Going Green at Regency Apartments

Regency Management in Cape, which provides housing facilities, programs and services specifically designed to meet the needs of individuals with disabilities, has recently taken steps to help reduce its carbon footprint on Earth.

Two of Regency Management's housing facilities, Regency House of Cape and Regency Terrace of Cape, qualified for Ameren Missouri's Residential Energy Efficiency Multifamily Income-Qualified program. Through the program, the facilities were given a variety of energy efficiency measures. Those measures have been installed and are in full use, just in time for Earth Day on April 22nd.

Earth Day promotes awareness to people throughout the world about the importance of each of us taking responsibility for our environment. What we do every day affects the environment in either a positive or negative manner. Through the Ameren program, Regency Management was able to provide its residents with energy saving devices, which not only help the environment but also will result in energy savings.

Regency House of Cape (a 20-unit apartment complex) received six new Energy-Star rated refrigerators and eight CFL bulbs per apartment. Regency Terrace of Cape (an eight-bed group home) received a new refrigerator, low-flow shower heads, two programmable thermostats, and CFL bulbs.

CFL bulbs use 75% less energy than standard incandescent bulbs and last ten times longer. Not only will this help the environment, but it will reduce energy costs as well. The low-flow shower heads reduce water consumption by half, and Energy Star appliances use 20% less energy than other appliances.

At Regency Terrace of Cape, the programmable thermostats will help in energy savings, as they will raise the temperature throughout the day and then turn on an hour before the residents return home.

Easy Ways to Make a Difference

In recognition of Earth Day, there are a variety of small changes you can make in your daily life that can make a positive difference in the environment. The following are some easy ways to help make the world a better place to live:

1. At the office, configure your printer or copy machine to print on both sides of the page. This will result in less paper, ink, and electricity consumed. Don't forget to recycle the paper when you're done!

2. When shopping, take your own reusable bags to carry your purchases instead of using plastic ones.

3. Turn off the water while brushing your teeth. Leaving the water run during two minutes of brushing can waste up to five gallons of water a day.

4. If you like to buy your morning coffee, invest in your own reusable cup. Not only will this cut down on waste, but many stores will also offer a discount.

5. Use microfiber cloths instead of paper towels. One cloth can replace 60 rolls of paper towels before it needs replacing.

If you are interested in learning more about reducing your energy bills and saving the planet by reducing your carbon footprint, check out: www.greenenergysustainability.com.