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Organic cotton cable knit throw from Ethical Ocean. (Courtesy of Ethical Ocean)

GreenCheck® Providers Offer Exclusive Coupon Codes and Discounts to SCGH Readers

Do you want to have the best environmentally friendly gifts this year, without the price tag? Here at Sierra Club Green Home, we have an exclusive database of GreenCheck® products and service providers who work hard to bring you the most sustainable products and services at costs that fit all budgets.

These GreenCheck® providers are offering promotional codes and discounts exclusive to SCGH readers. Just another reason to visit SCGH.com: SAVINGS!

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Use the same code for 5% off after February 29 2012.

Want to be a part of this exclusive green business network? Apply today and reach out to millions of green consumers!

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Save energy by using the automatic setting instead of the timed setting on your dryer. (By Linda Foss)

Clothes Dryer Automatic Settings 

Don’t use the timed setting on your clothes dryer. The automatic setting uses moisture sensors to tell when clothes are dry. Not only does this use less energy, it saves wear and tear on your clothes. Set it somewhere in the middle. The “more dry” setting can over dry clothes and waste energy. The “less dry” setting leaves clothing damp for ironing.  And when an automatic cycle is done, an “extended tumble” setting without heat prevents wrinkles if you don’t remove clothes immediately.

Television Sleep Timers and Brightness Settings

I know so many who fall asleep each night with the television on. Not only does this waste energy, it also interferes with your ability to sleep well (and good sleep which is vital for good health). Every television I’ve had or used for the past two decades has had a sleep timer. There’s a sleep button on the remote of most Sony televisions.  With others, you may have to navigate the onscreen menu.  Sleep timers usually offer 30, 60, 90, etc. minute increments and then the television shuts itself off when the time is up. Plug the TV into a smart strip and it can cut the power to your cable box, DVR, or other peripherals at the same time. Many TVs also have the ability to turn on at a set time, so you can be awakened by the morning news or your favorite exercise program.

You can also lower the backlight brightness on your TV to both reduce energy usage and extend the life of the lamp, which cannot be replaced in most TVs.

Tank Water Heater Vacation Mode

Try the lowest setting on your water heater, sometimes called “vacation mode.” After I forgot to turn it back up when I returned for a trip, I discovered that it produces enough hot water for me in the summer months.

I hope that you find these tips useful. If you have a few energy-saving secrets of your own, please comment on this post to share with the rest of the Sierra Club Green Home community.

For related article, see:
Top 10 Tips to Lower Your Home Energy Bills

© 2012 SCGH, LLC.

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The cost savings from energy conservation efforts can add up quickly. (Jannoon028, freedigitalphotos.net)

By Debbie Van Der Hyde

Utilities and energy providers across the nation are turning to personalized home electricity reports to help customers save on their utility bills and reduce their carbon emissions.

These easy-to-understand reports provide customers with information about their energy use compared to people with homes of similar square footage. Some reports include a progress tracker to see how a homeowner’s usage changes over time.

Many reports also offer personalized tips, including no-cost and low-cost improvements to help customers make their homes more efficient. Examples include unplugging cell phone wall chargers when not in use, putting outdoor lights on timers, hanging laundry to dry, and buying more efficient refrigerators.

Behavioral approach to energy conservation
The home reports get their approach from behavior-based electricity management, a new, growing field in conservation. Puget Sound Energy, a private utility in Washington state, for example, currently sends reports to 24,000 customers. Joel Smith, who manages the company’s energy efficiency services, sees how these reports encourage more eco-friendly behavior.

“The program provides our customers with a benchmark for understanding how they and their home use energy. It gives them an idea of whether or not there is room for improvement if they choose to make changes,” says Smith.

La Vonna Jones, a former Puget Sound Energy customer, altered the days and times that she did laundry based on her reports.

“I didn’t know that energy usage at certain times of the day was higher and more expensive because so many people were using it,” Jones says. The behavior change reduced her electricity bill and was rewarding, she says. “It seemed perfectly easy and reasonable to me to make small changes to save energy while also helping the community as a whole.”

Do the reports achieve results for customers and utilities alike? The answer is: definitely.

“On average, a Seattle City Light customer who receives the report is using about 3 percent or 300 kilowatt less electricity per year than those who are not,” says Lars Henrikson, program manager for the home electricity reports for Seattle City Light. The public utility launched the program in 2009 and is currently sending reports to 50,000 customers.

“When we multiply that savings by the number of customers receiving the reports, we’re achieving approximately 15 million kilowatt hours of savings annually. That’s about what a windmill would produce in one year,” says Henrikson.

Figure 1: Seattle City Light electricity savings per household for the first two years of the program for the initial cohort of 20,000 customers. (Graph courtesy of Opower)

Opower, a software company headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, provides the analytics behind the home electricity reports used by Puget Sound Energy, Seattle City Light and about 60 other utilities across the country. Opower estimates that up to 20 percent of electricity in people’s homes is wasted.

“The reports are designed to make sure customers have full visibility into opportunities to save electricity, and to make it easy for them to do something about it by eliminating the amount that is wasted,” says Ogi Kavazovic, Opower vice president of corporate marketing.

Behavior-based management can be just as beneficial for the utility companies as well. “In many cases, our utility customers are also using the platform to help them evolve from providers to electricity management advisors and service providers,” says Kavazovic.

This is certainly the case at Seattle City Light. Customer calls about the report are directed to the utility’s conservation call center. “The reports are a great conversation starter about measures our customers can take. They also help our customers understand the costs of inaction,” says Henrikson.

Other energy management tools
In addition to paper-based reports, some utilities work with Opower and similar companies to offer Web portals that provide customers with more in-depth and customized home electricity usage statistics.

Tendril, located in Boulder, Colorado, serves more than 30 energy service providers across the United States, primarily in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Midwest. Tendril’s Web platform gives customers insight, choice, and control over their energy use in real time.

“Consumers can monitor their kilowatt hours being used, determine what actions they can take to reduce their usage, and then see an impact on their bills,” says Sheila O’Neill, communication director at Tendril.

Utilities can then offer their customers smart devices, such as programmable thermostats or smart outlets. “This gives consumers more control over their energy use and more savings,” says O’Neill.

Cape Light Compact, a Massachusetts-based electricity service provider, designed and implemented a smart home monitoring pilot program in collaboration with Tendril. Customers could see real-time electricity usage and could chat through a secure Web dashboard with others in the pilot about what they were doing to help save electricity.

“We were looking for a new way to reach customers and to see if small behavior changes impacted their energy consumption,” says Briana C. Kane, senior residential program coordinator for Cape Light Compact.

“On average, we saw a 9.3 percent reduction, showing how small changes can lead to big impacts,” Kane adds.

Additional electricity management services available through some utilities include email or text message alerts to monitor usage and mobile management applications. Using the apps, participating customers can access electricity usage information and remotely control devices in their home, such as programmable thermostats or air conditioners. This saves even more energy and money.

Are you interested in receiving a regular home electricity report?  Call your utility to find out if it offers the program or to learn more about other available energy-saving offers.

For related story: Top 10 Tips to Lower Your Home Energy Bills

© 2011 SCGH, LLC.

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Shozo Kinoshita of Panasonic Home Appliances Company provides do-it-yourself tips, including washing clothes in large loads to cut down on the number of loads.

Editor’s Note: This story is part of a series looking at Panasonic and its ecological strategies and technological developments.

Story and photos by E.Q. Lam
November 9, 2011

KUSATSU, JAPAN — In the United States, Panasonic Corporation is known for electronics, not for its home appliances which are a familiar brand in Asia and a growing brand in Europe. The company is taking big steps, however, toward providing green solutions for living, including both “do-it-yourself” tips as well as Panasonic technology for the home.

In an eco press tour of Panasonic’s facilities in Japan, the company highlighted its vision to become the number one green innovation company in the global electronics industry by 2018, the 100th anniversary of its founding. The goal of the company is to make the environment central to all of its activities in order to cut carbon emissions by 50 million tons in fiscal year 2013 and 120 million tons by fiscal year 2019. Panasonic’s approach to CO2 emissions reductions involves both the production of its electronics as well as development of eco products.

Panasonic gave a tour of its ECO NAVI House in Kusatsu (near Osaka), where Panasonic Home Appliance Company (Panasonic HA) is located. The ECO NAVI House showcases the home appliance products which Panasonic currently offers (mostly in Japan and China). Among 21 ECO NAVI products are smart air conditioners, refrigerators, and washing machines. The air conditioner will be on the U.S. consumer market in January 2012, says Kazunori Takami, president of Panasonic HA.

At the same time that Panasonic HA introduces ECO NAVI products, it gives what the company calls “do-it-yourself” tips to save energy, under the theme of “You can start now. Let’s save energy together.” Shozo Kinoshita, senior public relations coordinator for Panasonic HA, says the double dose of information encourages consumers to be more conscious of their energy use and change their habits.

“People can change their mind,” says Kinoshita. “We can start now; we can save energy globally.”

Here are some of the DIY tips that Kinoshita highlights:

• Refrigeration: The refrigerator needs a good air path from top to bottom, so do not block the air flow with larger objects on higher shelves. Place the food with the warmest temperature on the lowest shelf, so that it does not warm the rest of the food. Even better, wait till the food cools down before putting it in the fridge. Organize and arrange food for easy access; opening a refrigerator door for 10 seconds will raise the unit’s temperature by five degrees Celsius.
• Freezer: Place the freshest food on top, since that is what freezes first. Unlike in the refrigerator, crowding food is fine because frozen food below serve as blocks of ice.
• Laundry: optimize washing by combining clothes into one large load. Utilize the water from baths, or pre-wash stubborn stains by hand.
• Air conditioning: Avoid placing the outdoor unit near objects, which may block the vents and reduce efficiency. Place the AC unit in the shade, not the sun.

For related articles, see:
Novel Japanese Recycling Plant
Technology for Smart Homes, Smart Cities
Panasonic Makes Eco Innovation Central Focus
Exclusive Interview With Panasonic Vice President
Green Energy Park May Be Answer to Power Supply

Travel and accommodations provided by Panasonic Corporation.

Check out more articles by E.Q. Lam.

© 2011 SCGH, LLC. All rights reserved.

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You, the eco-hero, can take these tips to gently guide your company towards energy-saving solutions. (© Iqoncept | Dreamstime.com)

By Janice Zaltman

In today’s economy, many businesses are looking for ways to save money. Whether companies are drawn by economic or environmental concerns, many simply do not have the time or desire to investigate solutions. Hence you, the eco-hero, can use these tips to guide your company towards effective environmental solutions.

Eco-Step 1: Eliminate the use of disposable cups
Yes, that means no more Styrofoam cups! Suggest to your supervisor that the company provide a glass mug with company logo to all employees which can be brought home, cleaned, and reused each day. This single investment is usually less expensive than the amount it costs to purchase disposable cups each year. If your company has a kitchen with a dishwasher, that is an added plus. This may seem like a daunting change at first, but once employees get used to it, it becomes the norm. Mugs also can be given to guests to use when they visit your company.

Eco-Step 2: Green your supply chain

• Use 100% recycled paper or FSC (Forestry Stewardship Council) paper from sustainably managed forests. Often these brands can be found at your local office supply store.
• Pens, pencils, and markers also can be made of recycled material.
• Use biodegradable soaps and paper towels in the bathroom and kitchen.
• Buy in bulk and re-use shipping boxes.
• Insist that the janitorial staff use safe, nontoxic, and environmentally friendly cleaning products.

Eco-Step 3: Digitize files
Scan and store documents instead of taking up file cabinets. Consider using offsite cloud computing services to protect documents in case of a virus or power outage.

Eco-Step 4: Make recycling part of company culture
This may be one of the most challenging reforms, as many cities do not have mandatory recycling programs. Your city’s Web site will show what business recycling programs are available in your area. Once recycle bins are in place, offer a brief seminar to educate employees about which bins to use for which items.

Eco-Step 5: Turn it off!
For many people, our computers are the central focus of our work area. Installing a smart power strip that automatically turns off our electronics when not in use is a huge energy saver. Occupancy sensors can be installed in all high-traffic areas so the lights turn off automatically when no one is there.

As an eco-hero, you are providing your company with solid environmental policies that will green their bottom line. The benefits are threefold: financial savings, advertising and marketing opportunities, and social responsibility. Your customers know you are doing your part! In the end, you are helping your company and protecting the planet as well. Isn’t that what a true hero is all about?

Check out Sierra Club’s EcoHero mobile app.

For related article, see:
Top 10 Tips to Lower Your Home Energy Bills

© 2011 SCGH, LLC.

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Here's a glance at where the energy bill comes from for a typical, single-family home. (Energy Star)

By Janice Zaltman 

In my real estate and consulting business, the one question that comes up time and time again is: “What steps can I can take to lower my home energy costs?”

“Ask your neighbors what they spend on their energy bill each month,” advises Ben Millar of E3 Building Sciences in Fort Myers, Florida. “If you are spending the same as everyone else with similar square footage in your neighborhood, maybe your home is okay,” he explains.

Once you have an idea of how your costs measure up, look at your consumption and the things that you can easily change. Here are some examples:

• Lighting: Do you tend to leave the lights on when you leave the room? Keeping the home well lit can be a big concern for families with children. Luckily, there are several solutions to this issue. Energy-efficient lighting involves both the light source and the fixture. In many cases, you can simply change the light bulb to either a compact fluorescent lightbulb (CFL) or a light emitting diode (LED). Energy-efficient bulbs may require a certain type of fixture by having a pin base that cannot fit into traditional fixtures. By replacing the five most frequently used light fixtures in your home with Energy Star qualified models, you can save $70 each year, according to energystar.gov. Other solutions include occupancy sensors, which automatically shut off the lights once everyone leaves the room.
• Electronics: Do you have power strips on your high-consumption technology such as televisions, computers, stereo, or DVD player? As long as your gadgets remain attached to a power source, they are generating heat and electricity. Use a power strip switch which turns everything off when not in use.
• Program the thermostat: Give your air conditioner a break during the day. Installing a programmable thermostat can regulate the temperature throughout your house whether you are home or away.
• Solar water heaters: Solar water heaters can be a cost-effective way to reduce your hot water bills. They can be used in any climate, and the fuel they use (sunshine) is free.
• Give your home an update: Improve outdated home appliances for the best return on your investment. Outdated appliances can be a drain on your utility bill. When I purchased a new Energy Star refrigerator and dishwasher last year using the Energy Star Rebate Program, my utility bill went down 40 percent.
• Heating and cooling: As much as half of your energy costs go towards heating and cooling, according to Energy Star. If you have an HVAC system that is at least 12 years old, it may be beneficial to consider a newer and more efficient model. Changing the filter monthly and having your system checked at least once per year helps ensure energy efficiency.  Your HVAC system, like your body, needs a good tune-up each year to remain in good health.
• Weather-strip your windows: Plug up those drafts! If you have old windows and are considering changing them, check out Energy Star windows and pick one for your appropriate climate condition.
• Rebates and incentives: Check out rebates and incentives at the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency. They can significantly reduce the cost of your upgrade and lower the time it takes to recoup your investment.
• Get help from the local utility: In some areas, the local utility offers a free or low-cost service to come to your home and do an energy audit.

By following the above suggestions, you can save between 10 and 40 percent on your home energy bills, depending on your individual usage.

For related article:
10 Quick Ways to Green Your Home 

© 2011 SCGH, LLC.

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Making more shopping trips can be costly to you and to the environment, especially when fresh, healthy food is not nearby. Here, Fresh peppers in bulk at the Italian Market in South Philadelphia. (Photo by Martin Honig)

Blog Post by Robbie Harris

Fast drivers loathe riding behind hybrid-car owners when these eco-conscious drivers are hyper-miling, or keeping a steady speed to get the best gas mileage. The sight of it sends other drivers jockeying for position, sometimes making a mad dash for the next lane without so much as a turn signal. People standing in line at Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s (supermarkets popular for eco-products) feel the same way. No one wants to get stuck behind the person with the overflowing shopping cart.

But packing your cart high with the right items at the supermarket—or any store for that matter—can mean fewer travel miles and savings in gas, time, and money. Buying more at each visit is the norm for shopping clubs but not for supermarkets. Many Americans object to spending a lot in one supermarket purchase, even if it will cost them less in the long run.

We may lust after the leisurely way they shop for food in France and Italy, strolling the shops to choose fresh food, cooking it the same day, and slowly savoring the meal. In this country, many people re-create the European experience only in the sense of shopping for just what they need for the day—or the meal. It is a lovely notion, but one designed for a continent where distances are smaller and cities were built for walking or convenient mass transit.

Even in large U.S. cities, many neighborhoods do not have a store that carries organic foods and free-range or grass-fed meats. When people must travel to shop for food that is better for them, and make frequent trips to the grocery store, what is the cost to the environment? One small solution is to plan well, by filling your cart with foods you can use in stages: first, fresh foods that can be eaten immediately or cooked and frozen for later; then already-frozen foods, canned goods, and dry or bulk items.

Planning ahead for your shopping trip and learning to cook with what you have on hand instead of running out at the last minute for “one more thing” adds up in savings. And you may develop another habit from our food heroes overseas: exploring new food combinations based on what is available. It is a skill older society perfected long before the advent of the supermarket and the automobile.

Robbie Harris is a writer, editor, and producer in Chicago.

© 2011 SCGH LLC.

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Chico bag starter kit offered by Greenfeet. (Courtesy of Greenfeet)

By Debra Atlas

Online retailers generally are not known for great customer service. Instead, they build their reputation on offering quality products and prompt delivery, and many carry a variety of eco-friendly or sustainable products.

(Photo courtesy of Greenfeet.)

One online retailer has figured out how to put all this together. Bucking the norm, Greenfeet strives to offer online shopping that is easy, fun, and steeped in customer service. One of the original online retail stores, Greenfeet features thousands of sustainably sourced healthy-living and food products. The company seeks to offer products which are well made, built to last, and produced in a fashion that is not detrimental to people or to the planet—all while providing customer service.

This last criterion recently earned Greenfeet a STELLAService award. STELLAService is an independent, third-party company that identifies and awards online retailers that demonstrate excellent customer service.

“We think customer service is a simple idea. We’re champions for companies treating customers right,” says Jordy Leiser, CEO of STELLAService.

Launched in 2010, STELLAService is about transparency in the marketplace. “This is an important thing for online commerce,” says Leiser. “Businesses really want to improve. They’ve never really been able to benchmark what their performance is before.”

STELLAService provides insight for companies on how well they are doing from a customer’s perspective. It gave Greenfeet an “excellent” rating for customer service. Greenfeet did not know it was being scrutinized for this award, says Valerie Reddmann, Greenfeet’s co-founder and “Chief Yoo-hoo.”

STELLAService evaluates companies in three overall categories:

1. Customer online experience;
2. Company shipping and return policies and practices; and
3. Customer support (any interaction that a customer would have with the business).

STELLAService utilizes what it calls “mystery shoppers on steroids”—people who work 40 hours a week for STELLAService evaluating thousands of companies large and small. This year, Leiser says the company plans to evaluate 4,000 companies. To do so, STELLAService contacts nominated companies and interacts with them—by phone and online.

“[The mystery shoppers] evaluate [the company] as if they were the manager of their call center,” says Leiser.

“They want to see how Greenfeet reacts, how they treat their customers,” Reddmann adds.

STELLAService has three levels of rating. First is the basic “approved” level.

“Less than 50 percent of the [thousands of] companies that go through the process make that,” says Reddmann. “It tells me there’s a big problem with [delivering] good customer service these days.”

The next level is the “excellent” rating. Reddmann says Greenfeet received this high rating.

You can see Greenfeet’s rating on STELLAService’s site. Among the factors that Greenfeet received an “outstanding” rating on are its return policy, friendly knowledgeable support, and outstanding gifting options.

The third and highest rating any online retailer can receive is STELLAService’s “elite.” This rating is very difficult to get to, says Reddmann. But she is determined that Greenfeet will achieve it.

Companies such as Amazon and Zappos have achieved this level. “It’s a high echelon of service that I’m sure we’ll get to,” Redmann says. “It’s a coveted seal, a badge of honor.” And it is one rating that award winners proudly display on their Web sites.

To ensure that award recipients maintain their rated level of service, STELLAService revisits companies a minimum of once a year. Customers can visit company profiles and leave feedback and comments about their own experiences. STELLAService makes sure to take this information into consideration.

Winning the award has motivated Greenfeet to “up our game even more” and exceed customers’ expectations, Reddmann says. “We try to be fresh, true, and we don’t overcomplicate things,” she says, noting that green living is going back to basics.

“It’s about relating to customers as people,” says Reddmann, “treating them as we would want to be treated and adding a sense of humor.”

Check out more articles by Debra Atlas.

© 2011 SCGH, LLC.

If you have a programmable irrigation system, set it to water your lawn and garden just before sunrise. You’ll lose less water to evaporation than if you water during the day. Avoid watering at night to help protect your plants from disease. Read our water conservation article for more water-saving tips.