It's FUN to Cut Your Cubes
Join the Cut-Your-Cubes Scavenger Hunt on November 10 and win great prizes. Teams of 2 to 4 people will comb Old Town and Downtown looking for clues. Anyone signed up for the Cool California Challenge is eligible to play. Continue to watch this space and our Facebook page and CutYourCubes.com website for clues and information.

Image: City of Sacramento

Congratulations, Theresa!!

Teresa won a Kill-A-Watt EZ, a simple device that can calculate the operating costs of household appliances and give the information you need to help cut your carbon emissions and save money. Teresa has already had a SMUD energy audit and replaced her duct system and insulated the attic for energy and cost savings.

Tip of the Week: Weatherstrip Before Winter Sets In

One easy way to cut your heating bill is to weatherstrip your doors and windows. This is a low-cost, high-return action that will help you cut carbon as you cut costs. Already done it? Then volunteer to help a friend or neighbor get their home ready for winter. Cutting carbon can also be a great social activity.

Image: City of Sacramento

Climate Hero: David and Susan are Living Well by Living Green

David and Sue have been progressively greening their lives step by step over the last several years. And it has improved their lives along the way.

David explains: “Everything we've done has made financial sense as well as environmental sense, and we definitely do not suffer for it. Living green is living well.

First we put in an evaporative cooler and super-insulated the attic. This is comfortable as our only cooling, and our electric bills are always around $40 a month or less (oh yes, don't forget all CFL bulbs). I take light-rail and bike to work, which is healthy and enjoyable, and cheap. We gradually put in an all-native plant front yard. No mowing—sold the lawn mower—and the garden uses very little water. Now we have native bee species, hummingbirds, and butterflies. Solar hot water was next. There were rebates for some of the cost, and the savings paid for the system in just a few years. It works great!

Rooftop solar photovoltaic was a big step for us—but was made a lot easier by going with a lease. The lease brought the upfront cost down by about 75 to 80%, there were big rebates, and we save money on electricity every month. Last year our net grid electricity bill for the whole year was $70. The solar PV will pay for the remaining cost of the lease before the lease is over. And we sized the panels to accommodate charging for a better electric car, which is the latest step in our path. So, except for driving on longer trips (over 60 miles), water heating on cloudy winter days, and any airplane trips, we've really cut down our household carbon emissions.”

Are You A Climate Hero?
What are you doing to cut your cubes? If you or someone you know has a story to tell or tip to share, please email climateaction@cityofsacramento.org. We’ll highlight a climate hero each week in this newsletter.

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Stay cool and keep up the good work!! And don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Twitter at CoolSacramento, or go to Cutyourcubes.com for information, tips, clues, and more!

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