10 Things to Ask before Signing a Rental Lease

Ready to move in? Before you sign, take care of your health and your pocket book by asking these questions:

1. If you are paying utilities, what is the estimated cost of utilities each month? How about in winter when heating costs are higher? Often times, you can call the utility to find out these costs if the landlord doesn't know. 
2. Who arranges for and pays for maintenance and repairs? If it is the landlord, how long does the repair process usually take? 
3. What are policies on visitors, pets, and subletting?
4. Has the landlord ever done a radon test, and if so, what were the results? If any results came back 4 picocuries per liter of air (pCi/L) or greater, a retest and mitigation should have been done. If it wasn't done, occupants are at risk for increased chances of lung cancer. 
5. How long ago was the furnace, gas stove, or other combustion appliance tested for gas leaks? 80% of homes weatherized by 4CORE had health and safety issues, usually related to gas stoves, furnaces, water heaters, or other appliances.
6. How old are the appliances and are any of them ENERGY STAR rated? 
7. Is there any mold or asbestos in the home? If so, indoor air quality could be poor and you might not want to move in until these are removed. In addition, make sure that you know about the presence of any lead paint and that work on the home has followed  lead-safe practices.
8. How well are the windows and doors air sealed? This might be something you look for when you go to view the house. If there are obvious gaps, ask them to be repaired before you sign. 
9. Are there any reasons the land lord or property manager would break the lease before it is expired? 
10. Have previous tenants experienced any respiratory-related health problems that you are aware of? 

Other things to consider: 

• Get rental insurance for your belongings- a land lord's insurance will not cover you- just the property. 
• If children or elderly people are going to be living with you, they are at a higher risk for indoor air quality issues. Make sure radon and appliance testing are addressed before signing.

4CORE Launches Home Performance Prescription Program (HomeRx)

4CORE is pleased to announce an innovative program now available for Southwest Colorado homeowners. The Home Performance Prescription (HomeRx) program lowers utility bills by identifying primary areas for home energy improvement, prescribing upgrades, linking area residents with incentives, financing, and contractors, and providing inspections for quality assurance

Building on the success of 4CORE’s HomeRx Program pilot, this initiative is for homeowners who are interested in improving home comfort and making smart investments in proven energy efficiency upgrades. HomeRx offers financing options and local contractors to create a package that pays for itself in a short amount of time. The homes in the HomeRx pilot are saving an average of $481 annually in utility bills, in addition to improving health, safety, comfort, and quality of life for families. 

"Many area residents are paying too much to heat their homes, and a surprisingly high number of homes have serious health and safety problems," said Gregg Dubit, Executive Director for 4CORE.  "We are excited to help area homeowners of all income levels get on the path to higher performing, more comfortable homes. This is an area that 4CORE has solid expertise in, having assisted over 630 homeowners already." 


4CORE will be using the latest diagnostics available from the Department of Energy’s Home Energy Score to evaluate homes. This system scores homes and compares them to national averages. In addition to energy improvements such as air sealing and insulation, HomeRx addresses the health and safety of combustion appliances for gas leaks, performance, and general indoor air quality. Radon testing is also available. 

4CORE’s HomeRx Program links homeowners with financing options, including loans through local lending institutions, rebates, and other incentives. First National Bank of Durango is providing HomeRx-specific loans for homeowners. 

"We are excited to be offering this loan program as part of 4CORE’s HomeRx Program," noted Steve Emrich (NMLS ID # 787887), Vice President of First National Bank of Durango, equal housing lender, member FDIC. "We anticipate this program becoming more popular as homeowners come to understand the value of long-term energy savings."  

In addition to assisting individual residents, the HomeRx Program will benefit Southwest Colorado’s economy by boosting job creation through referrals to local contractors, and saving energy dollars that would otherwise go to providers outside of our region. 

Tom Zajicek, nationally certified building science expert, is coordinating HomeRx and is now taking reservations for home assessments. For additional information or to sign up, please email Tom at 4CORE or call (970) 259-1916 ext. 113.

4CORE and Local First Share Resources Local to Reduce Costs

Local First and the 4CORE are teaming up to save costs and resources by sharing an office space. Both organizations are now located in the West Building at 835 E. 2^nd Avenue, room 440.

The organizations’ co-location is a natural fit: both work to stimulate local economic growth and preserve independently-owned businesses in La Plata County.

"I am excited by this opportunity," said LeeAnn Vallejos, Director of Local First. "Our vision to create a sustainable economy that values people, the planet and prosperity for all is shared by 4CORE, and this move will foster opportunities that will open up new avenues for collaboration and community growth." 

Local First and 4CORE work together on the Resource Smart Business Program, which provides assessments, recommendations, and incentives for local businesses to improve building efficiency, worksite wellness and sustainability.

Sharing expenses such as rent, printing costs, utilities, and internet is a strategy many non-profits are using to reduce overhead costs and improve the ability to collaborate. Working in close proximity allows for the easy exchange of ideas and information, preventing overlapping services and increasing cooperation between organizations.

4CORE and Local First are sharing rent expenses and have the chance to easily work on business-related programs and campaigns.

"Local First is a long-time partner that we’ve collaborated with through the years," said Gregg Dubit, 4CORE Executive Director. "This co-location has allowed us to stay in our current office and it will be nice to only have to walk a few steps for a meeting."

Stop by to visit both 4CORE and Local First, or get involved by visiting them online at www.local-first.org and www.fourcore.org.

How Cold is your Conditioner?

When we compare and contrast, evaporative systems cost half of what it takes to run air conditioning systems and use 75% less energy. This can keep you and your wallet cool during summer months. Here is a great summary of the differences taken from a publication by Xcel Energy:

Central Air Conditioners
System components include a single outdoor unit and uses ducts to distribute cooled air throughout the house.

How It Works

• Air is drawn in through return-air ducts
• Uses high velocity air forced through ducts
• Filtered air is routed to air supply ductwork that carries it back
to rooms
• Cycle repeats continually when air conditioner is running

Performance
• Produces cold, dry air (works best in an airtight home)
• Temperature control and eliminates drafts
• Eliminates humidity from the home
• Reduction in airborne particles such as dust and lint
• Condenser unit is located outside the home limiting indoor noise

Costs
• Higher initial purchase and installation expense
• Higher electricity costs

Maintenance
• Low maintenance
• Replace air filter and clean coils regularly

Evaporative Coolers
System components include a single outdoor unit typically located on the roof, ground, window
or in the attic, and a water line to the system.

How It Works
• Cools air by filtering it through water saturated pads
• Fan inside unit pulls outside air through the sides and into the house
• Water is stored in a pan (media pads) at the bottom of the cooler
• Cooled air is distributed from central location or through existing ducts
• Need to open window or vents to outside when operating

Performance
• Increases humidity in the home
• Increased fresh air flow in the house
• Limited reduction in airborne particles such as dust and lint
• Reduced control over exact temperature in house

Costs
• Uses up to 75% less electricity than central air
• Lower initial purchase and installation expense
• Lower operating costs, typically half of central AC

Maintenance
• Need to maintain air flow balance
• Weatherization maintenance needed in the spring and fall

Alternative Fuel Vehicles Project Starts in Nine Colorado Counties

Today, Refuel Colorado Fleets, a pilot project to boost the use of alternative fuel vehicles in public and private sector fleets, today announces that communities within nine Colorado counties have been selected for the project. Counties selected for the year-long pilot are Routt, Larimer, Boulder, Jefferson, Adams, Garfield, Mesa, Montezuma and La Plata.

 

Energy coaches employed by four community-based nonprofits will help business and government fleet owners work together with auto dealers, fuel providers, business leaders and local governments in the nine counties to pursue or expand use of alternative fuels.

 

"The Refuel Colorado Fleets energy coaches will support the adoption of alternative fuel vehicles," said Jeff Ackermann, director of the Colorado Energy Office. "Each community will determine what makes sense for them, be that electric, natural gas, propane, or other vehicle types. Each of these provides economic and environmental benefits, making this an exciting project."

 

Energy coaching will be done by Northern Colorado Clean Cities, Denver Metro Clean Cities, Garfield Clean Energy and Four Corners Office for Resource Efficiency. The pilot project is being led by CLEER: Clean Energy Economy for the Region, a Carbondale nonprofit with expertise in alternative fuel vehicle technology, energy coaching and community engagement.

 

The four nonprofits will use energy coaching techniques already being used by CLEER to help households and businesses carry out energy efficiency upgrades in homes and commercial buildings. "Energy coaching delivers a proven success rate of 70-percent or higher in helping property owners actually carry out efficiency upgrades", said Mike Ogburn, energy engineer for CLEER.

 

The Refuel Colorado Fleets pilot project will apply these same energy coaching techniques to the evaluation of existing fleets, to reduce petroleum use and save money by using alternative fuel vehicle options. A U.S. Department of Energy grant to the Colorado Energy Office is funding the project.

 

"Colorado has built a strong reputation as a leader in renewable energy and other innovative industries," said U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo. "Refuel Colorado Fleets' work on these projects in counties across the state only enhances that reputation. "There is great promise in alternative fuel vehicles and these types of programs help proliferate their use and allow communities to see how best to implement proven green technologies."

 

The nine counties were selected following a two-month survey of 21 cities and counties in western Colorado and along the Front Range. Southern Colorado Clean Cities, based in Colorado Springs, also participated in the survey effort.

 

"We selected the nine counties after finding a good match between three key aspects: fleet vehicle needs, auto dealer interest in alternative fuels, and viability of developing public refueling facilities," said Ogburn.

 

"Not all fleet vehicles can be replaced by an alternative fuel vehicle, some auto dealers were more interested than others, and the availability of alternative fuels varies by region," said Ogburn. "Our survey found communities with the best overlaps in these three areas, and the energy coaches will help those communities accelerate the shift to alternative fuels."

 

In the coming weeks, energy coaches will work with businesses and local governments in the nine counties to analyze their fleets, including miles driven and age, vehicle type and purpose, to determine the optimal alternative fuel to focus on.

 

"We want to help fleet owners understand the benefits of alternative fuels, such as less air pollution, less reliance on foreign energy sources, and lower costs for fuel and maintenance," said Sarah Rank, energy coach for Four Corners Office for Resource Efficiency. "We’ll help them make wise buying decisions that will deliver a high return on investment."

 

Selected counties, by energy coaching organization:

 

Routt, Larimer counties

Maria Eisemann, Northern Colorado Clean Cities, marianccc@comcast.net, (970) 988-2996

 

Boulder, Jefferson, Adams counties

Natalia Swalnick, Denver Metro Clean Cities, nswalnick@lungcolorado.org, (303) 847-0271

 

Montezuma, La Plata counties

Gregg Dubit, 4CORE, Gregg@fourcore.org, (970) 259-1916 x114

 

Mesa, Garfield counties

Heather McGregor or Mike Ogburn, CLEER: Clean Energy for the Economy & Garfield Clean Energy,             hmcgregor@cleanenergyeconomy.net, (970) 704-9200

4CORE Fortifies Energy Programs and Projects with Four Strategic Areas and Newly Elected Board Chair

4CORE is strengthening the organization based on requests, feedback and the needs of residents and businesses in the region. 4CORE’s new mission is to: "serve Southwest Colorado as the leading resource for the effective and efficient use of energy to promote and sustain our vibrant local communities."

Organization board and staff have honed a new strategic plan with four focus areas:

• Energy Efficiency, health, and safety focus for commercial buildings and homes
• Innovative Solutions, or forward thinking energy solutions, including solar photo voltaic (PV)
• Resource Efficiency Education for building professionals and residents
• Energy Information Hub, distributing relevant, accurate information and resources for decreasing energy use

"Our board and staff have just completed a strategic plan that will build upon Durango's goals of using energy efficiently, promoting renewable energy development and expanding our educational role around energy," said Erich Bussian, 4CORE's newly elected Board Chair. "Weatherization was a great program, and we now look forward to expanding our role around energy use."

Energy efficiency efforts will be improved by conducting residential and commercial energy assessments and upgrades through the Resource Smart Business Program (RSBP) and the Home Performance Prescription (HomeRx) Program. This includes linking clients with finance and incentive options, as well as promoting job creation by referring work to local energy professionals. 4CORE will ensure quality work by performing inspections on upgraded homes and buildings.

4CORE’s Innovative Solutions will include facilitating the installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) through one or more Solarize campaigns or packages. Resource efficiency education will continue to be a focus for 4CORE throughout Southwest Colorado. This includes Home Spotlight events, technical training, general/community brown bag lunches, indoor air quality sessions for low income residents of La Plata County, and facilitation of a regional dialogue on alternative fuel vehicles, including Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) for fleets. 

Finally, 4CORE will continue to provide cutting edge, accurate, regularly updated, informational services through multiple media platforms, including an informative website, monthly newsletters, regular blogs, and social media to keep 4CORE stakeholders informed. 

"4CORE staff are rejuvenated and excited about this new direction," said Gregg Dubit, 4CORE Executive Director. "We have enhanced our strategy and are dedicated to serving our region with improved service and new innovative programs." 

Support 4CORE and get involved by visiting www.fourcore.org.

The Future of our Water in Southwest Colorado

In August of 2011 I completed a Water Conservation Assessment for Southwest Colorado as a deliverable for a Community Energy Coordinator grant 4CORE received from the Governor’s Energy Office. In reflecting on the water conservation theme for our July newsletter, I decided to reread this report for inspiration. In one of the first sections of the report I came across this summary on the importance of water conservation that really struck me:

“Water is a vital resource in the State of Colorado, and will continue to be so due to periodic drought cycles and growing populations.  Predictions for Colorado project that multiple factors, such as temperature and dust, will increase the rate at which water and snow pack is evaporated, thus resulting in lower runoff volume. The weather patterns of lower elevations are expected to migrate to higher elevations, lower-elevation snow pack is projected to decrease, runoff is expected to decline, and spring runoff is expected to shift earlier with a reduction in late-summer flows. No consistent long-term trends in precipitation have been detected. The San Juan Mountains, in particular, are predicted to incur some of the steepest declines in runoff from spring snow melt.

In addition to these predicted changes, Colorado’s population is projected to nearly double by 2050, with the Western slope in particular experiencing growth rates as high as 240%. In June 2011, the Bureau of Reclamation released the “Colorado River Basin Water Supply & Demand Study Interim Report #1”. As a result of continued climate change and increasing populations, this report predicts an increase in the frequency and duration of droughts in the Colorado River Basin and a 9% decrease in natural flow over the next 50 years. It is projected that droughts lasting five years or longer will occur 40% of the time.

. . . [Based on] 2050 projected proportions of Colorado’s water use by sector . . . agriculture will continue to use the majority of Colorado’s water supply [82%]. However, if water use continues on projected trends, water will have to be diverted from agriculture to satisfy growing urban needs. This could result in the loss of 500,000 to 700,000 acres of irrigated agricultural land. Such a loss would have negative economic, as well as environmental, impacts.”

This short summary really hit home with me, as in the past two years since I wrote this report, we are already beginning to experience these predicted changes. Our local rafting companies can vouch for the reduction in late-summer flows of the Animas and how these changes are impacting their businesses. And our local farmers are already feeling the effects of the increase in frequency and duration of droughts in our region, with the sustainability of our food supply across the state (and country) affected. These droughts not only affect our water resources, but also contribute to an increase in the wildfires that are currently ravaging our state, leading to the tragic loss of homes and lives. To me, this speaks so strongly to the vast array of impacts that climate change is already having in our community. And these aren’t impacts that will happen in some far off future in some other country or state, but that are happening right here at home, right now. To me, this is a wake-up call that we have to start taking climate change seriously before the Colorado we all know and love is lost to us.

There are many things that you can do as an individual to reduce your carbon footprint, but sticking to the theme of this month's 4CORE newsletter, I will focus on water conservation practices that you can adopt to help mitigate the impacts of climate change in our community (And remember, saving water also saves energy and vice-versa)! In Colorado, 1.2 gallons of water are consumed per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of energy used and 13% of the nation’s energy use is by the water sector. Energy is used to pump water, heat water, and treat wastewater.):

Residential Water Conservation

• Limit shower length to 5-7 minutes
• Install low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators
• Fix leaks – a leaky toilet can waste 200 gallons per day and a faucet that drips one drop of water per second can result in 2,400 gallons wasted a year
• Purchase water efficient appliances – a high efficiency washing machine can reduce water consumption by 50%
• Thaw frozen foods in the fridge overnight to defrost, as opposed to running under warm water
• When loading the dishwasher, scrape, rather than rinse, dishes. And only run full loads
• Use efficient watering practices – up to 75% of a home’s total water use is outdoors
• Don’t let water run while brushing your teeth or shaving – letting your faucet run for five minutes uses as much energy asleaving a light bulb on for 14 hours

Commercial Water Conservation: (in addition to the applicable residential practices)

• Educate employees and engage them in conservation efforts
• Install low-flow toilets or adjust flush valves on existing toilets
• Institute leak detection and repair practices
• Replace old appliances with water saving models
• Use manufacturers recommendations to minimize water used in cooling equipment, and shut off equipment when not needed
• Wash vehicles less often and use commercial washing facilities
•  Sweep or blow outside areas to clean, as opposed to hosing off.

Agricultural water conservation:

• Grow crops that use less water
• Manage soils to hold water more efficiently (by using mulches and cover crops, minimum tillage practices and increasing soil organic matter)
• Schedule timing, duration and amount ofirrigation based on plant needs, soil moisture, and climatic conditions
•  Control weeds that compete for water
• Using more efficient irrigation practices. In order of efficiency, with flood as the least efficient:
• Flood: low cost and flushes salts out of the soil, but high water loss through evaporation and leaching. Also promotes nitrogen loss and recharges the water table.
• Furrow: relatively inexpensive, but high water loss by leaching, seepage and evaporation. Additionally, can cause water logging and salinization.
• Sprinkler: good for medium to large fields, but water is lost through evaporation and wet leaves can contribute to foliar disease.
• Micro-Irrigation: More than 90% efficient, but expensive to install and maintain. Additionally, water emitters can get clogged if water quality is poor.
• Reuse irrigation water
• Use wastewater for irrigation
• Address supply system leakage issues

More agricultural info can be found here

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About the Author

Amanda Saunders is Program Coordinator at 4CORE. She was born in Florida and earned her Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. While in Chapel Hill, Amanda worked with the town to conduct a greenhouse gas inventory for their Climate Action Plan. Outside of work, Amanda enjoys climbing, hiking, skiing, traveling, reading, and soccer. Amanda manages the Resource Smart Business Program.