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Here are some things to look for:
Natural Gas leaks (outside)
- Distinct odor of natural gas (it smells like rotten eggs)
- Areas of dead vegetation directly above your natural gas line
- Your natural gas meter dial that continues to move after natural gas appliances and equipment have been shut off
- After watering or rain, bubbles appear directly above your natural gas line.
Natural Gas leaks (inside)
- If you smell natural gas inside your home or building, get everyone to evacuate immediately
- Don’t stop to open a window or use a phone
- Be cautious of anything that could cause a spark - garage door openers, cell phones and pagers, light switches or flash lights
and carpeted areas
- Call 9-1-1 and Colorado Springs Utilities at 448-4800 from a safe distance or from a neighbor’s home/business
- Don’t re-enter the building for any reason until an emergency responder tells you it’s safe.
Carbon Monoxide Safety
- Causes include blocked fire place chimney openings, improperly operation fuel burning appliances, disconnected, corroded or
blocked appliance vent pipes, barbecue grills inside the house, cracked furnaces and/or running vehicles inside attached garage.
- Flu-like symptoms occur when carbon monoxide is present - headache, nausea, upset stomach and drowsiness.
- If you notice any problems or symptoms, get everyone out of the building and call
9-1-1. Don’t re-enter the building until an emergency responder tells you it’s safe.
Power line Safety
- Stay away from downed power lines
- Keep ladders, kits, balloons, tree limbs and children away for power lines
- Don’t play or plant around green electric boxes
- Report all open boxes, downed power lines and suspicious activity to Colorado Springs Utilities at 448-4800.
For more safety tips and information, visit our Web site.
Tour your plants
Teachers can request to tour any plant online. These tours enhance
your classroom teaching of water and electricity. Please remember to book at least three weeks in advance and we only offer tours
on Thursdays during non-holiday weeks.
Safety and conservation resources
Colorado Springs Utilities continues its 20 year commitment to teachers by coming to your school to teach students about
electric and natural gas safety as well as water conservation. Presentations are free of charge and can be
booked online.
Springs Utilities also offers alternative energy and water conservation kits for middle and high schools in our area.
Alternative energy kits can be checked out for three weeks. Water conservation kits are packaged in sets of 30. Teachers can
request water conservation kits to be mailed to their school.
Elementary school teachers can request conservations stickers for their student’s homes. Stickers enhance and reinforce
conservation messages taught in your classroom.
For more information on any of these resources, go to our Web site.
Did you know?
- Aluminum cans take up to 500 years to break down. The energy saved from recycling one can can run your TV for about three
hours. Recycling a soda can saves 95% of the energy to create a new can and produces 95% less air and water pollution.
- It takes a 15 year old tree to create half a box of paper. Making recycled paper instead of new paper requires about 60% less
energy and water. One ton of recycled paper saves 17 trees and enough oil to drive half-way across the country, enough energy to
power a home for six months, enough landfill space to fill a pickup truck and 60 pounds of air pollutants each year.
Three Rs of conservation
When energy is thrown away, it’s lost forever. Can we keep all this energy? Is there a way to save the energy? Can saving
this energy help save the planet?
The answer is yes, yes and yes! By following the three Rs, you can save the energy and save the planet.
Reduce
- Buy items that you use frequently in bulk; it requires less packaging.
- Buy durable products that will last a long time.
- Don’t buy disposable single use products like paper plates, disposable razors and eating utensils.
- If your family gets tons of junk mail, have your name removed from the lists. Write:
Mail Preference Service/Direct Marketing Association
P.O. Box 642
Carmel, NY 10512
Include your name, address and signature with your request to be removed.
Reuse
- Use washable cloth towels instead of disposable paper towels and napkins.
- Use washable dishes and utensils instead of disposable items.
- Donate magazines, old clothes and used appliances to schools, libraries or charities.
Recycle
- Recycle glass, plastics, aluminum and paper. Half of the materials in landfills are recyclable glass, paper, metal and
plastic packaging. If you want to learn if something is recyclable, just look for the symbol. Find out if there are recycling
services in your neighborhood. If so, find out what types of materials are accepted.
Reduce energy waste
Here are a few energy tips to help you reduce energy waste at home.
- Keep the thermostat set at 78 degrees in the summer and 68 in the winter. Wear clothes to keep you cool in the summer and
warm in the winter.
- In hot weather, shut curtains to keep out the light and heat.
- In cold weather, open the curtains to let in the heat. Shut them at night to keep out the cold air.
- Use compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) to reduce energy use by up to 75%. These lights can last ten times longer
than regular bulbs.
- Painting a room a lighter color allows more light reflected off the walls - requiring less overall light/lamp(s).
- Turn off the TV, stereo, computer, games and other electronic items when you’re not using them.
- Turn off lights when leaving a room.
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