Georgia Magazine - December 2010 - (Page 15)

Georgia’s energy outlook BRIAN RICKMOND / GTC Together We Save energy-efficiency campaign Looking for information on how to lower your energy bills this winter? There’s a valuable online resource you can use, provided by Touchstone Energy Cooperatives, a national alliance of electric co-ops that not only identifies simple energy-saving tasks but also illustrates the savings they produce. TogetherWeSave.com uses savings calculations—based on the national average residential rate for electricity—to motivate and inspire small changes in behavior. The Together We Save campaign, first launched in August 2009, continues its mission of inspiring behavioral changes among co-op members with a slew of materials. The campaign’s mission is to motivate co-op members—like you —to make small changes in their daily routines that add up to big savings. Electric cooperatives are always looking for ways to bring value to their members. Together We Save offers an unprecedented collection of resources and advice on simple, energy-efficiency steps you can take in your home. The Together We Save campaign now has even more tips and ideas to help you save on your energy bills. Where can you go to access this money-saving information? Log on to TogetherWeSave.com, the online epicenter of the campaign. TogetherWeSave.com offers everything from videos and interactive applications to an energy-savings forum. Use the navigation bar across the top of the landing page to explore the site. Touchstone Energy Web TV (found under the “Watch and Learn” tab) is a compilation of more than 50 short how-to videos on topics such as lighting, heating/cooling, insulation and many other energy-efficiency topics. The library recently added dozens of new videos. Got an old refrigerator in your basement or garage? It’s probably costing you more than you think. More online at www.georgiamagazine.org Georgia Transmission’s Ashley Regan, left, and Christy Johnson hold the guide about the historical significance of the ranch house, which won the Georgia Trust’s Preservation Service Award. GTC shares in Georgia Trust’s Preservation Award Georgia Transmission Corp. (GTC)—the Tucker-based, not-forprofit electric transmission cooperative for Georgia’s EMCs—received the Georgia Trust’s Excellence in Preservation Service Award in April for helping to develop a guide about the historical significance of ranch house architecture. The guide recognizes the ranch house in Georgia as a significant architectural style and provides guidelines for determining its eligibility to the National Register of Historic Places. Other contributors recognized were New South Associates, which prepared the guide, the Historic Preservation Division of the Department of Natural Resources, the Georgia Department of Transportation and several architectural consulting firms. The 137-page document, “Ranch House in Georgia: Guidelines for Evaluation,” presents a study on the evolution of the ranch house and a methodology for evaluating the integrity and historical significance of this architectural style. The period of significance for the ranch house was determined to be between 1930 and 1969. The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation gives its Preservation Service Award to people or organizations that demonstrate “exemplary activities promoting awareness in the field of historic preservation.” December 2010 Click on the “Energy Savings Applications” tab and scroll down to find out how much you could save by saying goodbye to that old refrigerator. Another new application demonstrates how to save even more with Energy Star-qualified appliances. Take the Energy Savings Home Tour (“Add Up Your Savings” tab) and discover how all of these small changes add up in a big way. The Home Tour guides you through a typical home, room by room, and recommends several energy-savings tips in each room. Areas highlighted in yellow prompt you to take various interactive energy-saving steps, demonstrating how these changes can translate into real savings on your utility bill. Live in a manufactured home? A new feature points out more than a dozen ways you can cut energy costs throughout your home. Helping their members save money during tough times is important to electric cooperatives. It’s just one more way they’re looking out for you. KELLY TRAPNELL / FLINT ENERGIES By scheduling regular maintenance on my heating and air unit, I can realize up to a 20-percent improvement on the efficiency of my system. This ad offers one of numerous consumer tips found at TogetherWeSave.com. 15 http://www.TogetherWeSave.com http://www.TogetherWeSave.com http://www.TogetherWeSave.com http://www.TOGETHERWESAVE.COM http://www.TogetherWeSave.com http://www.georgiamagazine.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - December 2010

Georgia Magazine - December 2010
Contents
Viewpoint
Mailbox
Picture This?
Georgia News
Calendar
Currents
Claus With a Cause
Soaring With Eagles
Around Georgia
My Georgia
Gardens
Georgia Cooks
Snapshot

Georgia Magazine - December 2010