New Year’s resolutions to help make 2024 a greener, cleaner year.

When the first day of January comes around, it’s seen as an opportunity to make resolutions for the year ahead.  New Year’s resolutions may involve taking small steps or making larger commitments, but either way, they can have a huge impact. This year, consider making energy, water, and wastewater resolutions to help contribute to a greener, cleaner future!

 

Bright Ideas for Your New Year’s Resolutions:

  • Change your lightbulbs to LEDs. While LED lightbulbs may cost more upfront, they last longer, are more durable, and offer comparable or better light quality compared to incandescent bulbs. LEDs are also more energy efficient – those that are ENERGY STAR certified use about 75% less energy than incandescent lighting.
  • Invest in air-sealing your home. Reducing the amount of air that leaks in and out of your home is a cost-effective way to cut heating and cooling costs. Caulking and weatherstripping are two simple and effective air-sealing techniques.
  • Install timers for your lights and appliances. Timers are low cost, easy-to-install devices that can turn off lights and appliances when you’re not using them.
  • Alternatively, you can use a power strip for appliances and devices. Plug your devices and appliances into a power strip and manually turn off the power strip when not in use.
  • Get a programmable thermostat to help reduce heating and cooling costs. Programmable thermostats allow you to adjust the times you turn on your air conditioning or heating based on a pre-set schedule. You can also reset your thermostat while you are away from home.  
  • Upgrade your appliances to more energy-efficient models. Pro tip: ENERGY STAR certified appliances are a great place to start looking!
  • Enroll in one or more of Liberty’s free energy efficiency programs to learn how you can lower your energy use. 

 

Resolutions to Help You Go with the Flow:

  • Invest in a low-flow showerhead. Standard showerheads use 2.5 gallons of water per minute (gpm) while showerheads with the WaterSense label use less than 2.0 gpm. By installing a showerhead with the WaterSense label, the average family may save approximately 2,700 gallons per year! Liberty offers a free Showerhead Program that provides efficient showerheads with a thermal shutoff valve (TSV) at no cost (Arizona programs, California programs, Texas programs)!
  • Install a weather-based irrigation controller (WBIC) to reduce your outdoor water use while maintaining your landscape. WBICs use local weather data and landscape conditions to determine when and how much water your landscape needs. Liberty customers in California can apply for the Weather-Based Irrigation Controller Program to receive a free WBIC. 
  • Insulate your pipes. This will help reduce heat loss and increase water efficiency, as you won’t have to wait as long for hot water when you turn on a faucet or showerhead.
  • Check your house for leaks each month. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the average household's leaks can account for nearly 10,000 gallons of water wasted every year. Learn how to find and fix leaks on the Liberty website (Arizona tips, California tips, Texas tips). 
  • Upgrade your appliances to more water-efficient models. Pro tip: Appliances with the ENERGY STAR and/or WaterSense labels are a great place to start looking!
  • Enroll in one or more of Liberty’s free water conservation programs (Arizona programs, California programs, Texas programs).

 

Don’t Let Your Resolutions Go Down the Drain:

  • Help protect our wastewater systems and watersheds by knowing what not to flush down the drain or toilet. Remember, your toilets and drains are not trash cans. Don’t flush feminine hygiene products, medications, paper towels, hopes, dreams, puppies, kittens, or even “flushable” items, as this may result in damage to wastewater infrastructure, a sewer blockage, or increased treatment costs.
  • Get in the habit of disposing fats, oils, and grease (FOG) in the trash rather than washing it down the drain. FOG can cause damage to your pipes and sewer or septic system when disposed of down the drain. So remember to:
    • Pour cooled grease into a container with a lid, like an old jar or yogurt cup, and throw it away in the trash.
    • Use a paper towel to wipe excess grease or oil from cookware and bakeware.
    • Scrape food scraps into the trash.
    • Use a strainer in the sink to collect excess food particles.
    • Remove stickers from fruits and vegetables before you wash them.
    • Remove and dispose of fruit and vegetable seeds in the trash.
    • Throw away coffee grounds and eggshells in the trash.