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4CORE & Partner Events
Green Business Roundtable
Safeguarding our air, water, and health for the Southwest economy
Presented by Mike Eisenfeld Strater Hotel January 9, 12 -1:00 PM
Homebuyers Class
Regional Housing Alliance (RHA)
January 10, 5:30-8:30 PM
January 12, 8:30 AM -1:30 PM
4CORE will present info on how to make improvements and save money on bills.
Call for location and to sign up: 970-259-1418
Radon Awareness Sessions
January 16 and 31, 5:30-6:30 PM
CSU Cooperative Extension Office, Animas Room
Southwest Solar Transformation Initiative Regional Workshop January 25, 9 AM - 12 PM La Plata Electric Association Meeting Room 45 Stewart St., Durango
Homebuyers Class for Realtors
Regional Housing Alliance (RHA)
January 23, 8:30-1 PM
January 25, 8:30-1 PM
4CORE will present info on how to make improvements and save money on bills.
Call for location and to sign up:
970-259-1418
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| Volunteer Wanted
Sustainable Building Education
4CORE seeks a long term volunteer with a passion for building science and energy efficiency to coordinate the Sustainable Building Education Program 10-15 hours/week.Responsibilities include organization and facilitation of public educational sessions, community outreach, e-newsletters, and website updates. Computer proficiency, communication skills and organization needed.Email your resume with subject line "SBEP Volunteer." No phone calls please.
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| DIY Home Energy Audit Loan (HEAL) Program
Wendy Rice at the La Plata CSU Extension Office is offering: "Thermal leak detectors, Kill-a-watt power monitors, and 'flicker checkers' in the new Home Energy Audit Loan program kits that can be borrowed for free.
Learn what a flicker checker is here.
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Easy Way to Donate to 4CORE 
4CORE is pleased to announce that we are now a beneficiary of proceeds from Durango's Alpine Bank Loyalty Check Card for the Environment.
Each time you use your card, Alpine Bank donates 10 cents per transaction to organizations (like 4CORE!!). These special cards are available with no annual fee to individuals with an Alpine Bank checking account.
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 Energy to Evolve
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Join Our Mailing List!
Energy News you Can Use is published monthly
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Thank you to our Partners!
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Resource News You Can Use
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Happy New Year from 4CORE!
We survived 2012, not to mention the end of the world, but in the darkest depths of winter, have you noticed any changes in your utility bills? Most electricity rates have increased, and this time of year can be the most expensive as we use energy to heat and light our homes and businesses. Knowledge is one way to combat these increases!
Easy Tip #1: Most utilities, with the exception of propane companies, have online resources where you can compare your usage and costs on monthly or annual time frames. Log in to your account and become familiar with your usage numbers.
Resolve to evolve in 2013! Read on to learn how you can use your utility bills as tools to save money and energy.
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 5 Things to Look for on your Utility Bill Get to Know Your Numbers If you know how many kilowatt hours of electricity you use each month, you are an anomaly among utility users. However, this information is often readily available to us, and knowing our numbers gives us the ability to identify areas to save. - Most utilities offer clients a way to view usage history online. For example, LPEA has a "view charts" function that allows you to see Monthly cost, Daily Average cost by Month, Monthly Usage, and Daily Average Usage by Month for the last 12 months. Atmos provides an Energy Profile program, as well as a ClearBill Analysis. Take time to use these free tools!
- When evaluating your bills, look for usage numbers rather than cost, as utility prices fluctuate often. As a reference point, the average electricity consumption of a U.S. residential customer in 2010 was 958 kilowatt hours per month. In LPEA service territory, that number is approximately 700 kilowatt hours per month.
- Gas and electricity usage often peaks in the winter months in our region, as we don't generally use much energy cooling our homes in summer months. Look for trends in your usage and if there is a spike or dip, investigate the reason behind it.
- Know your fees. Many utilities have a "base" or "access" charge, which is a monthly charge for each meter connected to the grid. They also include a rate per unit of energy, and often have taxes and other associated fees.
- Knowing your units of energy helps us picture and put our energy use into perspective. A kilowatt (kW = power) is different than a kilowatt hour (kWh = energy) of electricity. Using a 60-watt light bulb for 1000 hours consumes 60 kilowatt hours of energy. 100 cubic feet (CCF) is the unit of measurement found on natural gas bills. 1,000 cubic feet of natural gas is approximately enough to meet the natural gas needs of an average home (space-heating, water-heating, cooking, etc.) for four days.
 | | DIY Energy Audit: Utility Bill Assessment |
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I Know My Numbers
Now What do I do With Them?
The goal of utility bill analysis is to help you become more familiar with your usage so you can take action to become more efficient and $ave. Usually, the biggest expense (in our region) is heating.
If your usage and costs are highest in the winter months, the best thing you can do is make sure your heating systems are operating at top efficiency and seal up air leaks in your home. This means getting a furnace/boiler tune up and changing your furnace filter monthly. Leaks can sometimes be identified by simply feeling drafts around doors, windows, or outlets or by having a professional energy audit. A list of local auditors can be found here, and if you are an Atmos, Source Gas, or Empire Electric customer, you can find rebates for these services.
Auditors can tell you whether you simply need to add more insulation to your walls and attic or if your home could benefit from replacement windows or sealed heating ducts.
Find more on our website.
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Comparison of 3 Household Bulbs
Excerpt of a Blog Contributed by Charles Thompson
Last month, our 4CORE Newsletter theme was lighting. The newsletter spurred a comment by Charles that we should do a cost comparison. We asked Mr. Thompson to do it for us and he submitted the following article that can be read in full on our blog:
There have been a lot of discussions lately about the different types of light bulbs available to American consumers. These discussions usually focus on the energy savings associated with Compact Fluorescent (CFLs) and Light Emitting Diode (LEDs). But, do they really save you money in the long run as compared to (Incandescent Bulbs) IBs?
Using the standard of a typical 60 watt IB light bulb in a typical home to make a comparison to the actual cost of each type of bulb over the life of the bulb, we can see how they stack up. Assume that the advertised life span of any one bulb is as advertised understanding that there is always variability when comparing several bulbs of the same type. The total cost is strictly from a consumer's point of view. Assume that the costs of manufacturing or transportation is essentially the same for all three.
So, looking at the three types, let's compare...
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Plans for 2013 
This year, 4CORE has three overarching goals:
- Helping residents and businesses save money through energy efficiency
- Inspiring energy savings through education
- Facilitating collaborations on resource efficiency
4CORE will continue providing free weatherization services to low-income households and continue to develop the Home Performance Prescription Program (HomeRx), weatherizing mid-and higher income client homes.
We will also prioritize educating home owners, renters, builders, realtors, and others in the building and real estate industry about the long-term value of efficient buildings and homes and how to upgrade and operate wisely.
We are taking the momentum we've gained on the Resource Smart Business Program and expanding it in La Plata County, helping businesses increase their competitive advantage by reducing their resource consumption.
Finally, we'll continue facilitating the Solar Road Map Project with Southwest Colorado stakeholders.
If you have any questions on 4CORE activities for 2013, please contact us!
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Single-stream Recycling 
Coming to Durango and Beyond
The City of Durango will be offering single-stream recycling curb-side pickup and drop-off services starting in February of 2013. This means you will not have to sort your recycleables anymore and 30% more trash will be diverted from our local landfill!
Starting in February, you can combine all of the following in to your newly-issued recycling can:
- plastics #1-#7
- paperboard (e.g. cereal boxes)
- corrugated cardboard
- paper
- steel and aluminum cans
- aluminum foil and aluminum pie pans
Glass will no longer be picked up curbside, but it will be accepted at a variety of conveniently-located drop off centers around town. Also, items such as plastic wrap, styrofoam, batteries, compostable containers, plastic bags, paper or plastic plates, and waste will NOT be accepted.
For city resident curb-side pick up, you'll need to sign up to receive service and a single-stream recycling can. The $3 per month residential recycling fee will be included as part of your monthly solid waste fees from the City of Durango.
Find more information here
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Call 4CORE at 970-259-1916 if you have any questions or need assistance.
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As always, if you have any feedback or questions about becoming more energy efficient, please contact us. |
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