy. To help you with that resolution, we’ll be giving out a conservation tip as the first blog post of every month (12 Months = 12 Resolution Tips). We’ll give you the tip, estimate the cost, and rank the ease of performing the tip. Here we go with our first tip:

Resolution Tip #1 of 12:
Insulate Your Hot Water Tank & Pipes

Estimated Cost: $30 – 40 for tank jacket; $5 – 10 for pipe insulation
Ease of Install: Medium
Other Notes: Wrapping the water heater with an insulation blanket can save heating money by slowing the drop in temperature from the hot water tank as it sits unused. Also, read the stickers on your tank and the user manual to ensure you’re not voiding the warranty nor placing your home in harms way by installing a jacket.

To get you motivated, watch fellow blogger Bob Fulton insulate hot water pipes and add a jacket to his hot water tank.

We look forward to blogging with you all throughout 2009!

Don’t forget to share this page to help others conserve energy and save money.