We are all looking at the news and even the most optimistic of us are realizing that things may change for a while. We’ve been here before, we’ve seen the rising prices, the unemployment and the foreclosures - but for many of us the problem becomes more individualized. What can we do to preserve ourselves; to keep the roof over our own heads?

Home energy costs are a large monthly outlay for all of us at this time of year. Americans spend more than $160 billion a year to heat, cool, light, and live in our homes. This is about 21 percent of the national total and many households could save 20-30 percent on their household .

Small savings may seem futile when we consider the big picture, but many little savings will actually lower your bills. Things may be falling down around you, but you will know that you are actively taking control of your own expenditures. So let us look at some small energy savers.

Do you feel a draft coming from below or around your external doors? Have you got weather stripping around your door? The type you screw into the frame is best, but you can buy the self adhesive type if you are not handy. Attach the overhead horizontal piece before the two sidebars.

Lower your thermostat by 5 degrees as you go to bed or if you go out and no-one will be at home. Change the filter on your furnace to allow more efficient running. Old-fashioned light bulbs are more expensive than fluorescent lights. Buy several of the energy efficient fluorescent light bulbs when they come on sale. Change them immediately but keep the old ones for spares.

Switch off lights when you are not in the room. In spite of a generalized public opinion that it is cheaper to leave a light bulb on rather than switching it on and off, it fact, it is not. Another surprising energy waste is when we leave our TVs, computer, etc on standby overnight. It is using power.

Use plastic window coverings to prevent heat loss. You can buy a type of ‘cling film’ for windows that will act like double glazing. You may not like this on your living room windows, but apply it where you can. It does not go straight onto the glass; attach a double sided sticky tape around the frame, then stick the plastic film to this. The small air pocket between the glass and the plastic film acts like a double glazing unit.

On sunny days let the sunshine warm up your home. At night close all blinds and drapes. Try closing heavy velvet curtains across your screen doors at night. Glass radiates in a lot of coldness!

Crude oil has finally hit the $100.00 per barrel mark, and soon we will be paying $4.00 per gallon for gas. Never mind cutting down for the environment - now is the time to cut down for your own sake; it must be time to tighten our belts.

Source: http://add-articles.com

Light Up Your Next Fundraiser and

Go Green!

Teach your students the importance of Energy and Water Conservation while raising valuable funds for your school or church.

The Conservation Made Easy Fundraiser helps PTA or church organizations raise money by selling energy efficient, ENERGY STAR® qualified Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFLs) and luxury Conservation Massage Showerheads. Schools and Organizations earn an amazing 40% profit on every sale. We believe that conservation should be easy and fun, therefore there are never any upfront cost associated with fundraising throught RBC Utilities and Conservation Made Easy. Simply add the Conservation Made Easy Fundraiser into your budget and you’re ready to start fundraising.

• Energy conservation not only saves money. It reduces C02 emissions thus lowering the impact on the environment.
• In a typical home, one compact fluorescent bulb can save 260 pounds of CO2 per year.
• Replacing one shower head with a conservation one can save about 300 pounds a year in C02 emissions
• Water and energy conservation reduce C02 emissions by the thousands
• Only 1% of the earths water is available for human consumption. Using a conservation shower head can save 23,000 gallons per year.

Make an impact on your community and our planet by organizing a Conservation Made Easy Fundraiser for your PTA or Church group.  Our Energy Star compliant Compact Fluorescent Light blubs will light up your community while raising fund for your PTA or church fundraiser.  Learn more about the products offered in our fundraiser and then get your FREE REPORT

Did you Know?

• a compact fluorescent blub will last 10,000 hours compared to 750 hours for a normal blub
• a single compact fluorescent can save 260 pounds of C02 annually
• compact fluorescents use 75% less energy and 90% less heat

Did you also know?

• Your PTA or church fundraiser can raise 10k* or more within a few short weeks!
• Earth Day is a perfect time to hold your Conservation Made Easy fundraiser.
•  RBC utilities can provide your PTA or church fundraiser commitee a FREE REPORT detailing the impact your fundraiser can have on our planet and our community.

Church fundraising has long been a great way to quickly rasie funds for mission trips, youth group outings, children’s ministryor many others.  Conservation Made Easy Fundraiser is the perfect way to raise funds for your Church group.  Not only is it easy, it’s Green.

Get your Free Fundraising Report from RBC Utilities today and see how quick and easy it is to raise thousands of dollars while saving your community from high utility bills.  All of our products are designed to provide maximum conservation of water and energy. 

Hosting a Church Fundraiser selling enviromentally friendly products is a sure way to Win…Win… Win!

Your Church Group

• Educates your youth group about the importance of water and energy conservation
• Promotes water and energy conservation in your community
• Earns 40% on all sales

Your Supporters

• Save as much as ~$400 on utility bills annually
• Help control energy cost and lower harmful emissions
• Save as much as 23,000 gallons of water annually
• charitable tax deduction in addition to lower utility bills

Our Planet

• One church fundraiser could reduce emissions by 265,000 lbs of C02 in the first year alone
• Conserve millions of gallons of water
• One fundraiser can reduce harmful emissions equal to removing 19.66 cars from the road

Easy low-cost and no-cost ways to save energy.

• Set your thermostat comfortably low in the winter and comfortably high in the summer. Install a programmable thermostat that is compatible with your heating and cooling system.
• Use compact fluorescent light bulbs.
• Air dry dishes instead of using your dishwasher’s drying cycle.
• Turn off your computer and monitor when not in use.
• Plug home electronics, such as TVs and DVD players, into power strips; turn the power strips off when the equipment is not in use (TVs and DVDs in standby mode still use several watts of power).
• Lower the thermostat on your hot water heater to 120° F.
• Take short showers instead of baths.
• Wash only full loads of dishes and clothes.
• Drive sensibly. Aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking) wastes gasoline.
• Look for the ENERGY STAR^® label on home appliances and products. ENERGY STAR^® products meet strict efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.

  Water Conservation in the Kitchen

Looking to conserve water?  Start in the kitchen, its an excellent place for water conservation. 

• Wait until the diswasher is full and do only full loads.  Avoid using extra cycles.  Choose a water-saving model when replacing your old dishwashers.
• Scrape dishes, but don’t prerinse. Soak pots and pans before washing. Instead of running water continuously, fill wash and rinse basins with water. Use minimum amount of detergent.
• Use sink disposal unit sparingly,(but never use without running water) or use a garbage can or compost heap instead.
• Use a brush and bowl full of water to wash vegetables. Thaw frozen food in your refrigerator, not under running water. Cook vegetables with a minimum amount of water and save cooking water for soup stock.
• Instead of cooling water by running, keep a container of cold water in the refrigerator. Make only the amount of coffee, tea, etc. you expect to consume.

Just a few ways to continue to conserve water. 

Earth Day — April 22 — each year marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970.

Among other things, 1970 in the United States brought with it the Kent State shootings, the advent of fiber optics, “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” Apollo 13, the Beatles’ last album, the death of Jimi Hendrix, the birth of Mariah Carey, and the meltdown of fuel rods in the Savannah River nuclear plant near Aiken, South Carolina — an incident not acknowledged for 18 years.

It was into such a world that the very first Earth Day was born.

Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson, then a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, proposed the first nationwide environmental protest “to shake up the political establishment and force this issue onto the national agenda. ” “It was a gamble,” he recalls, “but it worked.”

At the time, Americans were slurping leaded gas through massive V8 sedans. Industry belched out smoke and sludge with little fear of legal consequences or bad press. Air pollution was commonly accepted as the smell of prosperity. Environment was a word that appeared more often in spelling bees than on the evening news.

Earth Day 1970 turned that all around.

On April 22, 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment. Denis Hayes, the national coordinator, and his youthful staff organized massive coast-to-coast rallies. Thousands of colleges and universities organized protests against the deterioration of the environment. Groups that had been fighting against oil spills, polluting factories and power plants, raw sewage, toxic dumps, pesticides, freeways, the loss of wilderness, and the extinction of wildlife suddenly realized they shared common values.

Earth Day 1970 achieved a rare political alignment, enlisting support from Republicans and Democrats, rich and poor, city slickers and farmers, tycoons and labor leaders. The first Earth Day led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species acts.

Sen. Nelson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom — the highest honor given to civilians in the United States — for his role as Earth Day founder.

As 1990 approached, a group of environmental leaders asked Denis Hayes to organize another big campaign. This time, Earth Day went global, mobilizing 200 million people in 141 countries and lifting the status of environmental issues on to the world stage. Earth Day 1990 gave a huge boost to recycling efforts worldwide and helped pave the way for the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.

As the millennium approached, Hayes agreed to spearhead another campaign, this time focused on global warming and a push for clean energy. Earth Day 2000 combined the big-picture feistiness of the first Earth Day with the international grassroots activism of Earth Day 1990. For 2000, Earth Day had the Internet to help link activists around the world. By the time April 22 rolled around, 5,000 environmental groups around the world were on board, reaching out to hundreds of millions of people in a record 184 countries. Events varied: A talking drum chain traveled from village to village in Gabon, Africa, for example, while hundreds of thousands of people gathered on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., USA.

Earth Day 1970 achieved a rare political alignment, enlisting support from Republicans and Democrats, rich and poor, city slickers and farmers, tycoons and labor leaders. The first Earth Day led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species acts.

Sen. Nelson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom — the highest honor given to civilians in the United States — for his role as Earth Day founder.

As 1990 approached, a group of environmental leaders asked Denis Hayes to organize another big campaign. This time, Earth Day went global, mobilizing 200 million people in 141 countries and lifting the status of environmental issues on to the world stage. Earth Day 1990 gave a huge boost to recycling efforts worldwide and helped pave the way for the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.

As the millennium approached, Hayes agreed to spearhead another campaign, this time focused on global warming and a push for clean energy. Earth Day 2000 combined the big-picture feistiness of the first Earth Day with the international grassroots activism of Earth Day 1990. For 2000, Earth Day had the Internet to help link activists around the world. By the time April 22 rolled around, 5,000 environmental groups around the world were on board, reaching out to hundreds of millions of people in a record 184 countries. Events varied: A talking drum chain traveled from village to village in Gabon, Africa, for example, while hundreds of thousands of people gathered on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., USA.

—http://earthday.net

Join other PTA’s and organizations in celebrating Earth Day with a Conservation Made Easy Fundraiser.  The weeks leading up Earth Day is the perfect time to host a conservation fundraiser.  PTA’s across the country are struggling with fundraiser fatigue.  This is because families just like your’s are continually approached for new “SPEND”fundraisers.  How about a “SAVE” fundraiser?  Your supporters can save ~$400 annually with purchasing only three compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs and one conservation shower heads.   A 300 student school could easily earn ~10,000 in one short fundraiser.  Supports save, PTA earns, and we all save the environment.  Conservation is truly easy! 

Get your Free Report to illustrate the true savings potential. 

Your PTA or Organization

• Educates children on the importance of water and energy conservation
• Promotes water and energy conservation in your community
• Earns 40% on all sales

Your Supporters

• Save as much as ~$400 utility bills annually
• Help control energy cost and lower harmful emissions
• Save as much as 23,000 gallons of water annually
• charitable tax deduction in addition to lower utility bills

Our Planet

• One fundraiser could reduce emissions by 265,000 lbs of C02 in the first year alone
• Conserve millions of gallons of water
• One fundraiser can reduce harmful emissions equal to removing 19.66 cars from the road

Here are ten great ways to conserving energy during the winter months from the Department of Energy.  Please feel free to add your own comments with your favorite ways to conserve energy during the winter.

1. Add Another Layer of Attic Insulation
   Since the majority of homes built before 1980 are under-insulated, heat escapes through the ceiling, past the roof and into the atmosphere because of a lack of insulation in the attic. According to the DOE, one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to cut heating and cooling costs and make a home more comfortable is to add more insulation in the attic. As a general rule, if you have less than 11 to 12 inches of attic insulation, you probably need more.
2. Turn on the Humidifier
   It’s not just the heat; it’s also the humidity. If your furnace doesn’t have a built-in humidifier, use a portable unit in frequently occupied areas such as the bedroom and living room. The additional moisture will increase the “heat index” inside your home, making 68° F feel more like 76° F. The relative humidity in the home should be between 20 to 40 percent. To help avoid condensation on windows, lower the percentage as the outside temperature gets colder.
3. Warm Yourself Before Heating the Entire House
   Put on a sweater before turning the thermostat dial. Each degree you raise the thermostat on your heating system increases your fuel bill by 3 percent.
4. Install a Programmable Thermostat
   Why heat the house when nobody is home? A programmable thermostat can automatically lower and raise your home’s air temperature when you are at work or sleeping. By simply turning your thermostat back from 72° F down to 65° F for eight hours a day, you can save as much as 10 percent on your annual heating and cooling costs. If used appropriately, the energy savings will offset the costs for a programmable thermostat (starting at $30) in less than one year.
5. Let the Sun Shine In
   Open the window shades on the south and west side of the house during the day to maximize the warmth of the sun, and close them at night. If you, like half of American homeowners, have single-pane windows, consider replacing them with double-pane windows with a special coating on the glass that reflects heat back into the room during the winter months.
6. Cover the Windows
   If you can’t afford to replace your single-pane windows, remember to use your storm windows or install a clear plastic film across the inside of your window and frame. The plastic becomes nearly invisible when you heat it with a blow dryer and is relatively inexpensive (typically $4 to $6 per window). The trapped pocket of air between the plastic film and window acts as an effective insulator, helping to reduce heat loss through the window by 25 to 50 percent.
7. Change Furnace Filters Frequently
   You can improve the energy efficiency of your heating and cooling systems by as much as 10 percent by cleaning air registers, baseboard heaters and radiators as needed and changing forced air heating system air filters monthly. An alternative to swapping out the replacement filter is to use washable filters (around $20 each). With care, they can last up to five years.
8. Seal the Ducts
   The most logical way to stay warm is to only heat living areas, not the attic or unfinished basement. However, in many homes, the warm air generated by the furnace often escapes into the attic or basement before it reaches its intended destination because of cracks or holes in the air ducts. As a result, the furnace works overtime to keep the rest of the house warm. Check your ducts for leaks each fall and use duct tape to repair and seal holes or sections that may have separated. If you are buying new ducts, consider a system that is already surrounded by insulation.
9. Plug the Drafts
   The exterior of your house is your first line of defense against drafts, so caulk, seal and weather-strip around all seams, cracks and openings. Pay special attention around windows and where siding or bricks and wood trim meet. You can also reduce drafts from the inside by caulking, sealing and weather-stripping around windows and door frames, and near electrical boxes and plumbing penetrations.
10. Close Vents to Guest Rooms
    Today’s larger homes often have more rooms than family members to fill them. By closing the vents to one spare bedroom house, you can cut your heating bills. You can always open the vents when guests visit for the holidays.

For more energy-efficiency tips homeowners can download a free 36-page Energy Savers booklet at www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/. The Energy Savers campaign, developed by the Energy Department in partnership with Owens Corning, provides Americans with more than 100 easy and practical energy-efficiency tips and projects

Water Conservation starts at home.  Bathrooms consume as much as 50% of your total water use in the home.  Targeting these areas can make a quick impact on water conservation and your monthly utility bills.  Here are a few quick ways to begin conserving water in your home.

• Replace old shower heads with conservation low flow shower heads.
• Fix leaky faucets.  One drop per second can use 2,700 gallons annually.
• Wait for full laundry loads.  Running only full loads of laundry can really contribute to water conservation, saving 200-800 gallons per month.
• Replace worn toilet flappers. Check for leaky toilets by putting a drop of food coloring into the tank, if it seeps into the toilet, you have  leak.
• Take your time defrosting your food and use the fridge verses soaking in water.
• Turn off the water while brushing your teeth.  A family of four can save 200 gallons per week.
• Install water conservation aerators on all of your faucets.
• Save water while shaving.  Fill the sink half way and then rinse your razor verses leaving the water running. This could save 300 gallons per month.
• Turn the shower off while soaping up. 
• Clean walkways and driveways with a broom instead of using the hose.