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The Anchorage Department of Health and Human Services, along with Green Star, gave away hundreds of block-heater timers Saturday to promote the local “Plug at 20” campaign.
The campaign is meant to promote the use of block heaters, which the programmable timers can start to provide electricity two or three hours before drivers start their cars -- eliminating the use of electricity all night.
According to the department, pre-heating a car also reduces its cold-start emissions.
“A lot of cars stay outside at night, and then in the morning they start and idle and idle,” said the department’s Anne Schlapia. “That pollution is in the neighborhoods, and the neighborhoods are of course where all our schools are, neighborhood schools -- they are where are youngest and our oldest citizens stay during the day.”
In addition, officials say pre-heating a car is a good way to save gas.