June 350 kWh SAVED! Newsletter

Your monthly 350 Project e-mail, July 26, 2010



Dear 350 Families,

Here is your monthly message for July.

First,

For those who need instructions on how 350 works, see detailed instructions attached.

Second:

Good news: We now have 96 families signed up!

I am guessing there are many of you who have saved over 350 kWhrs, but you just haven’t sat down to check your bills. We are eager to hear from you. Each time you save 350 kWhrs, your name goes into the hat for the year-end drawing, so keep checking those bills.

Remember the grand prize: a $5,000. solar thermal installation. Here is another: a free home energy audit. More prizes will be announced later.

Call me at 698-6173, Michele at 224-0052, or e-mail SEEDS at seedsgroup@gmail.com if you are ready to show us your bills, or if you have questions or suggestions on how to save electricity.



Here is another great reason to cut back on electricity use: each kWh you save means you are really saving much more because anywhere from 7 to 20% of electricity generated at power plants is lost during transmission. This is also a great reason to invest in solar or wind on your own property. Hardly any energy is lost!



Sving tips:

If you have a well, using less water means the pump does not run as often.

· In the bathroom: if it’s yellow, let it mellow. If it’s brown, flush it down. Better yet, consider a composting toilet!

· In the garden or yard: cut back on water-needy plants and lawns. Native plants can withstand local conditions better than exotics. Mulch your plants to conserve soil moisture.

· In the kitchen, keep a pitcher of water in the refrigerator. Keeping the refrigerator full helps it work less, and you don’t have to turn on the faucet and let it run each time you want a cold drink of water. Of course if you keep the fridge door open a long time, all bets are off.

Update your old inefficient windows or add storm windows and consider shading the south-facing windows with curtains, shades, or retractable awnings (so you can let in sun during the cold months).

Visit http://www.pplelectric.com/e-power/ to help you with power-saving ideas, rebates, and incentives from PPL.

Remember that previous 350 monthly e-mail messages are available on our website: SEEDSGroup.net. .

Thanks for being a part of this project!

--Kathy Dodge for SEEDS 350 kWh Saved!