Action of the Month for October

Basic Action - Weatherize windows and doors to seal air leaks
On a chilly day, check around each window and external door in your residence to see if cold air is seeping in. If you see daylight where it meets the frame, or feel cold air coming in, weatherize those windows and external doors to stop air leaks. Losses due to air leaks are like leaving a window open.

• Caulk stationary windows that do not open.
• Weatherstrip windows that do open.
• For external doors, weatherstrip door tops and sides and/or add a door sweep at the bottom.

 
Find out more about weather stripping. (Source: energy.gov)
Find out more about installing weather stripping. (Source: familyhandyman.com)
 
Check with your home store or a professional about caulk, weatherstripping, and door sweep products to use. If you are a renter and find your door needs weatherstripping, contact your property owner or property manager to ask them to seal the leaks around your door(s). Or perhaps you can take care of it yourself.

Weatherizing windows and external doors provides you these benefits:

• saves energy
• saves money spent on utility bills
• keeps your home temperature more comfortable

​Advanced Actions
Choose from these if your windows and doors are already weatherized.

• Seal large air leaks near ducts, vents, electrical outlets, chimneys, recessed light fixtures, attic entrances, fans, plumbing utilities, water and furnace flues, and/or other seams or openings.
• Improve or replace windows. If you have any double pane windows that have lost their seal, those should be replaced by another double pane or triple pane window.
• Seal and insulate ducts and add or improve attic insulation. Insulation that is damp or soiled should be replaced. Insulating attic space has more impact than insulating walls because heat rises.
• Contact a professional to properly seal and ventilate your home.
• If you are  Montana NorthWestern Energy (NWE) customer and your home has not had an energy assessment by NWE, you can ask the company about their virtual and free E+ Home EnergyCheck using your smartphone or tablet to give their local energy specialist a virtual tour of your home. This can give you (1) personalized tips to improve your energy efficiency; (2) free energy-reducing products, if needed, delivered to your home; and (3) important safety information about gas and electric. Call (800) 823-5995 or visit NorthWesternEnergy.com/EnergyCheck.

 
DID YOU KNOW…
You can prioritize advanced actions by started with these:

• those that are low-cost
• those that will generate quick energy savings
• those that will generate large energy savings

NorthWestern Energy (NWE) customers should check on their rebate programs for 

• Natural Gas customers for insulation
• Electric customers for home duct sealing and exterior wall insulation

 
Some content adapted with permission from materials produced
by Earth Care for Hoosier-IPL www.EarthCareIndiana.org

Action of the Month for September

Water Heater
To reduce its energy use, set your water heater thermostat to 120 degrees and insulate your water heater if it is in an unheated space. The water heater is typically the largest use of energy in the home after heating and cooling.

Setting the water heater temperature to 120 degrees gives you these benefits:

• With today’s detergents 120 degrees is plenty for both washing machine and dishwasher use.
• It is safer for children because hotter settings pose a more severe safety hazard for scalding.
• It operates water heaters at top efficiency.
• It increases the life of your water heater.
• It slows corrosion and mineral buildup in pipes and heaters. (Source: Energy.gov)

DID YOU KNOW…
If you are a NorthWestern Energy (NWE) residential customer, you can check the following link for their rebates and incentives programs for natural gas water heating, electric water heating, hot water tank insulation, hot water pipe insulation, and Energy Star rated purchases. Residential Services for Montana
You may want to bookmark or save this link as a favorite you can return to.
 
Members of their NWE’s Low Incomes Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) may also qualify NWE’s weatherization services like furnace, boiler, or water heater inspections, sealing air leaks, and wrapping water heaters for home or apartment. Contact them for services.
 
Advanced action:
To save more energy used to run water heaters, consider replacing your unit with a solar water heater, tankless water heating, or geothermal pre-heating options. You can look into these options, as well as the Energy Star rated purchases, to see which may possible and work best for you. Remember to check NorthWestern Energy for possible rebates.
 
Note: If your water heater’s tank leaks, you probably need a new water heater.  
 
Adapted with permission from materials produced by
Earth Care for Hoosier-IPL www.EarthCareIndiana.org

Install high efficiency/low-flow showerheads and aerators on faucets.

We urgently need to conserve water in our communities. Using low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators (that screw-on tip for the faucet) are an excellent way to start.

The city of Bozeman has several Free Swaps and Rebates programs to help its City residential water customers move to low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators. Open the “Tips-to-reduce-your-water-usage.pdf” link found below the Advanced Actions section to find out more details about these programs. If you are not a Bozeman City water customer, you can look for both these items at home improvement, hardware, or big box stores.

DID YOU KNOW…
The typical household in the developed world uses upwards of 260 gallons of water per day. Installing low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators can reduce up to 45 gallons per day which means thousands of gallons saved each year. (Source: https://www.treehugger.com/how-to-go-green-in-the-bathroom-4857311)

Saving water also saves electricity. It takes energy to pump water to a water treatment plant, to make it safe for drinking and food preparation, and to get it to your house.

Advanced Actions

Our drought means this is the time to be an over-achiever by selecting one or more Advanced action(s) to do, too. Open the Tips link that follows this list to see more details about them.
· Repair water leaks and toilet runs.
· Install a low flush toilet.
· Minimize the time you let the water run, inside or outside. Find ideas in the Tips below.
· If your water comes from the City of Bozeman, download the DropCountr app or go to www.dropcountr.com/bozeman to create an account that shows you your current and previous water usage and provides a wealth of information about water usage.
· Parents: Involve the children with Water Conservation Activities from the City of Bozeman.

Tips-to-reduce-your-water-usage.pdf
Click here
 
Adapted with permission from materials produced by Earth Care for Hoosier-IPL www.EarthCareIndiana.org

Take at least 10 minutes daily this month to spend time with nature in order to appreciate God's creation and delight your soul. Examples of ways include:

Convert part of your lawn to a pollinators garden to attract bees, birds, caterpillars, and butterflies. Watering a garden of native plants that attract these pollinators can require less water than watering a lawn. Avoiding using pesticides and herbicides for pollinator gardens. You can find tips on creating a Pollinator Garden space at the links that follow:

Jan Cashman's article Why Are Pollinators and Pollinator Plants So Important? 
Lolo National Forest's document Attracting Pollinators and Using Native Plants

Advanced actions:

• In colder seasons, air-dry as much as possible using drying racks, hanging bars, or clotheslines.
• Wash only full loads in dishwashers. Air dry.
• When it is time to replace a washer, dryer, or dishwasher, purchase an Energy Star model.

 
DID YOU KNOW…
Of the major appliances in the typical American household, the electric clothes dryer uses the most electricity. Skipping some or all dryer use is one of the easiest ways to cut summer or year-round utility costs.
 
Click here: Tips-clean-up-your-laundry-act.pdf

 
Adapted with permission from materials produced by
Earth Care for Hoosier-IPL www.EarthCareIndiana.org
​

Replace six interior and one exterior incandescent, halogen, or CFL* light bulbs with LED light bulbs. 
​​This will reduce your utility bills through less energy use. It could save you up to $75 a year energy costs if it includes changing your five most frequently used lights.
​

DID YOU KNOW…
Energy Star LEDs provide the same brightness in lumens but use 70-90% less energy in watts. They come in many sizes and shapes. (Source: https://www.energystar.gov/)
 
Find out more…
tips-change-your-lightbulbs.pdf

*Fluorescent bulbs contain toxic mercury and need to be disposed of as hazardous waste at Bozeman Convenience Center or Logan Landfill. Check for drop-off days and times. https://gallatinsolidwaste.org/recycling/fluorescent-bulbs/
**May not be applicable for those who rent.
​*Fluorescent bulbs contain toxic mercury and need to be disposed of as hazardous waste at Bozeman Convenience Center or Logan Landfill. Check for drop-off days and times. https://gallatinsolidwaste.org/recycling/fluorescent-bulbs/
**May not be applicable for those who rent.

Adapted with permission from materials produced by
Earth Care for Hoosier-IPL www.EarthCareIndiana.org
​

Eliminate using single-use plastic bags for shopping.
​Replace with reusable bags that you bring with you.
 
Advanced actions:

• Eliminate using other single-use plastics, such as individual bottled waters, plastic straws, and plastic food utensils. Replace them with reusable non-plastic alternatives.
• Consider single-use plastic packaging of products for sale. Are there alternatives that you can purchase that use less or no plastic packaging?
• Advocate for water refill stations where you work.

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