Energy Smart Savings
Peruse all of our tips on the following themes - it's never too late to reduce your use!

About the Energy Challenge 

​December 2017: We just completed the pilot round of the Challenge. We'll be re-launching again in 2018 with a bigger and better program - stay tuned!
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In the meantime, you don't need to have participated in the challenge to get in the energy-saving spirit. Just click through the topics linked above (or scroll below) to start saving.​

Great work, Energy Challengers!

Each month, challenge participants earned points by telling us what they've been up to and how much energy they used. Check out the leaderboard to the right for the final standings.

A big THANK YOU to all 100 participants in the pilot 2017 Energy Challenge - and congrats to our winner, Rose! ​ 
 
Did you miss a week? Delete an email? Want to review?
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This page is your one-stop-shop for an archive of all the weekly emails to reference at any time. Start by understanding your energy bill and energy use patterns in your home. Remember, the more weekly actions you take, the more points you'll earn at the end of each month!
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Energy Challenge Leaders!
last updated December 4, 2017 

Name
Total points so far
Rose D.
34
Karen W.
30
Allison D.
23
Kali O.
23
Beth S.
23
ShaNae D.
21
Eva R.
20
Steve M.
15
Mary D.
15
Bailey Z.
14
Dave W.
13
Carol M.
11
Kate R.
9
Erika B.
8
Bethany J.
8
Kate L.
8
Monica P.
8
Emily C.
7
Victoria B.
7
Fred L.
7
Dodie A.
5
Marta M.
5
Peggy S.
6
Molly W.
5
Laura M.
5
Kris G.
5
Chic F.
5
Allison S.
5
Kate M.
5



​​Understand Your Energy Use
(June 2017)

This is a great place to start. Saving energy is easier when you understand where and how you use it! Click through each week for tips, tricks, and the resources to understand your home energy use. 
Know Where You Stand: Understand your Energy Bill and Energy Use Patterns

Know Where You Stand!

It’s hard to get good directions to your destination if you don’t know where you’re starting from. So in the spirit of starting at the beginning, this first month of the Challenge is all about knowing where you stand. With that, we give you...
This week’s Energy Action: Understand your energy usage patterns. Begin by logging on to your energy provider’s online account and reviewing your energy usage over the last year, or however long you’ve lived in your current home.**
  • ​Step 1: Get oriented. What patterns do you notice? How much energy do you use in the winter compared with the summer? How much of your bill is gas versus electric? (It’s more accurate to compare actual usage amounts instead of costs, since rates vary.  For Northwestern Energy (NWE) customers, the “usage history” tab under “my energy account” makes this easy.)
  • Step 2: Calculate your approximate annual usage of electricity (measured in Kilowatt-hours, or kWh) and natural gas (measured in therms). Simply add up the last 12 months’ numbers under “usage history” to get the total annual amount. (In the example here, the annual electricity usage would be 1406 kWh.) If you don’t have data for the last 12 months, add the highest and lowest months and divide by 2 to get an average, then multiply that number by 12 months to get your approximate yearly usage.
  • Step 3: Compare your annual usage to Montana averages. Montana households use an average of  10,320 kWh/year of electricity and and 1150 therms of natural gas. How does your home stack up?
If you like putting pen to paper, use our nifty worksheet keep track of your calculations.
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What if I don’t get my utility bill?!  If your landlord pays your utilities, or you pay a fixed fee each month as part of your rent, you can still get a basic picture of your energy usage. It can’t hurt to try asking your landlord to send you a copy of a few bills or tell you how much energy you use (if you do this, let us know how it goes!). Otherwise, start by making a quick inventory of your major appliances, heating and cooling systems, and lighting, noting approximately how many hours a day you use each. Which appliances are gas and which are electric? What do you have control over? Use our nifty simple worksheet or dive into a more detailed online home energy calculator like this one.
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** Register online for electronic access to your energy utility account(s) if you haven’t already done so - both Northwestern Energy and Missoula Electric Co-op have online account and billing options. While you’re at it, nix the paper and sign up to get your bills electronically via the e-bill option. ​

Go the Extra Mile: Nerd out on more Energy-Use Resources

DIY Home Energy Audit

Complete your own home energy audit

After last week (see above), you hopefully have a better idea of what goes into your monthly energy bill. This week, download our DIY Energy Audit Checklist and get ready to do some sleuthing around your home for places where you may be wasting energy! Estimated time to complete: 15 minutes to 1 hour, depending on your home
​A Google search for “DIY Energy Audit” yields an overwhelming number of results, which is why we put together our basic DIY Energy Audit walkthrough checklist. Want to go further? Here are a few resources we’ve found particularly helpful:
Fair warning: doing a home energy audit may leave you with more questions than answers. Navigating your home’s energy use and making changes can be a daunting prospect. Just remember - the Energy Challenge is here to help! Stick with us on this journey, and you’ll be empowered with the knowledge and resources to make your home more energy efficient, one week at a time. We’re all in this together! ​
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Did you know...
NorthWestern Energy offers free home energy audits for qualifying customers. Residential customers who have not had an audit in the past and whose home is at least five years old are eligible for an on-site audit. See what they have to offer here.
Invite a friend to take the Challenge

Week three: Invite a friend to help reduce (y)our use!

Last week’s Energy Action was kind of a detailed one, so this week’s will be much simpler. The point of this Challenge is for it to be a community effort - our individual efforts are more powerful and rewarding when we pool them together! So with that in mind...
This Week’s Energy Action: Recruit a relative, friend, or neighbor to join the Energy Challenge!
Is there someone in your life who would benefit from boosting their energy chops, or might need our weekly dose of energy info and encouragement? That’s right - all you have to do this week is get a fellow Missoulian (or two!) to take the Challenge with you! ​Estimated time to complete: 5 minutes! 
Tips for reaching out:
  • We recommend making a personal, direct invitation - face to face, if possible! Share why you care about saving energy, and why you joined the Challenge. Speaking from your own perspective is a great way to get others on board.
  • Share the below graphic or point friends directly to the Energy Smart website (http://www.missoulaclimate.org/energy-smart.html) to sign up.
  • Everyone needs an accountability partner! Taking the challenge with a friend or neighbor is a great way to encourage each other and have some friendly competition, too.
  • Searching for the right words? Feel free to use the template below as a starting point.​
Dear ____,
I’m reaching out to ask if you’ll join me in taking the Energy Smart Challenge! It’s a fun, easy way to learn practical tips for reducing wasted energy at home, while helping shrink our community’s carbon footprint. There’s something in it for everyone! By signing up, you'll receive a weekly email with specific energy-saving tips and resources, and each month you'll have a chance to earn points and be in the running for prizes. I hope you’ll join me! Learn more and sign up online here: http://www.missoulaclimate.org/energy-smart.html
Get ready for Summer

Turn off the heat

Our variable weather in Montana can be challenging. Even in the middle of the summer, there can be a 40-plus degree difference between overnight lows and daytime highs! You might be tempted to keep the heat on for those chilly mornings, especially if the temperature inside drops considerably overnight. But in most cases, you’re better off throwing on an extra layer, blanket, or even using a space heater for a short period rather than keeping your heating system on throughout the summer. This week’s Energy Action is about the transition into summer…
This week’s Energy Action:  Turn off the heat!
Get ready for toasty summer weather by making sure you're not creating unnecessary heat inside! 
  • ​If you have central heating system, turn the heat setting to OFF, not auto. This may seem obvious - but it’s easy to forget! If you’re a renter and can’t control the heat in your building, it’s worth asking your landlord if they will turn it off for the summer. 
  • Many older gas furnaces don’t have an electronic ignition, but instead have a pilot light that is always on, wasting gas, like an idling car waiting to be put in gear. During the summer, this pilot light wastes energy and creates extra heat - a double whammy! Consider blowing out the pilot light during summer months to save $$ and energy. (If you are unsure how to do this, it’s a good idea to call your plumber/furnace maintenance company and ask about your particular model.) Plus, it’s smart to have your system cleaned and checked annually, so this will remind you to do that before you start it back up for the winter!
  • Heading out of town? If you’ll be gone for more than 3 days, turn down the temp on your water heater - look for a “low” or “vacation” setting. When you turn it back up, keep it at 120 degrees, the sweet spot for both comfort and energy savings.​
Estimated time to complete: 5 to 15 minutes​​
June Survey!

Final week: June Survey!

At the end of each month we will ask you to compete a super-short Energy Smart Challenge survey for your chance to earn points and win prizes. Estimated time to complete: 5 minutes 
Congratulations to our June survey winners! ​
Rose Dickson & Kate Reddick
​Rose (left) was one of two participants who got the most points after filling out our June survey. She won the drawing for a $50 gift card to ACE Hardware. Great work Rose!

​Remember, at the end of each month, there are two chances to win a prize: one for filling out the monthly survey and completing the most energy actions, and another random drawing eligible to all who simply fill out the survey. Next month, it could be you! Plus your survey answers allow us to track (y)our progress towards reducing residential energy use... leader board coming soon. 


​​Beat the Heat
(July 2017)

Learn tips to beat the heat and stay cool at home without cranking up the AC or your energy bill.
Beat the July Heat!

Keep outside heat out

Summer is here and these days in the upper 90's can really take a toll, not just on our physical energy but also on our home’s energy! During the month of July, we’ll be sharing tips to beat the heat and stay cool at home without cranking up the AC and our energy bills. With a heat advisory forecast for this weekend, there’s no better time to get smart about shade.
This week’s Energy Action: Use low-tech and natural strategies to keep outside heat out!
Nearly half of the heat that enters your home during the day comes in through windows, especially those that face south and west. Try these passive cooling methods - shading strategies like these can keep the inside of your home up to 20 degrees cooler!

Build or grow shade outside
  • Install an awning or shade sail/screen on south and west-facing windows. Awnings can reduce solar heat gain— temperature rise because of sunlight —by as much as 65 percent on windows with southern exposures and 77 percent on those with western exposures, which translates into a saving of cooling energy of between 26 to 33 percent!
  • Trees create great natural shade! Plant deciduous trees on the west and south sides of your home - they’ll keep you cool in the summer and allow the sun’s heat through when leaves drop in the winter. According to the NRDC, the net cooling effect of a single, young healthy tree is equivalent to 10 room-sized air conditioners, running for 20 hours a day. Amazing.  Remember: keep those shade trees watered! Watering deeply once a week will help keep trees healthy in our relatively dry climate, especially as summer temps rise.  ​
Use window coverings effectively ​
  • Keep curtains, shutters, and/or blinds closed during the day to keep the heat out. The best choices are opaque, light-colored, reflective materials. Highly reflective blinds can reduce solar gain by up to 45%! Exterior blinds or shutters (mounted on the outside of windows) may block heat even more effectively, while also allowing some light through so you don’t feel like you’re living in a cave.
  • Though they’re generally less effective than blinds or shutters, curtains or drapes can make a big difference: depending on the fabric, they can reduce heat gain by 25 to 33 percent. If you’re at all handy with a sewing machine, you can make simple curtains for just the price of the fabric and thread and some basic mounting hardware.
If you can't stand the heat, get (it) out of the kitchen! 

Save energy, avoid creating heat indoors

With all these days over 90 degrees, you may be wondering how this heat wave stacks up. According to this nifty map from the Montana Climate Office, over the period from 1981 - 2010, Missoula averaged about 20 days per year of 90+ degree weather. While we haven’t reached record-setting 2007 heat wave levels yet, by our count we’re already halfway to that 20 day average. So as this hot July weather continues, we’ve got more tips for keeping your home cooler and more comfortable!
This week’s Energy Action: If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen! (or, actually, just avoid creating heat in the first place)

Last week, we shared tips for creating shade and keeping heat out. But it’s also important not to create heat inside! Here are a few ideas:
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Avoid cooking and baking on hot days. The more energy you use indoors - especially for cooking - the hotter your house gets!
  • Your oven and stovetop put out a ton of heat - try cooking with a microwave instead, or barbeque outdoors. A caveat: charcoal bbqs may make food taste great, but they aren’t known for being climate-friendly. The good news is there’s lots you can do to reduce the carbon footprint of your outdoor meals. We like this environmentally-friendly guide to grilling. (If you’re super into outdoor cooking, consider using a solar oven to go completely off the grid! There are some pretty cool options.)
  • Even better, avoid cooking entirely! Summer is a great time to eat your veggies - go local and eat like a king from the farmers’ markets. If you need meal ideas, try Google searching the names of ingredients you’ve got on hand plus the word “recipe”. Or try out this neat recipe generator from FOODWISE. The internet is a wonderful thing! ​
​Use heat-producing appliances sparingly and wisely.
  • Don’t peek into the oven if you do cook with it; a lot of heat escapes each time! And always cook liquids with a lid, to reduce heat and humidity.
  • Avoid staring into your open fridge or freezer for minutes on end. It might feel nice, but your fridge works overtime to get the inside temperatures back down, actually producing more external heat in the process! (Speaking of freezers, that empty one you’re waiting to fill with your garden bounty or next winter’s hunting harvest is an energy hog - and creates waste heat, too! Unplug it while it’s not in use, or if it’s ancient, consider replacing it with a newer Energy Star model.)   
  • Far be it from me to suggest going without your cup(s) of joe in the morning! Summer’s a great time to try making cold-brew coffee! Save yourself some cash and make it easily at home. If you need your coffee hot, don’t leave the coffee maker on - pour it into a thermos once it’s brewed. If you’re a tea drinker, make sun tea by placing water and some tea bags into a glass jar and leaving it in a sunny spot for a few hours. Pour over ice and enjoy!
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Go further:
Chillin' without being an energy villain

Be smart about using air conditioning 

We have a love hate relationship with A/C... ​But as summer temperatures have increased, for many the first instinct is to turn on the A/C. Obviously, cranking the A/C is not exactly energy smart! But while toasty temps inside may just be an uncomfortable annoyance for many of us - it slows us down, and makes it harder to get work done - we also know heat can pose real health risks for some folks.
In any case, whether you’ve got central air, a window A/C unit, or are just running out of things to borrow from your neighbor so you can steal a break in their cool living room, we’ve got a few more tips for maximizing energy-smart cooling.
This week's Energy Action: Use air conditioning more efficiently and less often, or not at all!

  • ​Become a fan of fans. Fans can be 10+ times more energy-efficient than A/C! They use a fraction of the energy, and with the right setup, they can help you feel a lot cooler. At night, use one fan to pull cool air in from an open window and a second fan on the other side of the room to push hot air out. In the morning, close your windows, blinds and curtains to seal in that cool night air, then turn on a fan in the room you’re in when you’re home during the day. The wind chill effect of circulating air can make you feel as much as 8 degrees cooler!
  • Turn up the A/C to 78 degrees or higher when you are home. Try turning it up one degree per day to give your body a chance to acclimate. For every degree Fahrenheit you raise your thermostat, your A/C compressor cycles 10% less. Turn the A/C off when you’re out of the house, and don’t turn the temp way down when you get back - it won’t cool any faster and will just use more energy.
  • Try a swamp cooler as an alternative to A/C! These devices, which you can buy or even make yourself, use evaporative cooling principles and work well in Missoula’s dry heat - and use up to 75% less energy than A/C!
  • Seal off unused rooms. If you run central or room air conditioning and there’s a room you don’t use much, keep the door closed and/or seal off the register - no need to waste energy cooling a room you’re not in.
  • Treat your A/C right.
    • Your A/C likes shade, too! Shading your unit means it doesn’t have to work nearly as hard because the air it’s pulling in is cooler. The more area you can shade, the better.
    • Clean or replace your A/C filter regularly to keep it running efficiently.
    • Use ceiling fans to give your A/C a break. Running ceiling fans counter-clockwise allows you to turn up the temperature by 4-5 degrees and reduce A/C use by as much as 40%!
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Climate Smart Missoula’s Summer Smart program is packed with resources to help Missoulians weather the weather. Check out our new Cooling page for lots more details on fans, swamp coolers, and A/C.
July Survey!

Final Week: July Survey!

At the end of each month we will ask you to compete a super-short Energy Smart Challenge survey for your chance to earn points and win prizes. Estimated time to complete: 5 minutes
Thanks to everyone who took our survey, and congratulations to our July winners!
 There were 5(!) of you who got the maximum number of points possible, and of that group, Monica Perez was the lucky winner! Great job, everybody. Plus, Laura Morris won the random drawing for all survey participants. 
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​Saving Water Saves Energy
(August 2017)

What does water conservation have to do with energy savings? Turns out, they are quite connected. Learn how to conserve water and energy without neglecting your garden.
wATER-WISE WAYS

Week One: Reduce water use outside

According to the EPA, the average American family uses more than 300 gallons of water a day! All that water is pumped to our homes, we heat it for showers and laundry, and energy is used to process and treat wastewater. One study found that U.S. water-related energy use is over 520 million megawatt-hours per year - equal to 13% of the nation’s electricity consumption or the output of 150 typical coal-fired power plants.  While water heating is the biggest energy-guzzler, any water that comes out of a tap or hose embodies energy. Here in the dry West, the percentage of water we use outside on landscaping and irrigation is often higher than the national average of 30 percent of household use.  ​
Here in Missoula, we’re fortunate to have a local source of clean water right under our feet - the Missoula Aquifer. It’s an abundant resource, but as our city grows, demand will only increase, so getting into water-saving habits now is essential. Plus, now that we own our water system, saving water helps balance the budget and keep our rates down. Even if “brown is the new green” hasn’t caught on here yet, we can all help spread the water-wise mindset. So let's get started...
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This week's Energy Action: Be water-wise, reduce your water use outside

  • Time it right. Whether you’ve got outdoor landscaping, a community garden plot, or even thirsty potted plants on your porch, be sure to water during early morning (5-9am is best) or evening (7-10pm is 2nd best) to reduce evaporation. For larger areas, sprinklers that water low to the ground are good, but soaker hoses or drip lines are even better. You can buy an inexpensive timer at a hardware store and set it to water automatically, too, saving yourself time in the process. Wondering how much you actually need to water? Here’s one guide from the EPA, and another from Colorado which has a similarly dry climate.
  • Work with nature. If you’ve got a garden, mulch from straw, yard clippings, newspaper, or wood chips suppresses weeds and helps with water retention.
  • Don’t neglect your trees. Most lawns can take some water stress - even if they dry out, they’ll go dormant until next year. But most species of street trees that provide necessary shade for our homes and neighborhoods require watering! Keeping our trees healthy provides so many benefits that it’s worth the H20.
  • Go the extra mile: consider replacing thirsty lawns with native and drought-tolerant species.  Check out the Montana Native Plant Society’s website for some resources to get started. ​
Stay out of hot water

Week Two: Stay out of hot water!

Water heating is the second-largest expense in the average home, accounting for between 16-18% of your power bill, or $400-$600 a year, according to the Department of Energy.  So it’s a huge opportunity for savings: if every home in the US installed efficient water fixtures and appliances, we’d save nearly 44 million metric tons of CO2 emissions per year. To put that in perspective, that’s the equivalent of taking more than 9 million cars off the road, or taking almost 13 coal-fired power plants offline. Not too shabby! The good news is that reducing energy associated with water heating can be pretty simple.  ​
This week's Energy Action: Slash your hot water usage
Hot water systems are often pretty inefficient, simply because of the huge potential for energy loss during standby (all that time the water’s just sitting in the giant heater tank, being kept warm, while not being used) as well as distribution (water traveling along the pipes from the heater to the sink or shower).
  • Turn down your water heater temp to 120 degrees. Many water heaters are automatically set at 140 degrees, much higher than most of us need. Set too high, your water heater can waste anywhere from $36 to $61 annually in standby heat losses and more than $400 in distribution losses.
  • Go cold when you can.  Use cold water for washing hands - turning it off and sudsing up for 20 seconds gets rid of germs is more effective than a short burst of hot water anyway. For handwashing dishes, use just a small tub or bowl of hot soapy water for the wash, then rinse with cold. Laundry detergents these days are designed for cold water, and washing in cold will preserve your clothes, too.
  • Insulate your water heater and the first 6 feet (or more) of hot water pipes. Foam pipe insulation is super cheap and insulating blankets for hot water run about $20 at a home improvement store. Insulating your hot water pipes can increase the temperature of the water reaching the tap by 2 to 4 degrees, and insulating your water heater can pay for itself in a year, with energy savings between 7-16%. If you’re the coupon-cutting type, both these projects are eligible for Northwestern Energy rebates.
  • Looking to replace an old water heater? Most water heaters only have a lifespan of 10-15 years, so if you’re pushing it, best to do your research and pick out a new one sooner rather than later. Choosing the most energy-efficient new water heater is not always straightforward - it depends on where your heater is located in your house (in a conditioned space or not), whether it's gas or electric,  and of course, your budget! Here’s one guide. ​
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Photo: Department of Energy
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P.A.H./Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
save water like a boss
When we heard the first pitter-patter of rain on Sunday, we literally did a happy dance. Apparently, we were not alone - even the National Weather Service was celebrating the end of a record 46-day streak without measurable rainfall (on the heels of the driest July on record, to boot). It’s been bone dry out there...which makes it's the perfect time to consider our own water use. Over the last two weeks, we’ve shared some tips on reducing outdoor water use and energy-intensive water heating, but this week we’re getting back to basics.
This week's Energy Action: Save water like a boss
Simple Steps
  • Fix your flush. Toilets use a lot of water - the average person flushes 5 times a day. If your toilet is from the 80s or 90s, it uses an average of 3.5 gallons for each flush - even more if it’s older! First, try to flush less often - it’s ok to let it mellow at home. Then, think low-flow. If you’re in the market for a new throne, by all means find a super efficient model - WaterSense high efficiency toilets use about 1.3 gallons, reducing the average family of four’s flush rate from 26,000 gallons a year to 9,000. But you don’t have to buy a new toilet to start saving today - simply using a half-gallon water displacement jug in your tank can save a family of four 3,600 gallons a year. Estimated time to complete: 5 minutes.
  • Install low-flow faucet aerators and showerheads. How old is your showerhead? It might be time to replace it. Low-flow technology has gotten a lot better - if your showerhead isn’t efficient, low-flow options start pretty cheaply. Look for EPA WaterSense options that are under 2 gpm - options go all the way down to 0.9 gpm!  Faucet aerators are another great way to reduce. Without compromising water pressure, a $5 (or less!) aerator will cut the amount of water rushing from your taps by as much as 75%! If you’ve got aerators already, unscrew them and check their flow rating - usually etched on the side. Newer ones can get down to as low as 0.5 gpm (though you may want a higher gpm for the kitchen so you’re not waiting forever to fill cooking pots).  Estimated time to complete: 5 minutes.
Thinking long term
  • Take shorter showers. I know, I know...not exactly revolutionary advice, but using less water is, well, the easiest way to use less water. Most people assume showers are more water-wise than baths, but with a standard 2.5 gallons-per-minute (gpm) showerhead, it only takes between 8-12 minutes to use water equivalent to filling an average bathtub (20-30 gallons). Oy. Shoot for 5 minute showers. I know I’m guilty of spacing out under the spray; try using a timer to keep on track - you can train yourself pretty quickly. Turning the water off while you shampoo, soap up, or shave is also smart.
  • Washers are big wasters. Standard top-loading clothes washers, even newer ones, use a lot of water - 40 or more gallons per load. Their design just isn’t very efficient. High-efficiency washers use much less - between 15-30 gallons per load. ENERGY STAR® estimates you could fill three backyard swimming pools with the water you save over the life of a new ENERGY STAR-qualified washer. If your washer is over 10 years old, investing in a new high-efficiency model makes sense. But no matter what kind of washer you use, make sure to always do full loads to maximize efficiency.
August Survey! 

Final Week: August Survey!

At the end of each month we will ask you to compete a super-short Energy Smart Challenge survey for your chance to earn points and win prizes. Estimated time to complete: 5 minutes
It's survey time!
At the end of each month, it's your turn to tell us what you've been up to. Take our QUICK, 5-MINUTE SURVEY and you'll have TWO chances to win a great gift card to the Missoula Downtown Association, redeemable at more than 100 local businesses! Perfect participation not required -simply by responding to the survey, you will be entered in a random drawing for one of the gift cards. In addition, the household that earns the most points (by completing the most Energy Actions and responding to all the survey questions) will win the second gift card! Be sure to take the survey by midnight on Monday, September 4th to be eligible. 
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​Back to School: Electronics and Devices
(September 2017)

Vanquish Energy Vampires

Vanquish Energy Vampires

I don't know about you, but one of the things I love about summer is more opportunities to take breaks from electronics. Don’t get me wrong - I depend on my phone and computer for many daily tasks, but all that screen time can be draining. But now that fall is here (and you may find yourself stuck inside more often, waiting for the return of blue skies), it’s a perfect time to think about the energy use of all those electronic devices that we depend on.

This week’s Energy Action: 
Vanquish energy vampires!
(estimated time to complete: 10-15 minutes)

“Vampire energy” is the energy used by electronics - computers, TVs, DVD players, even some kitchen appliances - while they are plugged in but not in use. Here are a few tips that will help you eliminate vampire energy while also extending the life of resource-intensive electronics.
  • Take a quick inventory of your home, room by room, and see what’s connected to an outlet. The average household has 25 electronic devices plugged in at any given time, which, according to the EPA, drain a whopping $10 billion from American budgets each year! Anything with a lit display or A/C adapter is an obvious culprit. Unplug anything that’s used infrequently.
  • Focus on bigger electronics. Don’t worry about unplugging phone chargers or other small devices. Unless they’re truly ancient, it’s simply not worth the effort: most modern phone chargers don’t draw much, if any, power when they’re not charging, regardless if your device is connected. Computers are another story. Desktops are the worst power-suckers - best to shut down when not in use. Laptops use vampire power too - basically any device with one of those rectangular A/C adapters is going to be pulling in some amount of energy as long as it’s plugged in. Today’s lithium laptop batteries are happiest in a charging sweet spot, so leaving it unplugged while in “sleep” mode overnight could actually help your laptop live longer.
  • Power strips are your friend - “Smart” power strips are your best friend. Power strips, when turned off, cut power at the outlet, giving you the ease of turning many things off at once. Want even greater customization and ease? Smart Power Strips automatically turn off electronics that go into standby mode, plus some allow you to group electronics that you’d want to turn on and off together. 
  • Learn more about standby energy and which electronics to prioritize.   ​
Fine-Tune your Energy Settings

Fine-Tune your Energy Settings

With suddenly chilly temps and rain, maybe you’re thinking about cozying up and watching a movie. With so many ways to be digitally entertained these days, many households may not realize how much energy our screens are wasting.
This week’s Energy Action: 
Fine-tune your Energy Settings
estimated time to complete: 5 minutes
  • Smart TVs aren’t necessarily energy smart. Today’s flat-screen TVs mostly use LED technology, which uses less than half the energy of earlier high-def monitors. However, “Smart” TVs that connect to the internet are often set to a “quick-start” default that enables them to boot up a teeny bit more quickly - and, no surprise, means they’re draining power when off. Find this option in your TV settings and disable it. Then, check the brightness - turn it down, or if there’s an automatic setting, enabling that will adjust the brightness to the level of light in the room, saving energy as days get shorter and evenings get darker.  ​
  • Netflix and...waste? If you enjoy streaming video services, avoid using gaming consoles like an Xbox - they can use up to 30 times more power than a smaller device that’s specifically for movies/tv. If you do have a gaming device, set it to “auto power down” (or put it on a smart power strip!) or just unplug it if it’s used infrequently.
  • Calibrate your computer. Screen savers are so 1998! Set your computer to sleep/hibernate automatically after 10 minutes of inactivity and check out Energy Star’s directions for managing power settings for different computer operating systems.
No TV? Good for you! We could all do with a little less screen time - but there’s nothing wrong with enjoying your favorite show or movie. Just make sure you’re the one calling the shots on your electronics’ energy use!
Decoding Device Dilemmas
Decoding Device Dilemmas
The change of seasons has me thinking about cycles...trees change color and drop their leaves; garden plants die and we turn them into the soil for next year, the life cycle of our electronic devices (yep, you knew that’s where I was going!). The energy our phones, computers and TVs use to operate is only part of their carbon footprint. Where e-things are concerned, it’s extra important to keep in mind that Zero Waste mantra: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. This week, let’s think a little more holistically about the life cycle of our electronics.
This week’s Energy Action: 
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Re-think your Electronic Devices
​
  • Before upgrading, consider the devices you have: Can you install a new operating system on your old computer? Can you repair that broken screen? Do you need the latest phone model, or does your current one get the job done just fine?
  • Avoid the old cell phone pile of doom. There are lots of options to donate or recycle old phones - here are a few ideas. Be sure to remove all your personal data before you donate or recycle any electronic device.
  • It’s not quite as easy to donate computers as you might think. If you’re looking to get rid of one that’s less than 7 years old, your best bet is find a local refurbisher and ask if they’ll accept your donation. If it’s older than that, read on...
  • Got an ancient computer or TV hanging around? Make sure it doesn’t end up in the landfill - check out Oreo’s Refining or Pete’s Electric for local electronics recycling.
A few bonus facts:
  • According to the EPA, recycling one million laptops saves the energy equivalent to the electricity used by more than 3,500 US homes in a year. 
  • For every million cell phones we recycle, 35,000 pounds of copper, 772 pounds of silver, 75 pounds of gold and 33 pounds of palladium can be recovered.
  • On the opposite end of the life cycle, we don't know exactly how much energy goes into manufacturing electronics - most companies don’t disclose or even calculate their carbon footprint -but we know it’s energy-intensive. For example, in 2016, Apple self-reported that 77 percent of their 29.5 million ton carbon footprint came from the manufacturing of their products, while only 17% came from product usage. Whoa! That’s a lot of energy embodied in each device.
Americans acquired nearly a billion more electronic devices between 2010 and 2013. The energy efficiency of electronics is continually improving, but the number of devices we own is increasing. Anything we can do to extend the life of our devices and use fewer over our lifetime is good for our budgets and the planet!
September Survey

September Survey!

At the end of each month we will ask you to compete a super-short Energy Smart Challenge survey for your chance to earn points and win prizes. Estimated time to complete: 5 minutes
Take our QUICK, 5-MINUTE SURVEY and you'll have TWO chances to win a great gift card to the Missoula Downtown Association, redeemable at more than 100 local businesses! Be sure to take the survey by midnight on Monday, October 9th to be eligible. 
​


Heating 
(October)

Get Smart about your thermostat

Stay warm in winter without breaking the bank

This month we're tackling one of the biggest, baddest budget-busters (both carbon and cash) in the home energy world. HEATING accounts for between 30-50% of most residential energy use here in our northern climate. No surprise: a lot of that heat is wasted. Let's start with one simple way to change that. 

This week’s Energy Action: 
Get smart about your thermostat!
(estimated time to complete: 5-30 minutes)
  • Install a programmable thermostat - or learn to program the one you’ve got. This is one of the most cost-effective ways energy savers! Cut 10% or more of your heating costs simply by setting your temperature back 8 to 10 degrees below normal for at least 8 hours a day, and programmable thermostats make it EASY. No more wasting energy to heat an empty house just so it’s warm when you get home...or freezing while you wait for the heat to fire up in the morning. Even the most basic programmable thermostats allow you to set temperatures based on your schedule - when you wake up, leave for work, come home, and go to bed, weekdays and weekends. Here’s a thermostat guide to get you started. 
    • ​Intrepid renters: you can do this too - especially if you pay your energy bills. Ask your landlord, or DIY then bring it with you when you move.
    • If you’re a Northwestern Energy customer and you have natural gas heat, take advantage of this rebate for programmable thermostats. Every penny helps! 
    • The recommendation to “setback” temperatures 8 or more degrees applies to most gas or electric furnace or boiler heating systems. Heat pumps, steam heat or radiant flooring systems may require smaller setbacks or different timing. 
    • Older dial thermostats often contain mercury - take them to Ace Hardware for recycling.
  • Dial in the right temperatures. Set your thermostat to 65 to 68 degrees while you’re home, 60 or below while you’re out or asleep. Every degree you turn down the heat saves up to 2% off your heating bill, so going from 72 to 65 can make a huge difference! If you're used to warmer temps, make the transition gradually. You'll get there! 
Keep your Heating System running Efficiently

Maintenance steps for efficient heating

It’s easier to stay comfortable inside if your heater is in tip top shape. Here’s another milestone on your quest to cut your heating footprint. 
This week’s Energy Action: 
Eliminate enemies of efficient heating
estimated time to complete: 15 minutes
Maintenance ain’t sexy, but it’s key to keeping your boiler or furnace running - not just smoothly and safely, but more efficiently energy-wise. Basic maintenance steps like these can reduce average heating bills by between 3-10 percent, plus extend the life of your system. 
  • Forced-Air Heating Systems
    • ​Clean or replace air filters. Dust build-up forces the blower to work overtime. Check filters once a month during heating season. Basic filters are generally cheap to replace (as low as $1 apiece at hardware stores), or you may be able to use heavy-duty filters that last longer.
    • Clean heating registers. Same principle applies - dust, debris, and drapes are all enemies of efficient airflow. Be sure nothing’s blocking your registers.
    • Adjust airflow to unused spaces by closing dampers or registers. Keeping rarely-used spaces cooler saves energy - but all in moderation! Restricting too much airflow can also cause the blower/fan to run inefficiently.
  • Hot-Water and Steam Systems
    • Go easy on the DIY here - the hot water in these systems can be really dangerous. When in doubt, call a professional or your landlord!
    • Like forced-air systems, cleanliness is key. Keep radiators and baseboards free of dust and away from furnishings so air can circulate under and over.
    • Air gets trapped in radiators and, you guessed it, keeps them from working efficiently. Bleed trapped air least once per season, using a radiator key or otherwise opening the valve until all the air has escaped. It’s totally fine to have a technician show you how to do this on your system if you’ve never done it before!
    • Adjust the aquastat that regulates your boiler water temperature. Like your water heater, it’s often set higher than necessary - turning the aquastat down to between 120-140 degrees can reduce fuel use by 5-10%.  
  • Follow any other recommended maintenance steps for your particular system. A full tune-up is a good idea every couple of years. Take a deeper dive into maintenance options HERE.
Maybe you're wondering: should I just upgrade to a new furnace?? There’s no easy answer, but here’s one guide to help you make that decision. If you are looking into an upgrade, the Missoula Federal Credit Union offers home energy loans. And you may also be able to take advantage of a state tax credit! More HERE. You may find that the savings you’d achieve with a high-efficiency system compares favorably to the cost of replacement. 


​--> Just for fun, here's my ancient (1958!) boiler in my creepy basement. Regular maintenance has kept this beast running for 60 years! However, there's only so much efficiency you can squeeze out of a machine this old - not to mention we're probably on borrowed time before it kicks the bucket. We're looking into a loan to upgrade to a new high-efficiency system.
Low- and No-Cost Heat-Conserving tips
This week’s Energy Action: 
Low- and No-Cost Improvements that make a difference
With a potentially cooler, wetter winter on its way, we hope you find our heating tips useful! To wrap up this topic, here are a few more cheap yet effective ways to save energy on heating. Keeping your heating system running efficiently is just one side of the heat-saving coin: the other side is making sure the heat your system generates stays where it’s supposed to - inside! These inexpensive tips around tightening the “building envelope” and basic interior changes can make a big difference.
  • Use window coverings and fans to your advantage. Close curtains/blinds at night to conserve heat, open them during the day to let the solar heat gain do its thing. If you’ve got ceiling fans, run them clockwise to circulate the rising warm air back down into your space.
  • Weatherize windows and doors. Windows and doors are the most obvious culprits - and luckily easy to fix.
    • Weather stripping for doors is cheap and easy to install.
    • Got old, single-paned windows? If you are fortunate enough to have storm windows, they’re well worth installing each year. Otherwise, armed with a hair dryer and a shrink-fit window film kit (from any hardware store), it’s easy to insulate your windows yourself. One manufacturer claims this DIY project can save you $17 per window in heating costs. That seems awfully specific, but in any case, we agree it’s worthwhile!
  • Seal leaky spots. Small cracks and holes - obvious and hidden - may be responsible for up to 30% of home heat loss!
    • Ducts, pipes, exhaust fans, vents - these are all possible places where holes and cracks allow indoor air to escape. Scope out these spots, then use caulk or foam to close them up.
    • The attic is another big heat-sucker, which makes sense, since warm air rises. If you’ve got access, find and seal any holes up there.
      Want to go above and beyond? Check the insulation levels in your attic while you’re at it. It may require a little more time and money, but improving attic insulation is one of the biggest bangs for your buck in terms of energy savings. And, you might be eligible for a rebate or tax credit.
So many improvements, so little time...don’t get overwhelmed! Your to-do list might feel long, but even if you start with only one of these tips, you’ll see an immediate return in the form of a more comfortable home and a smaller energy footprint. It all adds up to a more climate-smart home and community!​
October Survey

October Survey 

At the end of each month we will ask you to complete an Energy Smart Challenge survey for your chance to earn points and win prizes. 
This month, we're asking for feedback to help inform future rounds of the Energy Challenge! It's not too late to take the survey, because we'll be compiling your responses to help guide future development. 
​


Lighting
(November)

lUMEns, lamps, and Leds: Changing lightbulbs

This week’s Energy Action:
Swap inefficient incandescent bulbs for LEDs
Estimated time to complete: 10 minutes

As we “fall back” into daylight savings time, it’s the perfect time to think about LIGHTING. We’re going into the season of loooong evenings, where our lamps and light fixtures are on much more often. Let’s start with the most obvious way to save energy on lighting.

Get this: replacing just one 40-watt incandescent that’s on 4 hours a day with a 9-watt LED will save you about $75 over 10 years, and that thing’s still got 7 more years to go before it reaches the end of its lifespan. That’s a savings of 800 kWh, or at least 1000 pounds of CO2 over the lifetime of the bulb. And that’s just one light! What if you changed 10 of your most frequently used lights to LED? I bet you have better things to do with $750 over the next 10 years than giving it to the electric company.
  • LED technology, like solar, has exploded over the last decade. LEDs are 75% more energy-efficient than traditional incandescent bulbs, and 30% more efficient than compact fluorescents (CFLs). LEDs may cost a buck or two more than incandescent or CFL bulbs, but the savings over the lifetime of the bulb makes up for that difference many times over, partly because they last so much longer: the lifetime of an LED is between 10,000 to 25,000 hours, compared to less than 1,000 hours for a standard incandescent bulb.
  • Surprisingly, there’s a lot to know about the different characteristics of LEDs that can help you choose the right one. The brightness (measured in lumens) and light quality/color are just a couple of things to be aware of. Here’s an excellent guide to choosing the right LED bulb.
Have I convinced you yet that it’s worth your while to swap out old bulbs with LEDs? I know, I know - as environmentally-friendly actions go, “change a lightbulb” sometimes gets a bad rap, up there with “take shorter showers.” As the critique goes, it’s naive to think that we’ll change the world by changing a lightbulb, and I suppose that’s true. But taking practical, personal action to reduce our own carbon footprint and advocating for larger changes in our communities are not mutually exclusive! In fact, sometimes making these small changes reminds us just how much we care about the big picture, and that’s not a bad thing. Here's to changing lightbulbs AND changing the world!​
Beyond the bulb: Lighting strategies to reduce energy use
This week’s Energy Action: 
Smart lighting strategies to cut wasted energy
Estimated time to complete: varies
Replacing old incandescent bulbs with energy-efficient LEDs or even CFLs is a smart investment. But there are a few other tweaks you can make to your lighting to save even more.
  • Match light bulb wattage to your lighting needs. Say you’ve got a 75-watt bulb in a floor lamp that’s on 6 hours a day and providing general room lighting, but your bedside lamp, which you only use for a half hour a day, is only 40 watts and could stand to light your bedside reading a little better. Swap those bulbs!
  • Use task lighting more effectively.LEDs are particularly well suited to lighting specific areas. Relying on lighting specific tasks reduces the need for general, on-all-the-time lighting. For example, use LED strip lighting (like in the photo on the right) to light dark space under cabinets. It's cheap, easy to install, and uses only a truly teensy amount of energy. ​
  • Dimmers, timers, and motion/daylight sensors are easy to install and more widely available than ever. LEDs are dimmable, while CFLs are not - another reason to go LED! Motion sensors or timers can be especially useful in outdoor settings. 
  • Turn off lights when you leave a room. The old adage is still true. You saveenergy every time you turn lights off, even if you’re going to turn them back on in a few minutes.
  • Add light bulbs to your dusting routine. Really. Dirt absorbs light and reduces efficiency. 
Here are a couple of pieces of encouragement as you keep thinking about energy savings in the future: This NY Times article and this study are a reminder of the huge potential for energy efficiency to help us reach our collective climate goals. Every action you take is an example for others, and a piece of the puzzle in using our energy resources more wisely. Thanks for all that you do to help our community and planet!
low-Impact Holiday Lighting
This week’s Energy Action: 
Bring energy-smart holiday cheer to your neighborhood with LED lights and more
  • Make the LED switch. Around Thanksgiving many of us make our annual rummage through the closet/attic/ basement/garage to dig out our holiday lights. Those ancient tangled strands of warm-colored bulbs may evoke nostalgia and cozy feelings, but if you haven’t changed your holiday lighting game in a few years, your old incandescent bulbs are about to waste a lot of energy and money. There’s a better way! New LED holiday lights are inexpensive to buy and operate, are safer, and last a lot longer. According to Energy.gov, the average cost of lighting a 6 foot tree over 10  holiday seasons with standard C-9 (big) lights is $122, compared to just $18 for comparable LEDs. And that’s just one tree! The savings multiplies with outdoor lights. ​
  • Use timers and power strips for easier operation and greater energy savings. It gets dark early these days, and let’s face it, it’s just plain nice to come home in the dead of winter to a brightly lit tree, balcony or house. No need to have those lights on all day though - hook them up to an inexpensive timer, or combine multiple strands all on one power strip to easily turn them on and off.
This Thanksgiving, we're grateful for everyone who has been part of this first round of the Energy Challenge. Knowing that so many people care deeply about our planet and community and are taking actions, large and small, to make a difference quite literally makes our work here at Climate Smart Missoula possible. We’re all in this together, so thanks for all that you do! We’ll be launching the next round of the Energy Challenge next year, and we hope you’ll recruit your neighbors and friends to join. In the meantime, we’ll keep our Energy Smart pages updated, and please contact us with your energy stories and ideas!
November Survey

November Survey 

At the end of each month we will ask you to complete an Energy Smart Challenge survey for your chance to earn points and win prizes.