As a small-town business that is focused on sustainability and saving our customers money, shopping locally is very near and dear to our hearts. While big box stores ship globally at a huge cost to the environment, local outfits are able to do business while leaving a much smaller carbon footprint. But the most immediately noticeable impact of local shopping is improving the local economy, and we are always looking for ways to keep more money circulating in Southern Illinois.

October is the Department of Energy’s “Energy Awareness Month.” Think of it like spring cleaning for your energy consumption. It’s a great time of year to take stock of how your habits are impacting your energy usage, and to find ways to improve them before winter kicks in.

Establishing an energy team at your business (or educate your family to do at your home) to be responsible for developing projects and pushing an energy efficiency agenda can ensure that your company’s stated energy-savings goals become a reality.

December brings us the winter solstice; the least amount of sun, the shortest day. This is an article I wrote way back in 2003 (still very relevant today) about CFLs. Next month I will go into more details comparing CFLs and LEDs (even more efficient).

Check caulking around windows and door frames for leaks and fill them. Inspect seals around doors and windows and add new weather stripping as necessary — if you can slide a dollar bill easily through the gap you are losing heat, energy and money. Think about it; a little crack all the way around a window or a door equals a 3 or 4 inch hole in your wall.

October is Energy Awareness month as designated by the DOE (Department of Energy) and the perfect time to do an assessment of how much energy you are wasting as you prepare for winter. I know it is strange to be thinking of winter now but it is much better to do it ahead of time than when you get that first high utility bill.