October is Energy Awareness Month 

October is Energy Awareness Month, and Fairfield is excited to share materials, resources, and insights that can help us collectively reduce our energy consumption and see cost savings on energy bills. Promoting energy efficiency is a fantastic way to not only be friendly to our environment, but also to our wallets. In this document we outline solutions available that you can leverage to increase your energy efficiency, as well as actions Fairfield takes in providing you with energy efficient, utility-reducing appliances and lighting that can maximize your cost savings.

As always, you can reach out to our individual community management teams to learn more about what we’re doing to help you reduce your energy usage and what resources are available to advance the efficiency of your energy usage.

How Fairfield Supports Cost Saving, Energy Efficiency Solutions

Energy efficiency is an important way to reduce both carbon emissions and costs. To reduce resident costs and implications on the climate, Fairfield employs several energy efficiency strategies. According to articles from Bloomberg, Energy.gov, and others, the LED lighting and ENERGY STAR® appliances we provide decrease energy consumption due to higher efficiency design. When we implement energy efficient lighting and appliances into our homes, we are reducing your energy usage and decreasing your energy bills.

To learn more about energy-saving solutions, and how they result in lower energy usage and costs, check out the following links:

• • • Source: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-09-07/the-incredible-shrinking-energy-use-of-a-light-bulb 
    • Source: https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-use-energyguide-label-shop-home-appliances

Solutions to Reduce your Energy Usage

Reduce Phantom Power Consumption

Did you know that many of your countertop and small appliances, electronics, and lighting fixtures are unnecessarily using energy when you’re not there? This is referred to as ‘phantom power consumption’ and means our electronics are using energy when we don’t need or intend for them to. Not only does this drive up energy usage and costs, but it can increase the wear and tear on your electronics.

To reduce phantom power consumption, you can follow a few easy steps including shutting off your electronics (computers, monitors, chargers, printers, etc.) and unplugging unneeded countertop or other small appliances (microwaves, toasters, portable heaters, water kettles, etc.) and power strips when not in use. While Fairfield supplies most of your major appliances, if you decide to purchase additional small appliances or electronics, keep your eye out for products with the ENERGY STAR label. In doing so, you may notice a small (but helpful!) reduction in your energy bills.

To learn more about phantom energy consumption and how to reduce it, follow these links:

• • • Source: https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/energy-efficient-computers-home-office-equipment-and-electronics#:~:text=Sleep%20Mode%20and%20Power%20Management%20Features&text=ENERGY%20STAR%C2%AE%20estimates%20that,through%20your%20operating%20system%20software.
    • Source: https://www.marketwatch.com/guides/solar/vampire-energy/.

Find Your Temperature ‘Sweet Spot’

Finding an optimal indoor temperature, and staying there, can be tricky – but doing so can increase your comfort and help decrease your energy usage. Remember to stay at consistent temperature settings for summer and winter, 78 and 68, respectively. This can have a tangible impact on your energy bills. There is an erroneous notion that setting your temperature very low (or high) will cool (or heat) a space quicker, but this actually results in increased energy costs and uncomfortably extreme internal temperatures. Avoiding these unnecessary spikes in energy consumption and utility usage helps your bottom line and that of the planet.

Another solution to reducing your energy bills is remembering to shut off your AC (if you live in a building that provides it) and/or heat when you’re away. Often, AC and/or heat run when we are gone, unnecessarily driving up your energy consumption and increasing your energy bills.

Below are resources that explain ways to save energy and increase your comfort.

• • • Source: https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/spring-and-summer-energy-saving-tips
    • Source: https://energytheory.com/recommended-thermostat-settings-for-summer-and-winter/