Earth Day - 5 Tips

Hello NNA members,

By Michael Askenasi

In anticipation of Earth Day on April 20th, we offer you these 5 easy tips to help the environment through the spring/summer months:

1) NO IDLING – Idling is a huge waste of gas and studies have shown that even in winter, cars only need up to 20 seconds to warm up. So for example, the next you’re waiting to pick up you child from school, turn the engine off while you wait.

2) PROGRAM YOUR THERMOSTAT – Programming your thermostat is one of the easiest ways to save on your electric bills in the summer and your gas bills in the winter. Let’s say you normally like the house at 70 degrees when you’re home in the summer, but work from 9:00-5:30. You can program your thermostat to let the temperature rise up to 80 degrees while you’re gone, and at 5:00 the program can start to bring the temperature back down before you get home at 6:00.

3) DROP THE SHADES – Sunlight coming through your windows heats up your apartment or house quicker, making you use more A/C through the summer. When you’re not at home (or even when you ARE at home), draw your shades or blinds to limit the heat streaming into your home.

4) A.M. GARDENING – Morning is the best time for watering your lawn and plants. If you water in the afternoon or even early-evening, the ground will still be hot and water will evaporate quicker. Do your part to conserve water by scheduling your watering in the mornings.

5) PUT OFF LAUNDRY ANOTHER DAY – The average washing machine uses 41 gallons of water per load. Doing a small load uses extra water AND electricity, so wait until you have enough laundry for a full load. And if it might be time to replace that old washing machine and/or dryer, consider getting a more energy-efficient replacement."