COSE Update - September 2008 - (Page P4)

money-saving tips • Seal air leaks with sealant, caulking, and weather stripping; and install appropriate insulation for your climate to increase your comfort, make your home quieter and cleaner, and reduce your cooling and heating costs up to 20 percent. • Properly maintain your HVAC system. Clean or replace furnace filters regularly. Consider a yearly professional “tune-up” of the system to ensure it is working efficiently. • Let a programmable thermostat “remember for you” to automatically coordinate the indoor climate with your daily and weekend patterns to reduce heating costs some 10 percent and not waste energy when no one is home. • Open curtains and other window treatments on your west- and southfacing windows during the day to allow sunlight to naturally heat your home, and close them at night. • Seal your heating and cooling ducts. Sealing and insulating ducts that move air to and from a forced-air furnace or heat pump can improve the system’s efficiency by as much as 20 percent. Warmed air can be lost before reaching the register if ducts are not properly insulated in unheated areas such as attics and crawlspaces. Also insulate your hot water heater and hot water pipes. • If your HVAC is not performing efficiently or requires an upgrade, consider replacing it with a unit that has earned the ENERGY STAR. Installed correctly, these high-efficiency heating Heating will cost more this year, so here are some ways you can stay warm for less this winter. and cooling units can reduce heating and cooling costs by up to 20 percent. Also look for the ENERGY STAR label, the symbol of energy efficiency, when replacing or buying appliances, electronics, lighting and many other product categories. • Go “window-shopping” at efficientwindows.org to discover how high-performance ENERGY STARlabeled windows can cut heating and cooling costs by as much as 30 percent while increasing indoor comfort and lessening fading of home furnishings. i ase.org/consumers Not sure what to do with used toner cartridges, office paper, or broken fax machine? Search earth911.org by zip code for companies that can dispose of the waste in a safe and responsible manner. —Michael Dungan, APISync, apisync.net Want to help the environment without breaking the bank? Learn how with easy to implement strategies that’ll get your whole staff on board and support the cause. How to “Go Green” Economically, Thursday, October 23, 10:45-Noon, IX Center freeze your winter natural gas rates The COSE Natural Gas Program not only locks in your rate, but it also provides you with the peace of mind that your bills won’t suddenly skyrocket and affect cash flow. COSE Members and their employees can lock in a fixed rate of $11.79/mcf for billing between November 2008 and October 2009. But don’t wait. Negative market conditions could close out this rate at i any time. Sign up today. integrysenergy.com/cose or 1-888-878-5420 4 • COSE Update • plugged in did you know? • You can refill HP Lexmark, Dell and Canon ink , cartridges at kiosks within OfficeMax stores for less. Black cartridge refills start at $9.99 with color costing around $15. • Best Buy will give you a $5 gift card when you bring an old, useless electronic item to their Steelyard Commons store on either September 19 or September 20 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. http://efficientwindows.org http://ase.org/consumers http://earth911.org http://apisync.net http://integrysenergy.com/cose

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of COSE Update - September 2008

COSE Update - September 2008 Contents Memo Upfront Vision Tech Business Interrupted The “Bigness” of Small Business What’s the Plan? People Telecom Advocacy Communications Health Pipeline Connect Arts My Cause Plugged In

COSE Update - September 2008

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