Saving Energy and Water Made Easy

Blue is the next green! You’ve probably heard it before and may be wondering what it means. With an increasing human population, global warming, and increasing demands per person, water shortages are gradually becoming more extreme as our water resources dwindle. Less than 1% of the world’s total water supply is available for human consumption, but most of it is polluted, unusable, or dedicated to such heavy users as agriculture and industry.

Here in Maryland, we LOVE the Chesapeake Bay. It provides us with tremendous natural beauty, abundant opportunity for recreation, and of course delicious regional food (crabcakes anyone?). But our beloved bay is threatened on many fronts, one of which is contamination from overloaded sewage treatment plants and outdated septic systems. The more water we waste, the more chemicals and nutrients flow into the bay, and the more local tax dollars need to be spent trying to repair the damage.

With this and the prospect of dwindling water supplies in mind, it is becoming ever more important to conserve water. As your local Green Irene Eco-Consultant, I can help you determine how you can conserve water in your home. Using the Green Irene Water Conservation Kit, you can save thousands of gallons of water per year in your home, which also helps reduce your energy bill in addition to reducing your footprint. The Kit includes a 1.5 gallon per minute (gpm) kitchen sink aerator, a 0.5 gpm bathroom sink aerator, a toilet fill cycle diverter, and other items that will help you save water and money.

For example, if you heat water with electricity purchased from our local utility, your electricity rate is approximately $0.12/kwh (and likely to increase!). If your water rate per thousand gallons is $7.68 ($2.32 incoming plus $4.08 outgoing plus 20% environmental protection charges), and you purchase and install the $133 bath kit, your family can save nearly $6,000 over the lifetime of the kit, which is about 7 years. Your investment would pay for itself in less than 2 months, and if electric or water rates increase, your savings would be quickly amplified. The Green Irene Water Conservation Kit will help you reduce your water use at home by using less without sacrificing lifestyle.

I can help you to determine your water consumption and find out how much you can save. Just ask me — your local Green Irene! I would be more than happy to help you make blue the next green!

Contact Terri Rafiq, Independent Authorized Green Irene Eco-Consultant

http://www.GreenIrene.com/1028; 443-454-0732; terri.annapolis@greenirene.com