In this way, members could achieve savings of up to 50%.
Such steps have achieved real savings in California, for example.
The utilities said they expected to achieve savings of about $2 billion over 10 years.
It is important to begin to achieve real savings in this sector.
This will point you towards more areas where water use can be reduced and savings achieved.
But, on average, even those programs did not achieve enough savings to offset their fees.
"The savings achieved by having city workers do this work could help finance the raises our members need."
The total plan aimed to achieve savings of €97 million euro between then and 2011.
Through the cutbacks, United hopes to achieve savings of about $400 million a year.
"When the economy gets bad, some employers believe they can achieve greater savings sometimes on the backs of older employees," he said.