Cool Choices Resource Links

8/22/2019 Cool Choices Resource Links

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Cool Choices is a fun and easy way to save moneyand help the environment. We encourage you to

continue making Cool Choices and hope the

following resources can help!

Replace 85% of household incandescent bulbs with CFLs or LEDs.: Only about 10

- 15% of the electricity that incandescent lights consume results in actual light.The rest is turned into heat.

Lighting Guidehttp://www.drmediaserver.com/CFLGuide/index.html

CFLs & Mercuryhttp://www.energystar.gov/ia/partners/promotions/change_light/downloads/Fact_Sheet_Mercury.pdf

Adjust your refrigerator temperature to 39 and your freezer temperature to 5.:

Your refrigerator & freezer function more efficiently when full.

Setting the Temperaturehttp://www.energysavers.gov/tips/refrigerators.cfm

Refrigerator Temperature Tiphttp://www.thedailygreen.com/going-green/tips/energy-conservation-refrigerator-temperature

Remove and recycle your 2nd refrigerator or freezer.: The avocado-colored

refrigerator in the garage may be costing you more than $100/year.Refrigerator Retirement Savings Calculatorhttp://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=refrig.calculator&

Fridge or Freezer Recycling Programshttp://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=recycle.pr_refrigerator_rec


2/15

Adjust the power management settings on your computer to recommendedlevels.: A computer in low-power mode saves about $50 a year compared to a

computer set to full-power mode.

Activating Computer Power Managementhttp://www.osnews.com/story/25017/How_to_Save_Energy_When_Using_Your_Computer

Computer Energy Saving Tipshttp://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=power_mgt.pr_power_mgt_users

Watch 2 hours less TV today: The average American watches 151 hours ofTV/month or 5 hours/day.

Appliance Calculatorhttp://webapps.we-energies.com/appliancecalc/appl_calc.cfm

Benefits of Less TVhttp://www.dhhs.nh.gov/dphs/nhp/adults/documents/turnofftv.pdf

Turn TV off if no one is watching it.: Most ENERGY STAR TVs use less than half awatt of electricity when off.

Appliance Calculatorhttp://webapps.we-energies.com/appliancecalc/appl_calc.cfm

EnergyStar TV OVerviewhttp://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=find_a_product.showProductGroup&pgw_code=TV

Buy an LED TV instead of a plasma TV: An efficient plasma TV uses about 2X as

much electricity than an efficient LCD TV.

TV Energy Guidehttp://blog.xcelenergy.com/tv-energy-guide/

TV Efficiency Calculatorhttp://c03.apogee.net/calcs/appcalc/default.aspx?utilityid=mnpower


3/15

Turn the game console off if not in use.: Watching movies on a game console can

consume 5X as much electricity as using a DVD or Blu-Ray player.

Game Console Usagehttp://www.nrdc.org/energy/consoles/files/fconsoles.pdf

Game Console Energy Usagehttp://news.cnet.com/8301-11386_3-57416152-76/gaming-consoles-consume-copious-amounts-of-energy/ v

Explore how your home uses electricity: In Wisconsin, about 25% of household

energy costs are related to miscellaneous plug load. Reduce costs by

programming power management settings, unplugging devices not in use, using

power strips to turn off electricity entirely, or using timers, etc.

Appliance Energy Usagehttp://energy.gov/energysaver/articles/tips-appliances

Appliance Calculatorhttp://www.csgnetwork.com/elecenergycalcs.html

Adjust the water heater thermostat from 140 to 120.: Setting the water heaterat 120 reduces the risk of scalding & extends the life of your water heater.

How-To Tipshttp://energy.gov/energysaver/articles/tips-water-heating

Video on Energy Saving Tipshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGAOZllghYo

Use cold wash/cold rinse laundry settings: Washing in hot water causes clothes

to fade & wear out faster.

Cold Water Washing Videohttp://youtu.be/zWJjPji6RiA

Laundry Applianceshttp://www.powerhousetv.com/Energy-EfficientLiving/Appliances/027259


4/15

Switch your furnace fan setting from continuous to auto.: A continuously

running fan can cost households more than $400 more/year than one set on'auto.'

How To Videohttp://www.vimeo.com/4479524

Setting Your Furnace Fanhttp://www.coolchoicesnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Furnace-Fan.pdf

Line dry clothing: Line dry clothing.

Line Drying Tipshttp://tlc.howstuffworks.com/home/tips-for-line-drying-your-clothes.htm

Summer Energy-Saving Tipshttp://www.focusonenergy.com/sites/default/files/Residential_Fact_Sheet_-

_Summer_Energy_Tips_for_Homeowners.pdf

Carpool to work with one other person today: In addition to saving money on

gas, carpooling lets you reduce wear & tear on your car & provides a break from

driving.

Starting a Car Poolhttp://auto.howstuffworks.com/fuel-efficiency/fuel-economy/start-carpool2.htm

Tips for EcoDrivershttp://www.rideshare.com/For_Commuters/Environmental_Benefits/

Avoid "jack rabbit" driving - sudden stops and starts: Jack rabbit driving can

reduce your fuel efficiency by 10%.

EcoDriving Manualhttp://www.fs.fed.us/sustainableoperations/documents/TheEcoDriversManual.pdf

Tips for EcoDrivershttp://www.alternativeconsumer.com/2008/08/20/ecodriving-usa-helping-you-drive-greener/


5/15

Combine errand trips: When you combine 3 separate trips into 1, gas usage is

reduced by 2/3.

Planning and Combining Tipshttp://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/planning.shtml

Driving Tips from Canadahttp://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/transportation/personal-vehicles-initiative.cfm

Reduce idling by 5 minutes today: 30 seconds of idling is sufficient to warm up a

modern vehicle, even in the winter.

Idling Tipshttp://www.consumerenergycenter.org/myths/idling.html

Anti-Idling Primerhttp://www.thehcf.org/antiidlingprimer.html

Slow from 75 to 65 when driving on the highway.: Driving 70 mph uses 25%

more gas than driving 55 mph.

Fuel Saving Tipshttp://cars.about.com/od/helpforcarbuyers/tp/ag_top_fuelsave.htm

More Ways to Save Moneyhttp://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt064.shtm

Remove excess weight from your vehicle: Every 100 lbs of additional weight in a

vehicle will reduce your fuel efficiency by 2-4%.

Fuel Saving Tipshttp://cars.about.com/od/helpforcarbuyers/tp/ag_top_fuelsave.htm

Gas Mileage Tipshttp://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/drive.shtml


6/15

Maintain the correct tire pressure for your vehicle: One tire that's underinflated

by 8 psi will reduce your fuel efficiency by 4%.

Tire Tipshttp://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/roadsafety/tp-tp2823-menu-200.htm#h_1

Car Maintenance Tipshttp://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/maintain.shtml

Turn off the water when you brush your teeth: You can save up to 2

gallons/minute.

EPA Water Sensehttp://www.epa.gov/WaterSense/

Water Saving Tips - Bathroomhttp://www.savewater.com.au/how-to-save-water/in-the-home/bathroom

Shorten your showers by 1 or 2 minutes: Reducing shower time saves both water

& the energy required to heat that water.

EPA WaterSensehttp://www.epa.gov/WaterSense/

Water Saving Tips - Bathroomhttp://www.savewater.com.au/how-to-save-water/in-the-home/bathroom

Explore household water usage: Experts estimate that the typical U.S. household

wastes 6,000 gallons of water/year.

How-To Videoshttp://www.savingwater.org/inside_laundry_fixaleak.htm

How-To Do a Water Audithttp://www.coolchoicesnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/WaterAudit-HowTo.pdf


7/15

Install a low-flow faucet aerator: Faucet aerators will reduce the water used by

1/3 without compromising water pressure.

How-To Videohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TSiEYPh6Vw&feature=related


Only water your yard during early mornings or in the evening to reduce

evaporation and interference from wind.: Rule of thumb: Only an inch of water a

week

Lawn Watering Tipshttp://files.dnr.state.mn.us/waters/watermgmt_section/appropriations/lawn_tips.pdf

Watering Tipshttp://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/skill-builder/0,,467281,00.html

Install low-flow showerhead: Low-flow showerheads use 1.5 gallons of

water/minute (gpm) versus 2.5 or more for older models.

How-To Installhttp://www.regreenprogram.org/resources/strategy-generator#/WE43


Use reusable shopping bags at the store: A reusable bag has the potential to

offset 20,000 plastic bags over its lifetime. That's a lot of plastic!

Bag Tipshttp://environment.about.com/od/recycling/a/reusablebags.htm

Saving Money with Bagshttp://cashmoneylife.com/reusable-shopping-bags-save-the-earth-and-your-wallet/


8/15

Recycle an item today: In 2008, 57.4% of the paper used in the U.S. was

recovered for recycling.

Recycling Recourceshttp://www.paperrecycles.org/school_recycling/curb_to_consumer.html

Recycle More Wisconsinhttp://www.recyclemorewisconsin.org/

Compost food and/or yard waste: Experts estimate that about 25% of your trash

is organic material that can be composted.

EPA Composting Basicshttp://www.epa.gov/compost/basic.htm

WI DNR Composting Guidehttp://dnr.wi.gov/topic/recycling/compost.html

Replace your toilet with one that uses 1.28 gal/flush or less: Look for the

WaterSense label to identify products that meet EPA criteria for water efficiency.

Guide to Toiletshttp://www.epa.gov/WaterSense/products/toilets.html

Low Flow Toiletshttp://www.mwra.state.ma.us/comsupport/conservation/toilets.htm


9/15

Use A/C when driving over 40 mph; turn off A/C and open windows when

driving under 40 mph: Under/over 40 mph rule.

EcoDrive Tipshttp://www.coolchoicesnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/TheEcoDriversManual.pdf

Feed your household local food today: Locally-grown produce is fresher & your

purchases benefit the local economy.

10 Reasons to Eat Local

http://fogcity.blogs.com/jen/2005/08/10_reasons_to_e.html

Introduction to Food Mileshttps://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/viewhtml.php?id=281

Drink tap water instead of bottled water today: You can fill a half-liter bottle

1,740 times from the tap before you use $0.99 of water.

Video on Bottled Waterhttp://vimeo.com/11892114

Bottled vs Tap Waterhttp://www.drbillofhealth.com/nutrition/comparison-bottled-water-vs-tap-wate/

Track your driving habits: While vehicles have become more fuel efficient since

the 1970s, the miles we travel has also gone up annually.

Highway Travel Datahttp://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ohim/onh00/onh2p8.htm

Tips for Efficient Drivinghttp://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/driveHabits.shtml


10/15

Bike or walk instead of driving today: Cycling & walking improves your health &

reduces your fuel costs.

Walk-Drive Calculatorhttp://www.usnews.com/science/environment/features/walk-vs-drive-calculator

Bike-Drive Calculatorhttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2011/06/27/biking-vs-driving-calculator/

Recycle old electronic equipment at local recyclers or stores: Recycling reclaims

valuable resources & ensures proper disposal of harmful materials.

EPA Electronics Donation and Recyclinghttp://www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/materials/ecycling/donate.htm

Recycle More Wisconsinhttp://www.recyclemorewisconsin.org/

Air seal and insulate your home to recommended levels: Insulation & air sealing

are typically the most cost effective ways to reduce energy usage.

Basics of Insulationwww.focusonenergy.com/sites/default/files/basicinsulation_casestudy.pdf

Insulation Videohttp://www.vimeo.com/5274174

Prepare a meatless meal today: Americans eat close to 200 lbs of meat per capita

per year, an increase of 50 lbs/person from 50 years ago.

Meatless Mondayhttp://www.meatlessmonday.com/

Helpful Tips for Meat Eatershttp://breakingnews.ewg.org/meateatersguide/helpful-tips-for-meat-eaters/


11/15

Conduct a waste audit: Recycling cardboard takes 24% less energy and produces

50% less sulfur dioxide than making cardboard from raw materials.

WI DNR Self-Audit Checklisthttp://dnr.wi.gov/files/pdf/pubs/wa/wa1264.pdf

WI Audit Programhttp://dnr.wi.gov/topic/CompAssist/Audit.html

Enable "automatic power down" of your video game console: Game consoles

come from the factory with the energy saving features turned off.

Game Console Usagehttp://www.nrdc.org/energy/consoles/files/fconsoles.pdf

Settings for Home Electronicshttp://www.coolchoicesnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Electronics-Settings-Focus-Recs.pdf

Turn off lights when leaving the room today: Rule of thumb: turn off

incandescents whenever you leave the room & CFLs if you'll be gone 10 minutes

or more.

Turn Off Tipshttp://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/lighting_daylighting/index.cfm/mytopic=12280

Seasonal Enviro-Tipshttp://www.ecy.wa.gov/news/envirotips/tips_fall.htm#02

Replace red meat with poultry, fish or vegetables today: This is environmentally

equivalent to driving 1,000 less miles/year.

Wiki on Red Meathttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_meat

Chicken vs Beefhttp://nutritiondiva.quickanddirtytips.com/chicken-versus-beef.aspx


12/15

Replace non-LED outdoor landscape lights with solar-powered outdoor

landscape lights: 173,000 terawatts of solar energy strikes the Earthcontinuouslymore than 10,000 times the world's total energy use.

Benefits of Solar Outdoor Lightinghttp://www.thenewecologist.com/2010/05/top-8-benefits-of-using-solar-outdoor-lights/

How to Install Solar Lights Videohttp://www.ehow.com/video_8222998_install-solar_powered-lighting.html

Use non-toxic cleaners at home: Vinegar is a cheap & natural disinfectant that

cuts through caked on residues like ketchup, mustard, & salad dressing.

Non-Toxic Ways to Cleanhttp://www.webmd.com/health-ehome-9/green-cleaning

Green Seal Cleanershttp://www.greenseal.org/FindGreenSealProductsandServices.aspx?vid=ViewProductDetail&cid=0&sid=1

Hire a professional to do a Home Performance Audit: In addition to identifying

efficiency opportunities, a consultant will test your home's ventilation systems.

High Performance with Energy Star Programhttp://www.focusonenergy.com/learning-center/residential/saving-energy-home/put-your-home-test-home-

performance-energy-star%C2%AE

Video on Home Auditshttp://www.vimeo.com/3751273


13/15

Wash dishes with an ENERGY STAR dishwasher rather than by hand: The

average ENERGY STAR-rated dishwasher uses only 66% of the water otherdishwashers use.

Dishwasher vs Hand Washing Factshttp://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=dishwash.pr_handwash_dishwash

Energy-Efficient Dishwashers Videohttp://youtu.be/lAJHs2zd8vU

Assess your dietary habits: Diets that limit red meat are heart-healthy AND

reduce pollution in the environment!

Diet Assessment Toolshttp://fnic.nal.usda.gov/nal_display/index.php?info_center=4&tax_level=2&tax_subject=256&topic_id=1325

CDC Nutrition Resourceshttp://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/index.html

Calibrate your flat panel TV's picture: TVs come from the factory set on extra

bright--which distorts the picture and increases electric usage 20%

How to calibrate your HDTVhttp://www.crutchfield.com/S-k13n554iktU/learn/learningcenter/home/tv_signalquality.html

Better picture tipshttp://www.flatpanelshd.com/focus.php?subaction=showfull&id=1291368716

Replace an older appliance with an ENERGY STAR model: Replace an older

appliance with an ENERGY STAR model

ENERGY STAR Productshttp://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=products.pr_find_es_products

Refrigerator Calculatorhttp://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=refrig.calculator


14/15

Set your central air conditioner temperature 3 degrees F higher: Set AC 3

degrees F higher.

Thermostat Tipshttp://energy.gov/energysaver/articles/thermostats

Home Cooling Basicshttp://www.focusonenergy.com/sites/default/files/coolingbasicsforyourhome_factsheet.pdf

Use public transit to get to work today: Want to save money on gas? You can

read, safely talk to friends and family on the phone, or even nap on the bus. Try

it!

Stress of Driving vs Bushttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/8010735/Driving-a-car-is-more-stressful-than-going-by-bus-says-

new-research.html

Transportation Toolshttp://www.publictransportation.org/benefits/Pages/default.aspx

Turn off your computer monitor at work when not in use: About 75% of the

energy appliances use

happens in "standby mode." Connect your

computer & monitor to a power strip & switch it completely off at the end of the

day.

Computer Energy Savershttp://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/appliances/index.cfm/mytopic=10070

Turn Off Your Monitorhttp://www.doit.wisc.edu/news/story.aspx?filename=598


15/15

Set work computers to "sleep" after 20 minutes: A typical computer uses around

5 watts of electricity in sleep mode. Many systems use as much as 130 watts ofelectricity while powered up.

Computer Energy Usagehttp://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=find_a_product.showProductGroup&pgw_code=CO

Reduce Power Usagehttp://www.javelin-tech.com/blog/2011/09/reduce-your-workstation-power-consumption/

Use the stairs instead of the elevator today: Get some exercise while you save

electricity!

Taking Stairs Saves Timehttp://temple-news.com/2009/09/16/avoid-elevators-and-save-time-health/

Stairwell Campaignhttp://www.bphc.org/programs/cib/chronicdisease/heal/takethestairs/pages/home.aspx

Insulate the first 6 feet of hot and cold water pipes near the hot water heater:

Insulating hot water pipes allows you to reduce the water heater temperature byseveral degrees -- a 3-5% energy savings.

Hot Water Tank/Pipe Insulation Optionshttp://energywisepa.org/category/fact-sheet-categories/electric/insulation-hot-water-tanks-and-pipes

How-To Pipe Insulationhttp://www.bpa.gov/energy/n/energy_tips/weatherization/pipesducts.cfm

Cool Choices Resource Links

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