Energy Conservation
Energy conservation is a slightly different concept than energy efficiency, although they both save money and resources. Energy conservation is the practice of NOT USING POWER when it is not needed. This is low-hanging fruit for saving energy, and is cheap, and easy to do. Examples include not turning on a light when it's not needed, or not leaving a vehicle parked and running unnecessarily, or not running water too long.
Conservation is NOT using energy when we don't really need to, and being aware of wasteful habits. Simple. Easy. Effective. And more importantly, this is an energy-related action most often put directly in the hands of tenants.
Even if a rental is run by inefficient equipment, tenants can usually decide when and how long these items run in the home. For example, if you have an old inefficient refregerator, it is that much more important to keep the door closed as much as possible. Or if you have an old AC unit, keeping the windows open to let in cold night air, and then closing windows and blinds during the daytime, will help you minimize how much the AC runs and how hard it works to cool your rental.
If you're a landlord, take inventory of what if any of your rental unit's energy use is governed by you and work to minimize it. Do you have landscaping that requires watering and irrigation? Check to make sure it is running as little as possible, and runs outside the hours of 4-9pm, which has higher power costs. We urge you to take action and help make a difference. And please spread the word! Here are some websites with more info on energy conservation:
CA ENERGY COMMISSION: HOMEOWNERS & RENTERS ENERGY RESOURCES
DEPT OF ENERGY: TIPS & INCENTIVES FOR RENTERS https://www.energy.gov/save/renters
CPUC: HOW TO SAVE ENERGY https://energyupgradeca.org/keep-it-golden
10 ENERGY SAVING TIPS FOR TENANTS https://rentpost.com/resources/article/4-energy-saving-tips-tenants/
ENERGY STAR: RENTERS & TENANTS https://www.energystar.gov/buildings/resources-audience/small-biz/renters-and-tenants
RENTERS GUIDE: TIPS FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY https://www.saveonenergy.com/resources/apartment-renters-save-energy/
NEVADA COUNTY GOVT: ENERGY EFFICIENCY WEBPAGE https://www.nevadacountyca.gov/3198/Energy-Efficiency
PG&E: RESIDENTIAL ENERGY-SAVING TIPS https://www.pge.com/en/save-energy-and-money/energy-usage-and-tips/residential-energy-savings-tips.html
PIONEER COMMUNITY ENERGY: HOME ENERGY SAVING TIPS https://pioneercommunityenergy.org/residential/home-energy-savings-tips/
DEPT OF ENERGY: EFFICIENCY VS CONSERVATION https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/use-of-energy/efficiency-and-conservation.php
CORNELL UNIVERSITY: BASIC ENERGY CONSERVATION STEPS https://fcs.cornell.edu/departments/energy-sustainability/energy-management-overview/what-you-can-do-home-conserve-energy
NEVADA COUNTY: OUR ENERGY ACTION PLAN https://www.mynevadacounty.com/DocumentCenter/View/35183/Nevada-County-Energy-Action-Plan
NEVADA COUNTY GOVT: ENERGY EFFICIENCY TOOLKIT https://www.nevadacountyca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/37819/Nevada-County-Energy-Efficient-Toolkit
NEVADA CITY: SUSTAINABILITY PLAN & RESOURCES https://www.nevadacityca.gov/pview.aspx?id=20800&catid=564
UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS: VEHICLE FUEL CONSERVATION https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/how-maximize-your-vehicles-fuel-economy
AAA: VEHICLE FUEL EFFICIENCY https://www.aaa.com/autorepair/articles/How-To-Maximize-Fuel-Economy
DEPT OF ENERGY: STRATEGIES TO CONSERVE FUEL https://afdc.energy.gov/conserve