Commissaries support energy conservation awareness
FORT LEE, Va. – Commissaries are offering energy-saving products at extra savings during October in partnership with DOD’s observance of National Energy Action Month.
“Our commissaries are partnering with the Department of Defense to get the word out about the benefits of conserving energy and using energy-efficient products,” said DeCA’s Deputy Director Michael J. Dowling. “Throughout October and into November, our patrons will see signs pointing to these products being offered at special savings.”
Through Nov. 4, the Defense Commissary Agency is promoting energy efficient light-emitting diode (LED) lightbulbs as well as high efficiency (HE) dish and laundry detergents.
“We want our patrons to know that commissaries can help them save big on their energy efficient products,” said Marye Dobson, a business management specialist at DeCA’s headquarters.
Energy conservation isn’t just being promoted to patrons. Commissaries have been doing their part to save appropriated funds for years now by becoming far more energy efficient for years now, said Kyle Seiling, DeCA’s energy program manager.
“DeCA remains very proactive when it comes to energy conservation,” Seiling said. “Our stores, as part of a long-term energy strategy, now use glass doors on most refrigeration cases, natural and LED lighting, and we are converting or upgrading our HVAC and refrigeration technology to both protect the environment and conserve energy.”
DeCA’s long-term energy-saving strategy is paying off. According to Seiling, when compared to commercial supermarkets, commissaries are about 40 percent more energy efficient, and annual water use has been reduced by 25 percent from 2007 levels.
DeCA also promotes various conservation-minded products year round, Dobson said.
“Of course, DeCA has participated in Earth Day in April for years, and we’ve taken the lead as a retailer in promoting items like HE cleaning products and LED lightbulbs year-round to encourage our customers to adopt their use, as well as to honor the requests of customers who insist on their availability in our stores. We also carry products with reduced packaging including paper towels and bathroom tissue without the cardboard tubes. And we use highly visible positioning in stores to promote reusable shopping bags for our customers to purchase,” she noted.
For more information on National Energy Action Month and simple ways to reduce your energy usage, visit the Department of Energy’s Energy Saver and be sure to follow #energysmartarmystrong on Twitter.
-DeCA-
– By Mike Perron, DeCA public affairs specialist
About DeCA: The Defense Commissary Agency operates a worldwide chain of commissaries providing groceries to military personnel, retirees and their families in a safe and secure shopping environment. Commissaries provide a military benefit, saving authorized patrons thousands of dollars annually on their purchases compared to similar products at commercial retailers. The discounted prices include a 5-percent surcharge, which covers the costs of building new commissaries and modernizing existing ones. A core military family support element, and a valued part of military pay and benefits, commissaries contribute to family readiness, enhance the quality of life for America’s military and their families, and help recruit and retain the best and brightest men and women to serve their country.