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Information for Residents:
We want results! It's In Our Power is an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lower our town's carbon footprint. Help us show the world that we can do it because It's In Our Power. Take the pledge and follow these tips to reduce your environmental impact:
- Switch to a Clean Energy Provider: With degregulation of New Jersey's energy market, there is now a wide variety of choices for consumers in choosing their energy provider. Purchase your power from clean renewable providers, and decrease your dependency on fossil fuels. When switching energy suppliers, you're only changing the company that supplies your energy. Your local utility company will still handle the distribution. For the "It's In Our Power Highland Park" campaign, we are asking you to purchase clean power from a provider that gets at least 20% of its energy from a renewable source. Renewable energy provides numerous environmental and economic benefits including improved air quality, conservation of natural resources, job creation, and stabilized energy prices. Click HERE for more information on the CleanPower Choice Program. Click HERE for a listing of alternative energy providers in the PSE&G service area.
- Install Energy Efficient Lighting: Switching from traditional incandescent lights to Compact Florescent Lamps (CFLs) is an effective, simple change everyone can make right now. Making this change will help to use less electricity at home and prevent greenhouse gas emissions that lead to global climate change. Lighting accounts for close to 20% of the average home's electric bill. ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs use up to 75% less energy than incandescent lights, last up to 10 times longer, cost little more up front, and provide a quick return on investment. If every home in America replaced just one incandescent light bulb with an ENERGY STAR qualified CFL, in one year it would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes. That would prevent the release of greenhouse gas emissions equal to that of about 800,000 cars. Purchase CFLs HERE.
- Purchase Only Energy Star Appliances: The Energy Efficient Products Program (formerly the Residential ENERGY STAR Products Program) seeks to increase the usage of energy efficient appliances by offering rebates on certain ENERGY STAR products. Because appliances account for approximately 17% of a household's energy consumption, replacing inefficient household appliances with ENERGY STAR appliances, which typically use 10-50% less energy and water than standard models, can result in significant energy savings. By providing rebates on ENERGY STAR room air conditioners, clothes washers, and dehumidifiers, this program helps to reduce initial cost barriers to purchasing energy efficient household appliances. In addition to providing rebates for certain appliance purchases, the Energy Efficient Products Program also sells discounted energy efficient lighting products through the Clean Energy Program's online store. Visit it HERE.
- Purchase Only Fuel Efficient Vehicles: A hybrid vehicle is a vehicle that uses an on-board rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) and a fuel based power source for vehicle propulsion. These vehicles use much less fuel than their counterparts and produce fewer carbon emissions. Hybrid vehicles recharge their batteries by capturing kinetic energy through regenerative braking. Some hybrids use the combustion engine to generate electricity by spinning a generator to either recharge the battery or directly feed power to an electric motor that drives the vehicle. This takes place when cruising or in other situations where just light thrust is needed. Hybrid vehicles can reduce air emissions of smog-forming pollutants by up to 90% and cut carbon dioxide emissions in half. Visit THIS website for more information or take a look at this LIST of fuel effiecient vehicles!
- Get a Home Energy Audit: The Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program is designed to significantly reduce household energy consumption by offering household energy assessments at a reduced cost. A certified contractor inspects household heating and cooling equipment, insulation and ventilation quality, air sealing of windows and doors, appliance efficiency, and lighting standards to provide information leading to up to over 30% savings on annual energy costs. Upon installation, residents are eligible for low interest loans and rebates worth up to $4,000. Find out more HERE. The borough of Highland Park has teamed with Ciel Power to make getting a home energy audit easy! Click HERE for Ciel Power's website specifically designated to Highland Park residents for more information.
- Retire Your Second Refrigerator: The Refrigerator/Freezer Recycling Program is a BPU-sponsored initiative designed to encourage the recycling of old refrigerators and freezers by offering financial incentives to homeowners. Out of all household appliances, refrigerators and freezers consume the most energy. The majority of New Jersey residents own a spare, outdated refrigerator that consumes up to four times more energy than newer models. On average a newer refrigerator or freezer consumes 1,000 fewer kWh annually than a refrigerator or freezer manufactured before 1990. Recycling 20,000 older refrigerators or freezers results in energy savings equal to the amount of power used in approximately 1,400 homes or removing 40,000 cars from the road for one year. Approximately 95% of each retied refrigerator/freezer is recycled. Participants earn a $50 rebate! To arrange for a free pick up, call 877-270-3520 or schedule a pick-up online.
