Idea Night at the Redbirds

Last night was "Idea Night" at AutoZone Park. Fans were asked to give their feedback for next year's season. Ushers handed out paper and pencil during the game for fans to have a chance to share their ideas. Upon exit, compact fluorescent light bulbs from MLGW were handed out as a thank you.



This promotional idea was mentioned as one of the best this year in the minor leagues on ESPN.com!

As a reminder:

--CFLs use about 75 percent less energy than standard bulbs.

--CFLs also last about 10 times longer.

--A single CFL can save more than $40 over its lifetime, compared to a standard bulb.

--Switching to CFLs is a good example of how customers can make small steps that add up to make a significant difference.

--There are disposal techniques that are necessary for CFLs that customers need to keep in mind. CFLs can be disposed of at the Shelby County Hazardous Waste facility, and also at local hardware stores such as Home Depot. Customers can go to www.recyclebulb.com to find local disposal outlets.

--More info on CFLs can be found at on our website.

Benefits of CFLs

ABC 24 is doing a story today about compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs and their benefits. A recent USA Today poll showed that 71 percent of U.S. adults say that they have replaced standard bulbs with CFLs over the past few years.

Here are some key points:

--CFLs use about 75 percent less energy than standard bulbs.

--CFLs also last about 10 times longer.

--A single CFL can save more than $40 over its lifetime, compared to a standard bulb.

--We're promoting taking "baby steps" that add up to big savings in energy costs, and switching to CFLs is a good example of how customers can make these small steps add up to make a significant difference.

--There are disposal techniques that are necessary for CFLs that customers need to keep in mind. CFLs can be disposed of at the Shelby County Hazardous Waste facility, and also at local hardware stores such as Home Depot. Customers can go to www.recyclebulb.com to find local disposal outlets.

--More info on CFLs can be found at on our website.

CFL Disposal & Clean Up

We're loving the new Tuesday Green edition of the CA. Today's column by Deanna Caswell focuses on proper clean up and disposal of CFLs...

Practically Green: Beware of toxic mercury inside home's compact fluorescent bulbs

In my last column, I talked about the benefits of compact fluorescent light bulbs over incandescent and how to avoid some of their problems. But, I held out one so I could dedicate a whole column to it: Mercury.

Mercury is a toxic element, and is currently an unavoidable part of CFLs. Each CFL contains about 5 mg of mercury, equivalent to the tip of a ballpoint pen. For comparison, those old mercury thermometers we all used as kids had 50-100 mg of mercury in them. And like the thermometers, the mercury in CFLs is released only if the glass is broken. Broken bulbs release mercury vapor and a mercury- containing phosphor powder.

Home exposure

If you break a bulb, don't freak out. According to energystar.gov, the biggest danger of breaking a CFL in your home is getting cut on the glass. Now, if you break 65 bulbs at once -- leave the house. But one bulb:

1. Open a window, if possible

2. Leave the room for a few minutes to let the vapor dissipate.

3. Sweep up the shards (no vacuum)

4. Wipe the floor with a damp disposable towel.

5. Put all of that in a plastic bag.

Environmental exposure

First, it's important to know that coal- burning energy plants put off mercury, too. And that over the life of an incandescent bulb, the coal-fired power plant will put off about 13.3 mg of mercury, compared with 3.3 mg for the CFL.

A larger problem is spent bulbs tossed into the trash. Once in the landfill, the bulbs will almost surely break. And we don't want mercury in the soil and ground water. In fact, a new Tennessee law (Public Chapter 840) was passed last year that prevents businesses employing more than 10 people or occupying buildings more than 3,000 square feet from tossing their CFLs in the trash. Many states have laws that don't allow homeowners to do it, either.

Proper CFL disposal

Any Home Depot, Lowes, Ace Hardware and IKEA store will recycle them for you.

Energy Star bulbs have a two-year warranty, if one of those goes out early, you can take it back to the retailer.

The Shelby County Hazardous Waste Facility (6305 Haley Road) will also properly dispose of your used CFLs.

If none of these facilities are an option for you, there are mail-back programs available like lamprecycling.com. I've also seen some recommendations to place your bulbs in a crush-proof container before tossing in the bin. But if these options are not available, just make sure your sanitation folks don't use an incinerator. That is bad news for mercury.

So, overall, even if you have to toss them in the trash, the total mercury exposure to the environment is less than incandescent bulbs. But let's not be lazy. It may soon be illegal to throw them in the landfill. Get used to hauling them to the home improvement stores. Before writing this article I had no idea I was doing it wrong. Dang, now I need ANOTHER box in the garage.

CFLs are cost-effective

Columnist Deanna Caswell gives us a nice break down of the usefulness and cost-effectiveness of CFLs in today's Commercial Appeal...

Practically Green: Fluorescent bulbs: You get what you pay for

While I was presenting at a brown-bag talk for the Memphis Botanic Garden, the subject of compact fluorescent lights came up. There were many complaints about them.

They take too long to come on. The light is an icky color. They don't last as long as they say. I was asked to please do some research on it and write a column. So here you go. (I will address complaints about disposal of spent or broken CFLs in a future column.)

CFLs save you money, but that up-front cost is painful. Over the life of the bulb, the math works out, but most of us still flinch and reach for the store-brand discount version. It seems that is the reason for problems with delay, early burnout and poor light quality.

To avoid those problems:

Buy brand-name bulbs. Discount CFLs are poorer quality and may last only six months, regardless of what the box says. You will still save money over the life of the bulb compared with incandescent energy cost and bulb replacement.

Buy soft light or daylight varieties to improve the light quality and avoid that depressing blue fluorescent flicker.

CFLs like warmth. In an environment below 68 degrees, they take longer to come on. For outdoor use in winter months, use CFLs specified for outdoor use. Yes, they're more expensive, but they're worth it.

And tighten up your ceiling fans. Vibration shortens the life of the bulb.

How much is too much to spend on lightbulbs? When am I not saving money any more.

Here's the math:

For 8,000 hours of 60 W incandescent light, we pay about $43, plus the cost of about 10 bulbs.

For 8,000 hours of what is equivalent to "60 W light" from the CFL, we pay $9, plus the cost of the one bulb.

So unless that CFL bulb costs more than $35 dollars, we're still saving money.

Don't Forget to Fall Back!

Daylight Saving Time is ending this Saturday night. I guess the good news is that you get an extra hour to enjoy your post Trick-or-Treating candy coma. The bad news is that it's going to be dark earlier and longer. Now is the perfect time to swap out those old incandescent bulbs for energy saving fluorescent ones!

FYI, the reason for the inception of Daylight Saving Time was to save energy!

It was originally believed that maximizing sunlight would minimize the electricity needed for artificial lighting. This notion is still up for debate, mainly due to the increased usage of air conditioning in the summer months. However, many (including myself) would argue that Daylight Saving Time has numerous other benefits.

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 extended Daylight Saving Time in the U.S. to start at 2:00 a.m. on the second Sunday in March and end on the first Sunday in November beginning in 2007, though Congress retained the right to revert to the 1986 law should the change prove unpopular or if energy savings are not significant.

So, if you are like me and you love Daylight Saving Time, you now have another reason to conserve energy! When you reset your clocks this weekend, be sure and reset your programmable thermostats as well! (WE recommend 68 or lower this winter. 60 while you are asleep or away for more than 4 hours.)

To know more than you ever dreamed possible about Daylight Saving Time, click here.

Come out of the dark

Have you swapped out all of your bulbs? Have you disposed of them properly?


By replacing your four most used bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs, you can save almost $110 over the lifetime of the bulbs.

When they burn out, you need to either dispose of them at the Hazardous Waste facility near Shelby Farms on Saturday or Tuesday between 8:30am-1:00pm or at an area Home Depot.

CFLs Shine in Tests

I heard an interesting story about CFLs on NPR yesterday. Here's the transcript for your reading pleasure. (If you prefer, you can listen here).

Heard on All Things Considered

August 31, 2009 - ROBERT SIEGEL, host:

So, incandescents are getting more efficient, but how do they compare to the other options out there - compact fluorescents and LEDs, or light-emitting diodes? How do they compare in efficiency and cost and in environmental impact? Well, for some answers, we're joined by Celia Kuperszmid-Lehrman who is the deputy home editor at Consumer Reports and in their October issue, due out tomorrow, they put compact fluorescent bulbs to the test. Welcome to the program.

Ms. CELIA KUPERSZMID-LEHRMAN (Deputy Home Editor, Consumer Reports): Thanks very much.

SIEGEL: And let's start with efficiency. How do these new incandescents compare to what you've seen out there from compact fluorescents?

Ms. KUPERSZMID-LEHRMAN: They're still far less efficient than compact fluorescent bulbs and less efficient than LEDs. Now, we actually tested one of these hybrid bulbs - the Philips Halogena, which also says it's going to save 30 percent of the energy and it did. The problem is that these bulbs are very expensive. We paid $9 for two bulbs. So, even at 30 percent savings in terms of energy, you're just never (unintelligible) these bulbs and never going to pay for themselves.

SIEGEL: Well, let's talk cost. Compact fluorescents have come down a lot in price, but are they a better deal than incandescents?

Ms. KUPERSZMID-LEHRMAN: Yes, they are. Long term, they are a much better deal. They've come down and price quite a bit. We had some of our Consumer Reports best buys are about a $1.50 a bulb. Those can save you $56 over the life of a bulb. And when you think of the fact that the average house has about 40 light bulbs in it roughly, you really can start seeing some significant savings.

SIEGEL: Although I gather the life of the CFL is not quite so long as might have been advertised when they first hit the market.

Ms. KUPERSZMID-LEHRMANP: They're getting much better. And that's one of the things we also found in our test was that the energy star bulbs did perform better. So, we're seeing that they are starting to - you know, they're all going to perform and last much longer than an average incandescent bulbs. Incandescent bulbs last about 900 to a 1,000 hours and all of bulbs that we had in our ratings were still burning brightly after 3,000 hours and we keep them going. So, we're going to update that.

SIEGEL: Mm-hmm.

Ms. KUPERSZMID-LEHRMANP: But in our previous tests, we have bulbs that burned for 10,000 hours.

SIEGEL: Now a big downside to compact fluorescents is the issue of toxicity, they contain mercury. And one is one can never simply throw them away - bad news for folks who buy them hoping that they'll be planet friendly. But, is that a reasonable argument in favor of incandescents or LEDs?

Ms. KUPERSZMID-LEHRMANP: Well certainly - I don't think really in favor of incandescents because you're saving so much electricity and that electricity is being generated often by coal-powered electric plants. And that's dumping a lot of the same pollutant's mercury into the air. The compact fluorescent bulbs contain a very small amount of mercury, five milligrams or less for the energy star bulbs. And five milligrams is actually a very small amount. When we test it, most of them actually contain significantly less than the five milligrams. And five milligrams itself is actually the amount you would need to cover the tip of a pen or a pencil.

SIEGEL: Now, here's another criterion for judging light bulbs: esthetics. Incandescents make great light, you can put them on the dimmer. Can CFLs or LEDs ever come close to that a kind of warm light?

Ms. KUPERSZMID-LEHRMANP: Well, CFLs has gotten a lot closer. You have to know how do you find the CFL with that same light quality. And that's one of the things that people do. They confuse brightness with color and light quality. Color is how blue or white or yellow the light is, is actually defined by the temperature of the light. And if you look for a CFL that is 2,700 K, that is pretty close to an incandescent bulb. So, it's just important to look for that number so that you can see that. And a lot of that number is now on the packaging. It's required on the packaging of energy star bulbs.

SIEGEL: Well, Celia Kuperszmid-Lehrman, deputy home editor of Consumer Reports. Thank you very much for talking with us.

Ms. KUPERSZMID-LEHRMAN: It was my pleasure.

(Soundbite of music)

SIEGEL: This is NPR, National Public Radio.

More EnergySmart News...

This ran in today's Commercial Appeal While the story focuses on CFLs, keep in mind the number one way to reduce your utility bill is to follow our recommended thermostat settings of 68 (or lower) in the winter and 78 (or higher) in the summer....

MLGW employees show customers simple ways to cut their utility bills
By Daniel Connolly

When Charles Echols shares tips on saving energy, he's usually speaking to small groups.

But on Wednesday, the 52-year-old stood on stage at the Orpheum in front of hundreds at an event organized by Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division.

"Today was different," Echols said, adding that he was glad to have a chance to have an impact on so many people. "It was kind of a nervous situation."

That's because utility bills can be a monthly blow for Memphians living in older, drafty homes. Residents who use stoves to heat homes that lack working furnaces, for example, may incur hundreds of dollars in energy expenses.

Wednesday's event, which offered tips on how to save money and chances to score free goodies, was part of the EnergySmart Memphis Initiative.

Tennessee Valley Authority, which supplies electricity to MLGW, provided 1,250 free energy-saving kits, including caulk and compact fluorescent light bulbs. Several other prizes were also given away.

TVA spokesman Gil Francis said helping customers save money is the right thing to do, and that if they use less energy, the utility can build fewer power plants, which reduces everyone's costs.

Some audience members were specially invited to the program because of their high utility bills, said MLGW president Jerry Collins, who successfully campaigned for a city ordinance requiring landlords to maintain minimum energy-efficiency standards.

And while MLGW gets less money when people buy less energy, it's the best thing for customers, he said.

"As I've mentioned many times, the overall principle is to always do what's in the customers' interest," Collins said.

Along with other MLGW staffers, Collins wore a red shirt with the slogan "Helping you reduce your energy costs." He moderated the event, which resembled a combination of a school assembly and a game show.

As a camera projected his actions onto a big screen behind him, Echols showed how to replace broken panes of glass in windows and how to use plastic sealant to reduce heat leakage around windows.

Then he pulled out a power meter strip that showed the energy use of five light bulbs -- one conventional bulb and four compact fluorescent ones. Total energy used by the four fluorescent bulbs was less than the conventional 60-watt one.

"So change those bulbs out!" Echols said.

One consumer who walked away impressed was Susan Ferancy, 43, who lives in Bartlett with her husband, daughter and a friend. She said she already uses some energy-efficient light bulbs, but plans to use even more.

"I saw today the real importance of changing all of them in my home," she said.

-- Daniel Connolly: 529-5296

Energy Events

On Friday, MLGW employees will be giving away fluorescent light bulbs and other energy-saving tools at Exxon stations in the Memphis area.

You can schedule Charles Echols or another energy- savings specialist to speak to a local group or even inspect your home for personalized energy advice. Call 528-4188.

The Toxic Truth about CFLs!

Yesterday, Channel 3 ran a story called The Toxic Truth about CFLs. This catchy title is sure to get some people's hearts beating a bit faster.

Here are some calming facts:


1. CFLs contain about 5mg of mercury
2. If they break, you need to follow these guidelines
3. When they burn out, you need to either dispose of them at the Hazardous Waste facility near Shelby Farms on Saturday or Tuesday between 8:30am-1:00pm or at an area Home Depot.

Now, keep in mind CFLs last about two years, so you won't have the disposal issue coming up too often. What I do is keep my burned out bulbs in a box. When I get a good amount, I make one trip to Home Depot, or the waste facility. (I also take my other items that shouldn't go in the trash like batteries, miscellaneous electronics, etc.)

I have only had one CFL break, and it was actually already broken when I opened the box. I placed the box in a plastic bag and secured it, then added it to my used CFL collection box.

But I think the story raises a good point. Not everyone realizes that CFLs need to be disposed of at a waste or recycling facility. So please help spread the word!

Image courtesy of Puget Sound Energy

State-by-State Winter Energy Fact Sheets

The Alliance to Save Energy has updated their state-by-state winter energy fact sheets for the 2008 – 2009 winter heating season. Each fact sheet describes how much home heating bills are likely to rise or fall compared with last winter’s bills, based on fuel costs in each state. Depending on heating fuel use, some homes will face higher costs, while others may see a decrease in heating expense. The sheets also provide energy efficiency tips to help cut heating and other home energy bills.

You can see the 2008 – 2009 Winter State Fact Sheets here.

The Tennessee Fact Sheet shows that home energy bills for Tennesseans using natural gas will rise about $65 compared to last winter and $80 for those using electric. As someone with an electric heater, I can vouch for the $80 jump.

The Fact Sheet offers some energy tips--like using space heaters and programmable thermostats--and is worth a look. The figure I found most interesting was:

By replacing their four most used bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs, Tennessee households can save almost $110 over the lifetime of the bulbs.

CFLs usually last about two years. So that's a savings of $55 a year for just four bulbs. Not bad at all. People like me, with electric heaters, are looking for ways to cut down their overall electric bills to compensate for the inefficient and expensive heating!

Feelgood School Fundraisers

Whether or not you have kids, chances are that someone has hit you up recently to buy candy, wrapping paper, or coffee to raise funds for a school. I don't know about you, but I get bummed out spending my money on things I don't want or need. However, I often find myself purchasing (and even selling) these items out of a desire to help the school. Considering all of the recent cuts to Memphis City Schools, I'm sure I'm not alone.

I wish that schools could raise funds by selling more useful items. After doing a little research, I found that there are a couple of companies offering Compact Fluorescent Light bulb (CFL) fundraisers. Considering that incandescent light bulbs are being phased out, I think that CFL fundraisers are a perfect way to raise money and awareness.

My School Lights has a very extensive collection of bulbs for sale and includes an educational component that offers information and ideas to help children understand where energy comes from, how we use it, and the effects on the environment. Best of all, MSL handles all of the money and product distribution.

In addition to CFLs, One Planet Fundraising offers a reusable water bottle and cloth shopping bag campaign. Greenraising and Grow Kids also offer a host of earth-friendly products.

Chico Bag, a reusable bag that can be folded into itself and put in a purse or pocket, offers school fundraisers that allow the school to keep 50% of profits. It also has an educational component that focuses on the effect of plastic bags on the environment. (Chico Bags has a zero waste component as well--unused/worn out bags can be mailed back to the company who in turn will either donate them to a needy family or have them recycled into rugs.)

Chico Bags has had a lot of success with its program. I especially like the example below:

“…students, faculty, parents and guests were reminded of the importance of planting trees, bettering the environment and taking care of our fragile planet. But this year, students didn’t stop there. They also lined up to show just how big a problem plastic bags can be!

… the students collected plastic bags at home for one week. Students tied the bags end to end to form an immense chain. After the chain was rolled into a huge ball to demonstrate how much room the bags would take up in a landfill, students walked the chain around the campus to see just how much plastic is wasted in one week! They circled the campus nine times!

To do their part to save the planet, students have teamed up with ChicoBags, to sell reusable nylon bags that fit into their own pouch so that they can be carried with you at all times.”

Mrs. Toni Napier, Vice Principal - Our Lady Refuge School of Long Beach, CA

Mythbusting v2

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) has compiled a list of ten myth-busters to help separate energy savings fact from energy wasting fiction.

MYTHBUSTING FACT #2: Today's compact fluorescent lightbulbs work just as well as incandescents, and are just as safe. CFLs have come a long way in terms of quality and variety, and use a fraction of the energy of incandescent bulbs. Look for the ENERGY STAR label to ensure high quality bulbs, and try out different color varieties to find the one you like best ("soft white" most closely mimics the color of an incandescent). As for safety, even if a bulb breaks in your house authorities suggest that there is not enough mercury in the bulb to present a substantial health hazard. That being said, efforts should be taken to dispose of CFLs properly.

I did a post on CFL clean up awhile ago. And, remember, all Home Depots recycle CFLs now (even if there isn't a bin in sight) and you can also drop them off at the Hazardous Waste facility near Shelby Farms every Saturday and Tuesday 8:30am-1:00pm.

Mythbusting

The average person today is inundated with messages about saving energy. Unfortunately too many messages perpetuate long-standing myths, making it difficult to sort out good advice from bad. The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) has compiled a list of myth-busters to help separate energy savings fact from energy wasting fiction.

There are ten in all and I will be posting one a day for you to mull over.

Someone once told me that CFLs should be left on for a minimum of 15 minutes in order to prevent them from burning out before their guaranteed 2 year lifespan. Well, too bad I can't remember who told me!

MYTHBUSTING FACT #1: Turning off lights, even for short periods of time, really saves energy, with little impact on the lifespan of the bulb. Turn off the lights even when you're leaving a room for just a few minutes.

Home Depot Update

I told you that Home Depot launched a CFL recycling program in late June. Despite no signage, visible recycling containers or local promotion, I did confirm that the midtown Home Depot is accepting CFLs.

I went by yesterday to see if they had done anything to make the program more apparent to shoppers, but found no change from my last visit.

I spoke to the manager and he informed me that Home Depot headquarters "sometimes forgets about little ol' Memphis."

However, he is sure that they will have a full promotional display next week.

In the meantime, take your CFLs to the Service Desk and they will store them in the hazardous materials bin in the back of the store.

Home Depot Launches CFL Recycling Program

Good news! On Tuesday, Home Depot announced that it will now accept used, unbroken compact fluorescent bulbs in all 1,973 of its stores in the United States, creating the nation’s most widespread recycling program for the bulbs. Best of all, Home Depot’s program will accept any manufacturer’s bulbs.

I went by the midtown Home Depot yesterday to verify that they were indeed collecting CFLs for recycling. First, I looked for signs similar to the one pictured above, but there weren't any. Next, I asked the Service Desk representative. She said she didn't know anything about a CFL recycling program. I mentioned the New York Times article and she said she would ask someone else.

She disappeared into the office for a few minutes and then reappeared. "Yes, we do!" she informed me enthusiastically.

"Great, where are you putting them?" I asked, hoping for a photo op.

"You can just give them to me and I will put them in our hazardous waste bin in the back," she said.

"I don't actually have any with me today," I said. "I was just checking." I thanked her and made my way to the check-out.

Hopefully over the next few days/weeks(?) local Home Depot employees will be educated on the recycling program and signs will be put in place to inform customers of this exciting news. I'll check back.

Photo by Alan Zale for The New York Times

Energy Kit Promotion Extended

I'd like to send a big THANK YOU to the 3,000+ MLGW customers who enrolled in MLGW's My Account services through TVA's free energy kit promotion!

For those of you who haven't had a chance to sign up yet, there is good news. TVA has extended its free energy kit promotion through December 30, 2009. So sign up for MLGW's My Account services today! Not only will you receive a free energy kit, you will learn all sorts of interesting facts about your utility usage! Be sure to complete both the "Home Profile" and "My Appliances" questions under the Home Energy Center tab.

The free energy kit includes two compact fluorescent light bulbs, outlet and light switch gaskets, filter whistle for your HVAC air filter (which sounds when your filter becomes 50% clogged letting you know it will soon need replacing), two faucet aerators, hot water temperature gauge, home thermometer, and a “How to Save” brochure.

Shattered

I've been getting a lot of questions about CFLs lately--especially about their mercury content.

Compact fluorescent light bulbs do contain a very small amount of mercury sealed within the glass tubing.

If a CFL breaks, the EPA recommends the following clean-up and disposal guidelines:

Before Clean-up: Ventilate the Room

1. Have people and pets leave the room, and don't let anyone walk through the breakage area on their way out.
2. Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more.
3. Shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system, if you have one.

Clean-Up Steps for Hard Surfaces

4. Carefully scoop up glass fragments and powder using stiff paper or cardboard and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.
5. Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.
6. Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes and place them in the glass jar or plastic bag.
7. Do not use a vacuum or broom to clean up the broken bulb on hard surfaces.

Clean-up Steps for Carpeting or Rug

4. Carefully pick up glass fragments and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.
5. Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.
6. If vacuuming is needed after all visible materials are removed, vacuum the area where the bulb was broken.
7. Remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister), and put the bag or vacuum debris in a sealed plastic bag.

Disposal of Clean-up Materials

8. Immediately place all cleanup materials outside the building in a trash container or outdoor protected area for the next normal trash.
9. Wash your hands after disposing of the jars or plastic bags containing clean-up materials.
10. Check with your local or state government about disposal requirements in your specific area. Some states prohibit such trash disposal and require that broken and unbroken mercury-containing bulbs be taken to a local recycling center.

Future Cleaning of Carpeting or Rug: Ventilate the Room During and After Vacuuming

11. The next several times you vacuum, shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system and open a window prior to vacuuming.
12. Keep the central heating/air conditioning system shut off and the window open for at least 15 minutes after vacuuming is completed.

Until CFL retailers start offering on-site recycling/disposal options, all used CFLS should be taken to the Memphis & Shelby County Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility at Shelby Farms Park.

It’s Easy To Be Green, Week 8

This is another installment of Lichterman Nature Center's twelve week It's Easy To Be Green program that MLGW employees are participating in.

Americans waste as much energy as two-thirds of the world’s population consumes. Conserving energy at home helps to reduce emission of greenhouse gases and saves you money. (If you participated in Earth Hour last Saturday, you may have already realized how much energy you personally waste!)

Action Items

• Ask MLGW’s Energy Doctor to do an energy audit in your home by calling 528-4188.

• Lower the thermostat in the winter and raise it in the summer. For every degree below 68, you save 5% on heating costs. Likewise, raising the thermostat to 78 degrees (or higher) in the summer saves you money on cooling.

• Set the water heater to 120 degrees. To get hot water quickly and to save energy, insulate your water heater.

• When washing clothes, only do full loads. Using cold water rather than hot water reduces energy use by 75%.

• Use the moisture-sensing setting on your dryer. Better yet, hang out the laundry to air dry. Don’t forget to clean the dryer’s lint trap after each load.

• Switch to compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs. They use 75% less energy and produce 75% less heat. CFL bulbs also last up to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs. Remember to properly dispose of CFL bulbs at the Memphis & Shelby County Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility.

• Clean or replace the air filters in your heating and cooling units every month.

• Let the sun shine in! On cold, sunny days, open the curtains and blinds to let “sun power” heat the rooms. On hot, sunny days, close curtains and blinds. This action saves energy (and money) needed to cool the rooms.

• Take an inventory of all electrical appliances in your home. How many do you have? How many do you really need?

• Why do you have the TV, radio, computer and CD player on at the same time? Turn off these and other appliances when not in use to save electricity and money!

• Unplug the electricity vampires. Vampires are electrical appliances (Tvs, computers, VCRs, DVD players, battery chargers, etc.) in standby mode that use power when not in use. Vampire power accounts for up to 25% of household electricity.

• Keep the fireplace damper closed when not in use. Otherwise, 8% of the room’s heated or cooled air goes up the chimney.

Mail Call

I got my free TVA energy kit in the mail yesterday! The kit includes two compact fluorescent light bulbs, outlet and light switch gaskets, filter whistle for your HVAC air filter (which sounds when your filter becomes 50% clogged letting you know it will soon need replacing), two faucet aerators, hot water temperature gauge, home thermometer, and a “How to Save” brochure.

MLGW has partnered with TVA so that customers who enroll in MLGW's My Account services and complete both the "Home Profile" and "My Appliances" questions under the Home Energy Center tab can also receive a free kit.

Free Energy Kits from TVA

As I reported in January, TVA is giving out free energy kits to customers who complete an energy audit. Ads have started running locally in the newspaper and on the radio.

MLGW has partnered with TVA so that customers who enroll in MLGW's My Account services and complete both the "Home Profile" and "My Appliances" questions under the Home Energy Center tab can also receive a free kit. This energy audit allows you to use local rates and your actual billing history, thus giving you the most accurate results.

The campaign runs through 6/30/08, or while supplies last. (Customers who completed the required sections of MLGW's My Account website earlier this year will qualify, too.) Limit one per household.

TVA sends the kits in 8-10 weeks. The kit includes two compact fluorescent light bulbs, outlet and light switch gaskets, filter whistle for your HVAC air filter (which sounds when your filter becomes 50% clogged letting you know it will soon need replacing), two faucet aerators, hot water temperature gauge, home thermometer, and a “How to Save” brochure.

Learn more about MLGW's My Account services here.