The Operations Center of The Dime Bank, located on 120 Sunrise Avenue in Honesdale is going green! Actually, they’ve been going green for several years, but are now receiving well-deserved recognition for their efforts through the local pilot program, Wayne Businesses Conserve! “Our goal is to protect the environment, keep costs down, and simply do the right thing,” says Maureen Beilman, chief financial officer of The Dime Bank.
Years ago, the bank replaced inefficient incandescent light bulbs with more efficient CFL bulbs and electronic ballasts, and they’ve implemented an office-wide policy to turn off lights when they aren’t in use. By pairing efficient bulbs with energy conservation practices, the office has dramatically cut the energy required for lighting their building. Another office policy keeps building temperatures a little bit higher in the summer and a bit lower in the winter. According to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, raising the thermostat just 3-4 degrees can cut 10% off a summer cooling bill. Lowering it a few degrees in the winter results in comparable savings. This summer, the Operations Center of The Dime Bank is keeping many of its offices around 75 degrees. It’s a comfortable temperature and they save money by doing it!
According to Beilman, recycling is the easiest conservation practice for The Dime Bank. Recycling bins are located next to trashcans in common areas to collect cans, glass and plastic. The office also collects and recycles batteries and toner cartridges. A secure paper recycling service ensures that paper that might contain sensitive information is recycled properly. Further, they purchase reusable dishware for their lunchroom, which cuts down on the number of disposable plates and dishes they have to buy and throw away.
Transportation is one of the business’ biggest challenges. They are looking at methods to decrease transportation costs such as condensed scheduling and telecommuting options. These options are being explored but are often not always available because of the nature of the banking business. Covered bike storage is accessible for employees who are able to bike to work. In the future, The Dime Bank plans to administer a transportation survey to assess and better understand the commuting needs of their employees.
Proud of everything they are doing at their Operations Center, The Dime Bank hopes to phase these energy-conserving practices into their six branch offices. They also expect to complete a professional energy audit in order to learn more about how they can conserve energy, cut costs and protect the planet.
Additionally, The Dime Bank already makes it easy for customers to make a commitment to going green by offering several earth saving, convenience services that help customers use less paper and reduce trips to the bank. A few of these services are: eDocs, a secure way to access statements and other notices electronically; Pay On Line, a free service where customers can pay bills without writing out checks or using postage; Direct Deposit for electronic deposits of payroll, annuity, pension or retirement checks; Debit MasterCard helps save paper checks by using electronic means for purchases ; Mobile Banking allows access to accounts on the go with the convenience of online banking formatted to cell phones; Merchant Deposit Capture scans and images businesses consumer checks, commercial checks, cashier’s checks and money orders electronically with a secure, accountable check processing system. “We’ve always tried to do the right thing,” says Beilman, “and we’re going to keep on doing the right thing!”
Wayne Businesses Conserve! is a pilot program sponsored by SEEDS, Workforce Wayne and PPL Electric Utilities. Run throughout the summer of 2010 in Honesdale, PA, this program aims to recognize the energy conservation efforts of local businesses, share simple, affordable and economically sound conservation techniques and raise awareness about a sustainable energy future. Each WBC! participant has met established criteria in 6 different categories: energy conservation, renewable power, transportation, water conservation, purchasing & waste prevention and recycling & composting. Please contact WBC! with any questions at [email protected] or visit http://waynebusinessesconserve.weebly.com for more information.
Years ago, the bank replaced inefficient incandescent light bulbs with more efficient CFL bulbs and electronic ballasts, and they’ve implemented an office-wide policy to turn off lights when they aren’t in use. By pairing efficient bulbs with energy conservation practices, the office has dramatically cut the energy required for lighting their building. Another office policy keeps building temperatures a little bit higher in the summer and a bit lower in the winter. According to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, raising the thermostat just 3-4 degrees can cut 10% off a summer cooling bill. Lowering it a few degrees in the winter results in comparable savings. This summer, the Operations Center of The Dime Bank is keeping many of its offices around 75 degrees. It’s a comfortable temperature and they save money by doing it!
According to Beilman, recycling is the easiest conservation practice for The Dime Bank. Recycling bins are located next to trashcans in common areas to collect cans, glass and plastic. The office also collects and recycles batteries and toner cartridges. A secure paper recycling service ensures that paper that might contain sensitive information is recycled properly. Further, they purchase reusable dishware for their lunchroom, which cuts down on the number of disposable plates and dishes they have to buy and throw away.
Transportation is one of the business’ biggest challenges. They are looking at methods to decrease transportation costs such as condensed scheduling and telecommuting options. These options are being explored but are often not always available because of the nature of the banking business. Covered bike storage is accessible for employees who are able to bike to work. In the future, The Dime Bank plans to administer a transportation survey to assess and better understand the commuting needs of their employees.
Proud of everything they are doing at their Operations Center, The Dime Bank hopes to phase these energy-conserving practices into their six branch offices. They also expect to complete a professional energy audit in order to learn more about how they can conserve energy, cut costs and protect the planet.
Additionally, The Dime Bank already makes it easy for customers to make a commitment to going green by offering several earth saving, convenience services that help customers use less paper and reduce trips to the bank. A few of these services are: eDocs, a secure way to access statements and other notices electronically; Pay On Line, a free service where customers can pay bills without writing out checks or using postage; Direct Deposit for electronic deposits of payroll, annuity, pension or retirement checks; Debit MasterCard helps save paper checks by using electronic means for purchases ; Mobile Banking allows access to accounts on the go with the convenience of online banking formatted to cell phones; Merchant Deposit Capture scans and images businesses consumer checks, commercial checks, cashier’s checks and money orders electronically with a secure, accountable check processing system. “We’ve always tried to do the right thing,” says Beilman, “and we’re going to keep on doing the right thing!”
Wayne Businesses Conserve! is a pilot program sponsored by SEEDS, Workforce Wayne and PPL Electric Utilities. Run throughout the summer of 2010 in Honesdale, PA, this program aims to recognize the energy conservation efforts of local businesses, share simple, affordable and economically sound conservation techniques and raise awareness about a sustainable energy future. Each WBC! participant has met established criteria in 6 different categories: energy conservation, renewable power, transportation, water conservation, purchasing & waste prevention and recycling & composting. Please contact WBC! with any questions at [email protected] or visit http://waynebusinessesconserve.weebly.com for more information.
The friendly staff at The Dime Bank Operations Center share how they 'green' their work days.