Green Tip of the Month Archive 2010

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June 2010 Tip of the Month

Consider these 10 Quick Tips to help improve fuel economy by an average of 24% and help stretch your travel budget.

1. Slow down and watch speed - Drive 55 miles per hour instead of 65 to save fuel. EPA estimates a 10-15 percent improvement in fuel economy by following this tip. Also, aim for a constant speed.
2. Accelerate and brake smoothly - Accelerating smoothly from a stop and braking softly conserves fuel.
3. No idling - Today's engines don't need a warm up. Start the car immediately and gently drive away. Don't leave your car idling.  Prolonged idling increases emissions and wastes fuel.
4. Check your tires - Keep tires properly inflated to the recommended tire pressure. This alone can reduce the average amount of fuel use by 3-4 percent.
5. Be kind to your vehicle - Maintain proper engine tune-up to keep vehicles running efficiently.
6. Travel light - Avoid piling a lot of luggage on the roof rack. The added frontal area reduces aerodynamics and will hurt fuel economy, reducing it by as much as 5 percent. Remove excess weight from the vehicle.
7. Minimize use of heater and air conditioning - Use heating and air conditioning selectively to reduce the load on the engine.  Decreasing your usage of the air conditioner when temperatures are above 80 degrees can help you save 10-15 percent of fuel.
8. Close windows at high speeds - Don't drive with the windows open unless you keep your speed under 50 mph. Driving with the windows open at highway speeds increases aerodynamic drag on the vehicle and lowers fuel economy.
9. Choose the right oil - Use good quality, energy-conserving oils with the viscosity grade recommended in the Owner's Manual.
10. Consolidate trips - Plan ahead to consolidate your trips. This will enable you to bypass congested routes, lead to less idling, fewer start-ups and less stop-and-go traffic. Whenever feasible, share a ride and/or carpool.

May 2010 Tip of the Month

Try these lawn watering tips to save you money on this summer’s water bills.

When to Water

• About one inch of water per week (including precipitation) is adequate for maintaining a healthy lawn. Use a can or rain gauge to help determine the amount of water applied by the sprinkling system and supplied by rainfall.
• Don’t use a fixed schedule for lawn watering. Apply water only when it is needed. Over watering can promote diseases and affect the health of the lawn.
• A simple test for determining if grass needs water is to walk on the lawn and if you leave foot prints, it may be time to water the lawn.
• A good soaking once or twice a week is better than watering every day. Allowing the soil to dry between watering will allow the roots to grow deeper and help make turf more drought tolerant.

Best Times for Lawn Watering

• Water your lawn between the hours of 11:00 PM and 5:00 AM when temperature and wind speed are the lowest to avoid evaporation losses.
• Avoid watering during midday hours when it is hot and sunny to prevent scalding the turf.
• Avoid watering during rainy or windy weather conditions.

You may also want to consider installing rain sensors on compatible irrigation systems; using rain barrels to water lawns, plants and trees; consider reducing your lawn area needing irrigation; and consider covering your pool when not in use to avoid water loss and the need to “top it off.”

These tips will help make for a healthier lawn and will also help conserve one of earth’s most precious commodities.

April 2010 Tip of the Month

Try these sustainable gardening tips to maintain your lawn and garden this year:

Go Organic

Say goodbye to chemical fertilizers and pesticides that can pollute. There are many wonderful organic or natural weed killers and organic compost that will help your lawn and garden look great.

Make Your Own Compost

Making your own compost is a simple task that is not only good for your lawn but also helps cut down on waste. You can make your own compost using vegetable or fruit scraps, such as the peeled skin from a carrot, potato, apple, etc. These work well and also give your lawn great nutrients that they wouldn’t get elsewhere.

Mulch

Using mulch throughout your garden is not only a beautiful way to enhance the look of your garden but it also provides a natural way to save water by retaining moisture and protecting plants.

Use Plants Native to Your Area

Using native plants in your garden will cut down on the need for water and fertilizer.

Collect Rainwater

Using a rain barrel provides a simple, easy and cost-effective way to collect mineral and chlorine-free rainwater, which you can then use for watering lawns, yards, gardens, and more.

Hang Bird Feeders or Nesting Boxes

Hanging bird feeders and nesting boxes will provide a habitat for birds and will enhance your garden. Birds eat many of the pests that you don’t want in your garden such as snails, slugs, and some insects. So instead of fertilizing or using pesticides against these little bugs, simply invite the birds to do it for you naturally!

March 2010 Tip of the Month

Living a more energy and environmentally sustainable life is easier than you think.

To find out just how simple it can be, attend the Farmington Hills Earth Day Event on April 17 from 10:00 am to 3:30 pm at Heritage Park. Whether your interest is the environment, energy savings or just having a good time with your family, we've got you covered.

Earth Day will include hands-on activities, displays, and tips on the "Magic of Composting," healthy lawn care, ways to save money on your energy bill, home energy audits, and so much more.

Join the Farmington Hills Green Efforts Committee as it celebrates Earth Day and helps you make sustainability a part of your life every day.

January 2010 Tip of the Month

Read by Barry Brickner

When you cozy up next to a crackling fire on a cold winter day, you probably don’t realize that your fireplace is one of the most inefficient heat sources you can use. It literally sends your energy dollars right up the chimney along with volumes of warm air. A roaring fire can exhaust as much as 24,000 cubic feet of air per hour to the outside, which must be replaced by cold air coming into the house from the outside. Your heating system must warm up this air, which is then exhausted through your chimney. If you use your conventional fireplace while your central heating system is on, these tips can help reduce energy losses.

Fireplace Tips

•  If you never use your fireplace, plug, insulate, and seal the chimney flue.
•  Keep your fireplace damper closed unless a fire is going. Keeping the damper open is like keeping a window wide open during the winter; it allows warm air to go right up the chimney.
•  When you use the fireplace, reduce heat loss by opening dampers in the bottom of the firebox (if provided) or open the nearest window slightly— approximately 1 inch—and close doors leading into the room. Lower the thermostat setting to between 50° and 55°F.
•  Install tempered glass doors and a heat-air exchange system that blows warmed air back into the room.
•  Check the seal on the flue damper and make it as snug as possible.
•  Add caulking around the fireplace hearth.

Use these tips to avoid paying a premium for a cozy winter fire.