Posts Tagged ‘Ways’
I know a lot of us would give ourselves raises if we could. Everything else keeps going up, food costs, gas costs, and utility costs, but our incomes are staying the same. One of the things we can do is to cut energy bills.
We may not have much control over what the utility company chooses to do with energy prices, but there are many things we can do to cut our own energy costs.
Many things that can be done are free but can be very profitable for you by cutting your utility bills over a period of years.
1. The first thing you need to do is to make sure your home has enough insulation. Insulation can be measured in the ‘R’ factor. If you’re not sure what it should be just ask someone at your local hardware store what the proper ‘R’ value is for your home.
If you don’t have enough insulation you can save yourself a ton of money by adding more.
2. Once you’re sure your insulation is at the proper level check for other weak spots in your homes energy efficiency. Things like old drafty windows, doors, or gaps around your windows or doors. If you find any cracks or gaps use caulk or expandable foam to fill them in.
There are inexpensive window insulating kits you can use to help your old windows become more energy efficient.
3. Now that you’ve got your house ‘bundled up’ it’s time to make sure your furnace is running as efficiently as it should. If your filters are old or dirty your furnace won’t run as efficiently as it should and it will cost you more money.
4. Build your own wind turbine to create your own electricity. Out of everything on the list that is the one that can save you the most money.
You can build a turbine for a few hundred dollars and you will save about 80% on your utility bills.
One turbine will help you cut energy bills for a long time to come.
What do you do after you have changed out the light bulbs that will not cost you an arm and a leg? Actually there are a number of products that I will cover in this article that don’t cost much but can save you a lot of money.
Whether you believe in global warming or not, conserving energy makes sense on many levels. I have been in the conservation business since 1992 and have always understood that as much as we want to do what is right for the planet, unless I could prove the economic value of a product not many people would buy it.
Here are some options you might not have considered yet (and if you have, why haven’t you implemented them?) Some ideas have not been traditionally thought of as energy conservation strategies but at closer look they are. Other ideas have been around for awhile but recent advancements might mean it’s time for an upgrade.
For the purposes of this article I am going to focus on products that reduce hot water consumption. Studies show that 30% to 40% of water consumed in a residential environment is heated.
I am going to assume that you have already installed low-flow showerheads and aerators, low-flush toilets and replaced your energy wasting light bulbs. If you haven’t, bookmark this page and go do it.
Idea #1
Check your building pressure: Higher pressure means that more water is being forced through the low-flow faucets and aerators you installed. Since they are already restricting flow, reduce the pressure in 5 psi increments until the service level is no longer satisfactory. It is difficult to say what pressure is the right pressure – it changes from building to building. If you have a pressure regulator already installed there is no cost to implementing this strategy – experiment with it.
Idea #2
Drip Stop Faucet Washers: 90% of leaks occur in hot water pipes – some are easy to spot, others are hard to find. If you follow these steps you can pinpoint any problems and then take action to stop the bleeding. First, check all of your faucets. If they are leaking – fix them! The best replacement washers are made by Drip Stop. Google them, go to their website (turn off the annoying dripping sound) and buy them. Their patented design uses your faucet’s own internal pressure to create a tight seal which actually makes your faucets easier to turn off as well.
Next turn off all of the fixtures and go look at the meter. Most utilities are now using meters with a spinner on the face that indicates even the smallest amount passing through the meter. Again if you have a leak -fix it!
Idea #3
Lower-Flow Showerheads: That’s right, lower flow. When they first came out they were just watered down (pardon the pun) versions of the old guzzlers with flow restrictors. Nobody liked the way they felt but over the years advances were made and there are a number of low-flow showerheads that conserve while providing a quality showering experience.
But they have evolved and now there are an even better ones available and here are 4 reasons why:
1.) One is rated at 1.59 gpm versus the old 2.5 gpm wasters. This can save an average family of 3 about $155 per year – at around $40 your payback is under 4 months!
2.) When we are pre-warming the water before we get in the shower most of us on the faucet and let it run while we do other things. 1 or 2 minutes later we return to a shower filled with steam, adjust the temperature and step in.
One manufacturer has patented a technology that actually turns off the water once it reaches 95°F. You can go about your business until you are ready, pull on a chain and take your shower. This increases the savings by another $75 per year, for a total of $230 saved per year. That’s a 2 month payback at $40 per shower head!!
3.) The demise of most showerheads is clogging from lime (or other minerals) deposits. Many new models have anti-clog spray nozzles that are cleaned by dragging you finger across the nozzle tips while the water is running.
4.) Pressure can drastically change the amount of water flowing through your fixtures (see Idea #1 above). Some new models use pressure compensating technology that helps maintain a consistent flow rate across the spectrum of building pressure from high to low. And they feel great, even with lower pressure.
The best of the new fixtures that I have found are called the Evolve Showerhead and are available at The Energy Conservation Store online. And one of their polished chrome or brushed nickel showerhead (hand held also available) would look great with any decor.
There are other options but I have run out of time. If you have any questions please send me an email at the link below.
In the present scenario, technology has made enormous amends, as well as played an imperative role in changing yesterday’s world into the most recent high-tech world. It is a fact that the high speed internet has made world come closer and made the communication easier, as it provides soothing communication with the improvement of cost-effectiveness. You can even do a lot more on your computer and laptop without any hassle, as the broadband offers very high speed to surf the internet.
Due to higher advancement, broadband internet is distinct as the high speed internet. And this offers the users to access information through the internet at a quick speed compared to the dial-up access over the modem. There are many broadband deals in the market and the users can avail them as per their needs and pockets.
As a result, it becomes more popular among the users for accessing the web and it is used to activate information on the desktop or laptop computer extremely easily. This latest technology touches the user’s operations with a speed ranging from 64 bits to 1.0M bits. It makes flawless high-speed connection with immense outcomes. But the high speed internet is only achievable, when the users use with a built-in high-speed modem.
In a choice of forms, the users can gain the broadband internet connection such as DSL, cable or satellite. That means DSL stands for digital subscriber line, which allows spreading a high quantity of data, voice, images and videos very speedily. However, the most important thing is to search for the best broadband deals in the market. It means you will hit upon relatively perplexed about the deal to select from the huge market.
There are some broadband deals, which regularly propose additional features, such as virus protection. While some are free, others are added for an extra charge. It is very obligatory for you to confirm the small print of the deal whether the free offer is only available for a trial period or may be you can get the extra feature cheaper as a separate package. You can go through various online to avail the best and profitable broadband deals.