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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PR- 284-09
June 23, 2009

MAYOR BLOOMBERG AND BEST BUY ANNOUNCE GREENYC'S "BE COOL & SMART" CAMPAIGN TO PROMOTE ENERGY EFFICIENT AIR CONDITIONER USE

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today announced that Best Buy Co., Inc. has become a partner in the City’s newest GreeNYC campaign aimed at reducing air conditioning-related electricity consumption. The campaign, “Be Cool & Smart,” is part of the GreeNYC initiative that provides New Yorkers simple, accessible steps for energy efficiency, and is one of the 127 initiatives in PlaNYC, the City’s long-term plan for a greener, greater New York. Efforts to reduce energy consumption, such as this GreeNYC campaign related to summer air conditioning use, will help the City meet the aggressive PlaNYC goal of reducing the City’s carbon emissions by 30 percent by the year 2030.

“Our energy strategy calls for improving supply and reducing demand, and as we enter the summer months we must remember that air conditioning accounts for the largest percentage of residential energy consumption nationwide,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “With Best Buy’s support, we can encourage people to purchase energy efficient air conditioners, reduce energy usage, and lower electricity bills, which is good for the environment and our finances.”

GreeNYC is launching a multi-faceted awareness campaign via bus, subway, billboard, online, and radio public service announcements highlighting ways New Yorkers can use air conditioners efficiently, emphasizing both economic savings and environmental benefits. Best Buy is supporting the program with a donation of $175,000.

The use of air conditioning in the summer can often account for over half of a household’s energy use. The “Be Cool & Smart” campaign will emphasize some common-sense solutions to reducing energy consumption, such as:

  • Don’t cool an empty room.  If you’re away for 8 hours a day, turning off your a/c can save you at least a third on cooling costs.  Want to save even more?  When you are home, don’t air condition an empty room.
  • Turn up your thermostat.  Set your air conditioner to 78 degrees and save.  For every degree you raise you’re air conditioner’s thermostat you can cut your electricity bill by 3 percent or more.
  • Clean your air conditioner filters.  Dirty filters make your air conditioner work harder and use more electricity.  Wash, air dry and reinstall your filter to conserve energy and save money.
  • Close drapes and draw blinds.  The sun’s rays heat your home even when the A/C is on, making your unit work harder and increasing your energy costs. 

In addition to the donation, Best Buy will support GreeNYC by encouraging consumers to purchase properly sized, energy efficient ENERGY STAR® air conditioning units.  According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, if one out of 10 families in the United States used cooling and heating equipment that has earned the ENERGY STAR®, the change would keep more than 17 billion pounds of greenhouse gases out of the air.







MEDIA CONTACT:


Stu Loeser / Jason Post   (212) 788-2958

Kelly Groehler (Best Buy)   (612) 291-6115




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