Saving energy and water?  There are more benefits than you thought!

Our Environment
GreenNow is focused on residential energy and water because these are significant problems for our community, state and country. And often, when we save water, we save energy too.   PG&E reports that 19% of electricity and 33% of natural gas used in our state (California) is used to transport or heat water.

20% of the U.S.’s CO2  emissions come from the residential sector, and these emissions have grown 25% since 1990. (U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2006 Flash Report.)  

You can calculate your own home’s carbon footprint using the EPA’s calculator: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/ind_calculator.html

The water situation in California is fragile, and voluntary reductions are requested in many locales. You can read more about the state’s water at www.calwatercrisis.org.

Personal Finances
There are a number of ways to look at the financial benefits of saving energy and water. Here are two:

Give yourself a raise!
GreenNow typically finds hundreds of dollars of energy and water savings in the homes we visit.  What many customers don’t realize is that a $50 per month savings is the same as getting a salary increase of $1000.  Here’s the logic:  $50 per month savings adds up to $600 per year.  But this is money that you have already paid taxes on. Suppose you have a combined federal, state, and FICA tax rate of 40%.  To have $600 per year after-tax income you must be paid $1000.

So, save energy and water: Give yourself a raise!