NEWS RELEASE
March 9, 2007
March 9, 2007
The LADWP Offers Tips on Saving Water and Energy During Daylight Saving Time
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) wants to remind customers that daylight saving time begins early this year. We will be springing forward at 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 11. It is time to turn your clocks forward and a good time to review your energy and water routines. Customers should remember to re-set their lighting timers, as well as sprinkler timers to coincide with the extended daylight. It is also a good time to check your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
Customers can also implement water and energy saving habits now that will save money and be in place as we move into the warmer months and demand for energy and water increases.
LADWP customers can take advantage of a wide array of energy saving programs offered by the LADWP, such as the Consumer Rebate Program that offers cash incentives or purchasing energy saving products, or the Refrigerator Retire Program. This program will take away old, energy wasting refrigerator and reward the customer with a $35 rebate and 6 compact fluorescent lights. LADWP customers can also received up to seven free shade trees through the Trees for a Green LA Program. The trees program is working in concert with Million Trees LA to help bring 1 million new trees to the Los Angeles urban forest. Other programs, such as the Solar Incentive Program and the Green Power Program support renewable energy.
LADWP offers these ways to use energy and water more efficiently:
1. Turn off lights and equipment when they are not in use.
2. Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) wherever appropriate.
3. During the heat of day, close your draperies, shades, or blinds to reduce the extra heat from direct sunlight and check your home for adequate insulation.
4. Plant shade trees, to reduce heat gain to the house and reduce the need for air conditioning.
5. Install / Use Ceiling fans or whole House fans for comfort cooling.
6. Set your air-conditioner thermostat to 78 degrees or higher in the summer and heat your home at 68 degrees or cooler during winter.
7. Install a programmable thermostat to adjust the temperature automatically and maximize your energy savings.
8. Clean or replace your air-conditioner’s filter(s) every month to keep your air-conditioner running more efficiently.
9. Regularly brush or vacuum the condenser coils at the bottom or rear of your refrigerator and check door gasket for tight fit and adjust if necessary.
10. Buy energy-saving “Energy Star” labeled appliances and products.
11. Limit the time you run your pool pump: Summer (six hours a day), Winter (four hours a day).
12. To conserve water do not water lawn(s) on windy days or during the hottest part of the day, when evaporation rate is high.
13. Check your sprinklers for proper operation. Make sure you are watering your lawn and not the sidewalk or street. Repair leaks.
14. Adding new plants to your yard? Consider native and other drought tolerant plants that need 2/3 less water.
15. Be aware of the “Energy Vampires.” These are appliances that use energy even when you think they are not. Any appliance with a clock or “quick on” is using energy. Unplug these appliances when not in use.
16. Lower the temperature on your water heater.
17. Wash only full loads of clothes or dishes.
18. Check to see that your fireplace damper is closed tightly to hold cool air in when the fireplace is not in use.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the nation’s largest municipal utility, provides reliable, low-cost water and power services to the City’s 3.9 million residents in an environmentally responsible manner. For more saving tips and information about LADWP’s energy programs, please visit www.ladwp.com or call 1-800-GreenLA.
# # #
Contacts for News Media:
Walter Zeisl, (213) 367-1342
Walter.Zeisl@ladwp.com
Walter.Zeisl@ladwp.com
