One Things for Spring

Governor Rell Highlights Spring ‘OneThings’ for Homeowners, Businesses

 

 

With spring in the air and Earth Day on April 22, Governor M. Jodi Rell today recommended a number of springtime “OneThings” Connecticut residents and businesses can do to conserve energy and help protect the environment.

 

“The spring season is typically a time that reminds us of how beautiful our Earth is,” said Governor Rell. “It should also be a time when we reflect on the things we can do as individuals to preserve our planet. I encourage everyone in Connecticut to do their part. Our decisions about energy use can result in significant cost-savings, reductions in climate change and a cleaner, greener state.”

 

For residents, Governor Rell recommends these OneThings:

 

• Make the most of spring cleaning. Clean the windows in your home and rely on natural light when possible.
• When possible, air-dry your clothes instead of using the dryer. You could save $75 a year.
• Plant deciduous trees to shade your house from the sun. You could save up to 8 percent on cooling costs.
• Plan your summer vegetable garden. Cutting down on shipping from farms to stores saves gas and is healthier too!
• Get your car tuned up to avoid fuel economy problems connected with spark plugs, dragging brakes or transmission problems. 

 

Businesses and employees can save with these OneThings:

 

• Bike to work once in a while. (I’m just picturing the traffic report from Mark the Shark or Rachel Not-a-Shark on this one:  “Back up on I-95 caused by thousands of bicycles wheel to wheel…” That would be great!)
• Make the refrigerator in the break room part of this season’s cleaning routine. Dust and dirt on the coils in the back can strain the compressor and waste energy.
• If you have a window office, shut off the lights and let the sun shine in.
• Take the stairs. It’s good exercise for you and reduces energy use in the building.
• Schedule preventive maintenance on cooling systems to maximize performance and maintain efficiency.

 

These OneThing ideas include actual submissions from Connecticut residents to Governor Rell’s OneThing Web site, www.OneThingCT.com. A comprehensive list of OneThing ideas and important information about the rebates and incentives Connecticut has established for energy-conscious consumers can be found on the Web site. The site is also a place for people to formally register their own OneThing commitments and learn more about the OneThing Expo, a “World’s Fair” of conservation planned for October 10-12, 2008, at the Connecticut Convention Center.

 

The OneThing campaign leverages the momentum that can be achieved if everyone in the state took one step every day to save on their energy bills and make a positive contribution to the environment. If each of the state’s 3.5 million residents did OneThing a day, every day, for a year that would be more than 1.2 billion OneThings – more than enough to make a real difference on issues such as consumption, conservation and the use of clean and renewable energy.

 

The campaign is an extension of Governor Rell's Connecticut Energy Vision for a Cleaner, Greener State. The Governor’s energy vision was unveiled in late 2006 to create measurable ways to reduce the cost of energy for consumers and businesses, strengthen state energy policy over the long- and short-term and reaffirm Connecticut’s position as a leader in renewable energy.