Tax Breaks and Rebates Help Ease the Switch

If you’re looking for one more way to slow water consumption, save energy, and save money, consider buying a new refrigerator, dishwasher, or clothes washer. The environmental benefits are immediate, and you’ll earn your investment back in a few years, especially with the rebates, Oregon tax credits, and federal incentives now available to most homeowners.

Why is making the switch important? Because saving energy prevents pollution. When you choose Energy Star-rated products, you help prevent global warming and promote cleaner air, without sacrificing product quality and performance.

The Energy Star rating means a product meets strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the US Environmental Protection Agency and the US Department of Energy.

For more information about making the switch, visit the Energy Star website at www.energystar.gov. Below are a few suggestions:

Dishwasher
Replacing a dishwasher manufactured before 1994 with an Energy Star-qualified dishwasher can save you more than $30 a year in utility costs.

Energy Star-rated dishwashers use at least 41% less energy than the federal minimum standard for energy consumption.

Energy Star-rated dishwashers use much less water than conventional models. Because they use less hot water compared to new conventional models, an Energy Star-rated dishwasher saves about $90 over its lifetime.

Refrigerator
Consider replacing your refrigerator or standalone freezer if it was manufactured between 1993 and 1999. That’s because a pre-1993 unit costs about $100 per year in electricity. That’s twice as much as a new Energy Star-rated model.

It’s time to consider a new unit if:

• You have a side-by-side refrigerator, those use 25% more energy.
• Your household size has shrunk and you could use a smaller model.
• Your refrigerator or freezer was built in the 1970s — those cost four times more per year to operate than an Energy Star-rated appliance.

Clothes Washer
Did you know that the average American family washes almost 400 loads of laundry each year? With an Energy Star-rated clothes washer, it’s possible to cut energy costs by more than a third — and water costs by more than half.

Surprisingly, a washer manufactured before 2004 is considered inefficient by today’s standards. And if your washer is more than 10 years old, then it’s definitely time for a replacement: With a new Energy Star-rated washer, you can save about $145 per year on your utility bills.

Solar Water Heaters
For homeowners who really want to make a difference, an Energy Star-rated solar water heater lets you wear your green on your sleeve — and on the roof.

These units can cut your annual hot water bill in half, and are generally designed for use with an electric or gas water heater as a back-up system.

Despite the initial investment (which can take up to 10 years to pay for itself, but don’t forget to factor in rebates, tax credits, and federal incentives,) a solar water heater offers the following benefits:

• Save money: By using sunshine to heat or preheat your water, you can cut your water heating bill in half. This means you can save $190 annually if you combine solar with a backup gas-storage water heater instead of using the gas water heater alone. If you have an electric tank water heater for back-up, you’ll save about $250 each year on electricity bills. Large families with greater hot water needs can save even more.
• Protect the environment: These units can cut your carbon dioxide emissions in half. According to the Energy Star website, “Installing a qualified solar water heater will reduce the load of your electric water heater by almost 2,500 kWh per year, preventing 4,000 pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere annually. This is the equivalent of not driving your car for four months every year.”
• Long lifetime. The average life expectancy of qualified solar water heating systems is 20 years, much longer than standard gas or electric storage water heaters.

For more information and to locate brands and models that are Energy Star-approved visit www.energystar.gov

Crying Over Spilled Water? No? Maybe You Should.

Mama always said there was no use in crying over spilled milk. And maybe she was right. But when it comes to spilled water, you might want to shed a tear or two…and then take steps so that it doesn’t happen again.

You pay for water: Every time you flush the toilet, wash your car, brush your teeth, make coffee, clean the dishes or launder clothes, you pay for the privilege of having fresh water routed to your house. And then you pay for the luxury of having dirty water drained away.

Running water is an absolute luxury. We take it for granted. The only time we stop and think about water as a precious resource is during hot summer days when local newscasters use the word “drought,” or when we hear about other families in other countries dying from a lack of clean water.

The only time we realize how much money water costs is when we get the water bill — and that’s once every three months. Mop up some quick savings with these 4 Tips from Energy Star. You’ll be preserving a precious resource and balancing the family budget.

Four Water Saving Tips from Energy Star

1. Stop Leaks. Check and repair all water-using appliances, even if the leak is minor. A leaking faucet, an endlessly running toilet, even the wrong showerhead, can dribble hundreds of gallons – and handfuls of dollars – down the drain.
2. Replace old toilets. Flushing the toilet is the single largest water use in the home, especially if you are family of four. If your home was built before 1992 and you haven’t replaced your toilet since that time, you probably could benefit from installing a high efficiency toilet that uses 1.6 gallons of water per flush. Your foursome could save between 14,000 and 25,000 gallons of water by making this switch.
3. Your old washer? It’s washed out. As the second largest water-hog in the home, your clothes washer should eventually be traded in for a front-loading high efficiency unit. Look for an Energy Star-rated product: These use 35% to 50% less water and 50% less energy per load.
4. Plant for your climate, not your passion. If your goal is to turn your oversized front lawn into a verdant golf course, please, think again. Instead, choose grass, flowers, shrubs, and trees that will thrive better during the Pacific Northwest’s hot and dry summer months. Harmonize your landscape with the Northwest’s climate pattern, and you’ll use less water and enjoy a colorful, blooming garden all summer long.