[SustainableTompkins] home energy clinic at Lowe's

[GayNicholson at aol.com]

For  those of you thinking about getting around to doing some  weatherization 
this month, looks like Lowe's is putting on some clinics on  Energy Star 
appliances, etc.  Though this is an ad from them, the stats at  the end were vivid 
(if 10% of our homes used Energy Star appliances it would be  like planting a 
forest twice the size of Rhode Island).

FYI- Lowe’s is hosting in-store clinics this coming weekend on saving  
energy.  
Lowe's Helps Consumers Curb Rising Home Energy  Costs  
Free Clinics, Energy Toolkits Provide Money-Saving  Tips As Winter's Chill 
Approaches  
MOORESVILLE, N.C., Sept. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- While  homeowners across the 
country are feeling the sting of rising utilities and  energy costs, many aren't 
adequately equipped to combat the upsurge simply  because they're lacking 
information. That's why Lowe's is offering free energy  clinics providing helpful 
tips and invaluable facts for saving money and saving  energy this season.  
Lowe's will kick off its month-long dedication to  saving energy beginning 
Saturday, Sept. 30 from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. in its more  than 1,275 stores 
nationwide. Consumers will have access to free energy savings  information 
highlighting easy, practical energy solutions, as well as ENERGY  STAR products that 
meet strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the U.S.  Environmental and 
Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Energy (DOE).   
Clinics, held each Saturday at 1 p.m. throughout  October, are designed to 
teach customers how to winterize their homes, save  energy and save money by 
incorporating energy conservation practices and  products throughout various 
areas of the home. During the clinics, the first 15  participants at each store 
will receive a free energy savings tool kit including  tips, product samples and 
a home energy checklist.  
"The questions we really want to help answer for  consumers are 'why ENERGY 
STAR' and 'why now,'" said Bob Gfeller, Lowe's senior  vice president of 
marketing. "Furthermore, we want homeowners to walk away from  these clinics with a 
take-charge attitude and the desire to become a true energy  authority in 
their own home."  
Why ENERGY STAR?  
"The average household spends approximately $1,900 on  annual energy bills," 
said Gfeller. "By using ENERGY STAR qualified products, a  family can save as 
much as 30 percent or $600 a year. Last year, with the help  of ENERGY STAR, 
Lowe's customers saved more than $90 million in energy costs."  Here's how:  
- Updating appliances with ENERGY STAR  qualified models, which use  
10-50 percent less energy than  standard models, can save up to $200  
yearly.  
- Installing an ENERGY STAR qualified  programmable thermostat with pre-  
programmed settings, which allows  heating and cooling systems to run  
more efficiently, can help save  as much as $100 annually and enough  
energy to buy 33 gallons of gas  each year.  
- Replacing five of the most frequently  used lights with ENERGY STAR  
qualified compact fluorescent  light bulbs can save up to $45 over the  
lifetime of each bulb.  
- Preventing air from entering or  escaping leaky windows and doors with  
caulk and weather-stripping can  save 20 percent on heating bills. If  
replacing single pane windows,  choose ENERGY STAR qualified models for  
savings of up to $400 a  year.  
- Using an ENERGY STAR qualified clothes  washer can cut energy and water  
costs by $45-130 annually.   
Why Now?  
Homeowners who purchase select energy-efficient  doors, storm doors, windows, 
skylights and fiberglass insulation may be eligible  to claim a tax credit of 
up to $500 on 2006 and 2007 federal tax returns.  Maintain receipts and 
consult a qualified tax advisor for eligibility  requirements.  
With increasing concern over taxing the environment  for heating and cooling 
homes and supplying water, adopting energy efficient  practices at home can 
help preserve natural resources. For example:  
- If one in ten homes in America used  ENERGY STAR appliances, it would be  
equivalent to planting 1.7  million new acres of trees -- about twice  
the size of Rhode Island.  
- If every American household replaced  five incandescent light bulbs with  
ENERGY STAR qualified bulbs, it  would save about $6.5 billion each year  
in energy costs and prevent  greenhouse gases equivalent to the  
emissions from more than 8  million cars.  
- If everyone in the U.S. used an ENERGY  STAR clothes washer, the water  
saved in a year would fill the  Rose Bowl 800 times.  
Website: _http://www.lowes.com/_ (http://www.lowes.com/)  
<_http://www.trafficresults.com/click-rabbit.php?acctid=n0aTxdddStY=&docid=CLTH02021092006-1&redir
ect=1&url=http://www.lowes.com/_ 
(http://www.trafficresults.com/click-rabbit.php?acctid=n0aTxdddStY=&docid=CLTH02021092006-1&redirect=1&url=http://www.lowes
.com/) >
Website: <_http://www.lowes.com/energy_ (http://www.lowes.com/energy) >
Website: <_http://www.energystar.gov/_ (http://www.energystar.gov/) >  



----------------------------------------------------
Gay  Nicholson, Ph.D. 

607-533-7312 (home office)
607-279-6618  (cell)

1 Maple Avenue
Lansing, NY  14882
gaynicholson at aol.com

Sustainable Tompkins 
Program  Coordinator 
w_ww.sustainabletompkins.org_ (http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/) 

Southern Tier Energy$mart Communities
Regional  Coordinator
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County
615 Willow  Ave., Ithaca, NY  14850
agn1 at cornell.edu