Energy Action Month: Commissaries offer special pricing on specific products during October

FORT LEE, Va. – Military commissaries are highlighting energy-saving products during October as the Department of Defense observes National Energy Action Month.

Energy Action Month promotes sustainability and energy efficiency, while encouraging the smart use of resources including energy, water and transportation. It helps bring attention to energy usage, and encourages the development of long-term energy efficiencies.

“During Energy Action Month, the commissary is offering competitive prices on a wide selection of energy-efficient light bulbs and high-efficiency detergents from top brands,” said Tracie Russ, the Defense Commissary Agency’s director of sales. “We’re doing everything we can to offer both environmentally friendly choices to our patrons while also saving them money at the same time.”

The agency also promotes various conservation-minded products year-round, carrying products with reduced packaging such as bathroom tissue and paper towels without the inner cardboard tubes.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recommends the following top five energy- and cost-saving tips:

• Turn off computers at the end of the day. It costs about 21 cents a day or $75 a year when computers are left on all day
• Use a power strip for electronic equipment (not just computers) and turn it off when not in use – average savings is $100 and up to 12 percent of annual electric bill
• Turn back your thermostat 7 to 10 degrees for eight hours a day – average savings is $83 and up to 10 percent annually on heating and cooling bills
• Replace your home’s five most frequently used light fixtures or bulbs with models that have earned the ENERGY STAR — average savings is $75 and 9 percent on your annual electric bill
• Use the sleep mode and power-management features on your computer – average savings is $30 and up to 4 percent of annual electric bill

For more information on National Energy Action Month and simple ways to reduce your energy usage, visit the Department of Energy’s Energy Saver page and access the money-saving tips in the DOE’s energy saving guide.

-DeCA-

PHOTO CAPTION: Go to the DeCA website to see and download a full view of the above energy-savings graphic.

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.