Training on cutting home utility bills slated June 6 in Weslaco
First 100 particpants get a free conservation kit
WESLACO -- As summer approaches, it’s important to know how to conserve water and electricity to keep utility bills down, according to a Texas AgriLife Extension Service agent in South Texas.
“Lots of Texans are struggling to pay their utility bills, especially in these tough economic times,” said AgriLife Extension’s Yolanda Morado, family and consumer sciences agent for Starr County.
“As the temperatures rise,” she said, “so do water and electricity bills. But there are many ideas, gadgets and methods to conserve and keep utility bills manageable which we’d like to share with the public.”
Morado and others will present “Flip the Switch, Stop the Drip,” an educational event to be held from 8 a.m. to noon June 6 at the South Texas College Mid-Valley Campus, located at 400 N. Border Ave. in Weslaco.
The event is free and open to the public, Morado said.
Several AgriLife Extension experts will be on hand to discuss and demonstrate household conservation methods and systems, she said.
Speakers and their topics include:
* Rosa Guel, Cameron County AgriLife Extension agent - family and consumer sciences, "Changing Water Use in the Home."
* Omar Montemayor and Ronnie Zamora, Starr County AgriLife Extension agents - agricultural and natural resources, "The South Texas Watershed."
* Janie Harris, AgriLife Extension housing and environmental specialist, "Tips on Reducing Energy in the Home."
* Barbara Storz, AgriLife Extension horticulturist in Hidalgo County, "Using Water-Wise Landscaping."
* John Smith, AgriLife Extension - soil and crop sciences, "Harvesting Rainwater."
* Brad Cowan, Hidalgo County AgriLife Extension agent - agricultural and natural resources, "Drip Irrigation for Home Landscapes."
The event will include a native plant sale, door prizes and a drawing for rain barrels to collect water from home rain gutters, Morado said.
The event is funded by the Texas Water Resources Institute and co-sponsored by AgriLife Extension and the South Texas College Biology Club.
For more information, contact any of the following AgriLife Extension offices: Hidalgo County, 956-383-1026; Starr County, 956-487-2306; or Cameron County, 956-361-8236.
