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Horizon Services Celebrates Earth Day – April 22

Plumbing/ Heating/Air Conditioning Company Urges Consumers To Make Their Homes More Energy Efficient and Earth-Friendly

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(WILMINGTON, DE/EXTON, PA; April 6, 2009) – As the 39th anniversary of Earth Day, approaches, one local home services company is helping consumers realize that they can save a lot of green by going green.

Earth Day 2009 will be celebrated on April 22 with events around the world. On this day, Horizon Services, Inc. — the premier plumbing, heating and air conditioning services company serving Delaware, Pennsylvania and Maryland — is urging customers and homeowners to make simple modifications to their homes and lifestyles that can greatly improve their energy efficiency, save them money and contribute to a cleaner and healthier environment.

“Improved energy efficiency and better use of resources is what Horizon Services is all about,” says Mark Aitken, president and co-owner of Horizon Services, Inc., headquartered in Wilmington, DE. “From plumbing to heating to air conditioning, we provide services and install equipment that helps people get more with less, save money and live healthier, happier lives. We are committed to helping our customers conserve water and energy and lessen their impact on the world around us. For us, everyday is Earth Day!”

Aitken believes that thinking and acting green is imperative, particularly during these tough economic times. “Today’s challenging economic climate demands that we adopt a waste-not, want-not mentality,” he says Aitken. “It’s in everyone’s self-interest to consume less, conserve more and optimize what they have. Going green in and around your home forces you to go into efficiency mode. It’s the easiest way to stretch one’s dollar today and plan for a better tomorrow.”

For Aitken, going green is also about being a good corporate citizen. “Horizon Services is a local company made up of people who live where we work,” he says. “We all want to live and work in a clean, healthy world and we want that world to be here for generations. We’re all stewards of this planet, and we at Horizon think think we have a responsibility and obligation to help our customers and fellow residents throughout Delaware, Pennsylvania and Maryland do more and benefit from being energy efficient and earth-friendly.”

 

Understanding and Reducing Your Carbon Footprint

A carbon footprint is a measure of the impact our daily activities have on the environment — particularly the atmosphere and climate. It relates to the amount of harmful greenhouse gases produced and emitted into the air in in our day-to-day lives through burning fossil fuels for electricity, heating, transportation and related activities. The carbon footprint is a measurement of all greenhouse gases we individually produce and is expressed in pounds of carbon dioxide equivalent. The larger our carbon footprint, the less efficient we are with our use of energy and the more we are impacting the environment in a negative manner. And virtually everything we do directly or indirectly contributes to the size of our carbon footprint.

Horizon Services provides a list of simple things you can do to reduce your carbon footprint and instantly start saving energy and money:

• Replace inefficient incandescent light bulbs with EnergyStar-rated Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) bulbs. This can reduce your carbon footprint by 450 pounds a year.

• Keep your tires properly inflated and get better gas mileage. This can reduce your carbon footprint another 20 pounds for each gallon of gas saved.

• Use a low-flow showerhead because the  less water you use, the less energy required to heat the water. This can reduce your carbon footprint 350 pounds a year.

• Buy products with less packaging and recycle paper, plastic and glass. This will reduce your garbage by 10% and you’ll reduce your carbon footprint by 1,200 pounds a year.

• Car pool, use public transportation or drive a fuel efficient car. This will reduce your carbon footprint by 1 pound for every mile you do not drive.

• Turn off  and unplug whatever appliances and electronics you’re not using. This will reduce your carbon footprint by thousands of pounds a year.

• Move your heater thermostat down two degrees in winter and up two degrees in the summer. This will reduce your carbon footprint by 2,000 pounds each year.

• Use cold water as much as possible to wash your clothes. This will reduce your carbon footprint by 500 pounds a year.

 

Other Simple Things You Can Do To Conserve Energy, Save Money and Reduce Greenhouse Emissions

• Clean or replace dirty furnace and air conditioner filters as recommended.
• Run your dishwasher and washing machine only when full.
• Buy locally and reduce the amount of energy required to drive your products to your store.
• Change your car’s air filter regularly.
• Buy EnergyStar rated heaters, air conditioners and appliances for maximum energy efficiency
• Weatherize and insulate your home; consider insulated double pane windows
• Buy organic food. Chemicals used in modern agriculture pollute the water supply, and require energy to produce
• Keep your water heater insulated and the thermostat no higher than 120°F
• Plant trees around your home. The shade will keep your homes cooler and they suck up the carbon dioxide we produce.
• Invest in a programmable thermostat to adjust or turn off heating and air conditioning when you’re asleep or not in the house.
• Unplug your mobile phone as soon as it has finished charging
• Defrost your refrigerator/freezer regularly
• Do your weekly shopping in a single trip
• Hang out the washing to dry rather than tumble drying it
• Insulate your ceiling and walls (approx. 30% of all heat is lost through the roof and walls).
• Consider upgrading and installing a new energy efficient heating and air conditioning system or hot water heater.

 

For More Information About Earth Day 2009:

• The Earth Day Network
• Earthday.gov
• U.S. Department of Energy – Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

 

 

Related News and Articles:

• Home Energy Myths Debunked!
• Frugal Fridge Maintenance Can Save You Energy…and Cold Hard Cash!
• A Precision Tune-Up is Your Air Conditioner’s Best Friend!
• 14 Web Sites That Can Save You Energy, Money and Time
• Horizon Services Goes Green!
• Obama’s Stimulus Plan Means New Tax Credits for Heating and Cooling

 

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About Horizon Services:
Horizon Services is the region’s leading plumbing, heating and air conditioning services company, providing repair, maintenance, sales and installation to homeowners and businesses in Delaware (New Castle County, Kent County), Pennsylvania (Delaware County, Chester County, The Main Line) and Maryland (Cecil County). Horizon is headquartered in Wilmington, DE.  Website: http://www.horizonservicesinc.com.

 

Media Contact:
Mark Wisniewski
Internet Marketing Manager
webmaster@horizonservicesinc.com

 

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