Previous Missions
Be sure to check out the previous Missions too. Even though they’ve finished, you can still get credit for completing them.
Mission #1:
CFL Rekindled
Mission #2:
Wash up with Savings
Mission #3:
Stay Out of Hot Water
Mission #4:
Shower Time
Mission #5:
Vampire Slayer
Mission #6:
Getting a Head
Mission #7:
Hung out to Dry
Mission #8:
Fully Loaded
Mission #9:
Coming Soon!
Mission #10:
Coming Soon!Mission #11:
Coming Soon!
Operation Switch is an experiment from Portland General Electric to help make real change in how people use energy and to show how when we all work together small changes can have big impact.
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Mission:
Fully load your laundry
How to
do it:This one’s super simple. Just make sure when you’re washing your clothes that you’re doing full loads.
Why it matters:
The average American household does 400 loads of laundry a year – that’s just a little over 1 load a day!
Doing full loads is more efficient for you and your appliances, and you can save water and energy.
Once you’ve done it:
Done? Lovely!
Tweet “I completed @portgen_save’s Mission “Fully loaded” by doing full loads of laundry. http://bit.ly/bsEtBc”
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Mission:
Skip the dryer and line dry your next load of laundry
Why it matters:
Your dryer is right up there with energy hogging appliances after your water heater and refrigerator.
Once you’ve done it:
Done? Lovely!
Tweet “I completed @portgen_save’s Mission “Hung out to Dry” by line-drying my laundry. http://bit.ly/9FEnOY”
Mission Results:
This mission ended on August 30, but you’re still welcome to complete it. We’ll be checking back periodically and updating the results.
5PeopleDid the mission
461kWhEstimated savings
That’s equivalent to offsetting 415 lbs of carbon dioxide, not driving 461 miles or planting 24 trees.
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Operation Switch ran in a “pilot” mode for the first three missions, and we’ve been slowly making more noise publicly about it since our Shower Time mission. Last week we ran a brief article in the PGE Home Connection e-mail newsletter, 800 of you came to the site to check it out.
Since then, we’ve gotten 44 new comments and 42 new mission completions resulting in 59,485 kWh of new estimated energy savings, which is like taking 59,603 car miles off the road, or planting 3,212 trees and is enough energy to power 5 of our average customers homes for a year.
We just wanted to send a quick note out saying thanks to everyone who has come by, made a comment, or done a mission (even if you didn’t tell us). Operation Switch is an experiment for us to create meaningful change in how people use energy, and you’re showing us that it just might work.
So, pat yourself on the back, leave a comment letting us know how we might make things even better, check back in on the next mission (or follow us on Twitter to get notified when the next mission kicks off), do previous missions if you haven’t already, or tell a friend or two to check out the site.We’re off to a great start, thanks to you!
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Mission:
Swap your showerhead for a high-efficiency model
How to
do it:Take advantage of our promotion with George Morlan and get a high-efficiency showerhead for $5 (if you bring your old one for trade-in), or $10 if you mention you’re a PGE customer.
Why it matters:
Taking 5 minutes to make this $5 change could save over 2,000 gallons of water a year, the energy used to heat them, and the cost of running them through the sewer.
Once you’ve done it:
Done? Lovely!
Tweet “I completed @portgen_save’s Mission “Getting a Head” by installing a high-efficiency showerhead. http://bit.ly/bKrYij”
Mission Results:
This mission ended on August 16, but the showerhead promotion with George Morlan continues through the end of the year, and we’ll be checking back periodically and updating the results.
800PeopleDid the mission
262,400kWhEstimated savings
The numbers are in from George Morlan: 800 of us swapped out our showerheads for shiny, new high-efficiency models. Annually, you’re saving an estimated 1.5 million gallons of water and 262,400 kWh (assuming you have an electric water heater).
That’s equivalent to offsetting 236,684 lbs of carbon dioxide, not driving 262,924 miles and planting 14,169 trees. All for $5 and 5 minutes of work. Pretty cool, huh?
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Mission:
Slay your energy vampires.
How to
do it:Your appliances, gizmos and gadgets may be sucking electricity even when they’re not being used.
Identify and unplug the energy vampires in your house when you’re not using them.
Why it matters:
Government estimates say that in this country alone, we’re wasting 10% of our individual household electric bills, and as much as $10 billion as a country each year on vampire power.
Once you’ve done it:
Done? Lovely!
Tweet “I completed @portgen_save’s Mission Vampire Slayer by unplugging X. http://bit.ly/bXarm4”
Mission Results:
This mission ended on July 26, but you’re still welcome to complete it. We’ll be checking back periodically and updating the results.
11PeopleDid the mission
1,188kWhEstimated energy savings
11 of us reported slaying our energy vampires. For estimating purposes, we’re assuming that armed with this new knowledge and slaying skills you’ll trim a conservative 1% of your electricity use for the year.
That’s equivalent to offsetting 1071 lbs of C02, not driving 1190 miles or planting 64 trees. And all just by not letting your gadgets consume electricity when you weren’t using them anyways.
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Mission:
Time your shower and try to get down to 7 minutes.
How to
do it:Time your next shower to find out how long you’re taking to get squeaky clean, then try to get that time down a bit.
What’s the optimal time for savings? Seven minutes is generally regarded the ideal amount of time for savings, but if you can do it in less, go for it!
Why it matters:
Did you know it’s costing you way more to heat the water for your shower than for the water itself?
Trimming down your shower time will save on energy and water, and considering the number of showers you take in a year, making even a small lifestyle change here can add up big-time.
Once you’ve done it:
Done? Lovely!
Tweet “I completed @portgen_save’s Mission Shower Time by getting my shower down to X minutes. http://bit.ly/aUvnql
Mission Results:
This mission ended on July 12, but you’re still welcome to complete it. We’ll be checking back periodically and updating the results.
10PeopleDid the mission
13875Gal.Estimated water savings
2405kWhEstimated energy savings
That’s equivalent to offseting 2,169 lbs of CO2, not driving 2,409 miles and planting 129 trees. Just by using 3 less minutes in the shower each day!
*Individual circumstances may vary. Contact PGE for more information.
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Mission:
Lower your water heater thermostat to 120
How to
do it:Check out these simple step-by-step instructions for lowering the thermostat on your electric water heater. You’ll be saving in just 5 quick steps.
Don’t have an electric water heater but still want to do this? Read on for tips.
Why it matters:
Your water heater is probably your second biggest household energy consumer after heating and cooling, so making even a small change to save here has the potential to make a big impact on your electric bill.
Once you’ve done it:
Done? Lovely!
Tweet “I completed @portgen_save’s Mission Stay out of Hot Water by lowering my water heater thermostat to 120. http://bit.ly/bvuRzU
Mission Results:
This mission ended on June 25, but you’re still welcome to complete it. We’ll be checking back periodically and updating the results.
5PeopleDid the mission
2230kWhEstimated savings annually*
That’s equivalent to offsetting 2,011 lbs of carbon dioxide, not driving 2,234 miles and planting 120 trees. Not too shabby!
*Individual circumstances may vary. Contact PGE or your dealer for more information.
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Mission:
Do your next load of laundry on the cold/cold wash setting.
How to
do it:Use the settings on the washing machine and set your next wash to either the cold wash/cold rinse setting if you’re ready to take the leap with us (you’ll get more savings), or the warm wash/cold rinse setting if you want to ease your way in.
Why it matters:
Nearly 90 percent of energy used for laundry is used by heating the water. By washing in cold water you can drastically reduce the cost and energy used per wash.
Once you’ve done it:
Tweet “I completed @portgen_save’s Wash up with savings Mission! By doing X loads of laundry on the cold setting http://bit.ly/a6BCNV or leave us a comment on this post.
Mission Results:
This mission ended on June 4, but you’re still welcome to complete it. We’ll be checking back periodically and updating the results.
21PeopleDid the mission
6010LoadsWashed in cold water
28367kWhSaved vs. hot water*
That’s equivalent to offsetting 25,587 lbs of carbon dioxide, not driving 28,423 miles, planting 1,531 trees and powering 2 homes for one year. Great job!!
*Estimated savings
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Mission:
Replace at least 1 incandescent light bulb in your house with a Compact Florescent Light (CFL).
How to
do it:Lighting requirements aren’t something that most people consider very often – which is fine. But before you make the switch to CFLs, it’s good to take a second to consider your lifestyle, you’ll be happier in the end, we promise.
A good place to start is considering which lights are on the most often in your house.
Why it matters:
According to ENERGY STAR® data, if all PGE residential customers replaced just one 60-watt incandescent light bulb with one CFL, it would save 41 million kilowatt hours a year — enough to power the city of Salem for a week and a half.
Once you’ve done it:
Tweet “I completed @portgen_save’s Mission CFL Rekindled by replacing X bulbs with CFLs http://bit.ly/9u5vyE” or leave us a comment on this post.
Mission Results:
This mission ended on May 15, but you’re still welcome to complete it. We’ll be checking back periodically and updating the results.
18PeopleDid the mission
71BulbsSwitched out
54670kWhover the CFL’s life*
That’s equivalent to offsetting 49,312 lbs of carbon dioxide, not driving 54,779 miles, planting 2,952 trees and powering 5 homes for one year.
*Estimated savings
