How To Save Money On Your Electric Bill
When you look at your electric bill, you may find it is higher than what you expected to see. You may start to wonder how exactly you can save money on your electric bill. The problem is, much of the advice you find is not going to be useful and this can lead to you thinking it is impossible to save money on this bill. Here are five tips to help you save money on this bill, but unlike other advice, this is practical advice that can be used quickly and right away!
1. Turn Items Off
You may have heard this a thousand times growing up, but this makes a huge difference in your monthly bill. For example, if you leave just one bedroom light most days, it can easily increase your bill by a couple of dollars. A couple of dollars may not seem like much, but factor this in with the other lights and televisions on a regular basis. Once you take this step, you will notice that those couple of dollars can easily add up to close to one hundred dollars. So turning them off will drastically lower your bill, even if by a couple of dollars, at a time.
2. Unplug It
You probably leave your microwave and other appliances plugged in all the time. The problem is, the only reason they are plugged in most of the time is for ease of use. If you are able to get to the plug, you should unplug the item and so you don’t have to worry about it increasing your bill (because it will – anything you leave plug in drains energy). The downside of doing this is you may have to plug the item back in and possibly reset a clock to use the item, so figure out what’s more important to you.
3. Change Light Bulbs
Older-style bulbs are going to draw more electric and not last as long. If you change these to newer CFL bulbs, you can say goodbye to recurring expenses. Simply buy a few new bulbs at once, and you most likely won’t have to buy another one for a couple of years. This will be required for everyone soon, so get used to it now!
4. Hand Dry
Most people do not realize this, but a huge-energy sucker is the dryer. If you live in an area with a lot of wind or even sunny days, you need to take advantage of this. Hanging the clothes outside on a line or inside in the sunlight. Not only will they your clothes dry naturally, but the suns rays will also kill off any of the bacteria which could land on the clothes.
5. It’s Done!
For convenience, a great item to have plugged in all the time is a cell phone. The problem is, these will constantly draw power, even when they are fully charged. If you want to save money, you need to unplug these as soon as they… Continue reading
A Time To Think About Green Energy
With all the rushing and goings on during the holiday season one should not forget that after the holidays we return to the way it was before. Are you just thinking about going green or have you taken steps to get started? Energy use is on the rise cost are increasing, and my question to you: what are you doing personally to help save our planet from depletion of our natural resources? We need alternative energy such as solar, wind, and other reusable sources of energy or we will be in a major crisis. Your comments are welcome.
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Green Facts-Discover The Truth About Laundry Detergents
Did You Know Laundry Detergent Is Made From Oil? Do you use laundry detergent?
Did you know that laundry detergents are not legally required to list their ingredients on the labels?
While these chemicals may not be on the label, recent studies show many of them to be proven cancer causing toxins. They build up in your skin, and may cause serious health problems like asthma, allergies, and even cause cancer.
PLEASE STOP: Do not do another load of laundry until you read this letter. If you take 4 minutes to read this crucial information, it will change your life, take your health to a new level, and save you a great deal of money that most people simply flush down the toilet..
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Different Types of Solar Energy – How Many Are There?
There are different types of solar energy that are used today. You ask how many are there. According to recent studies, there are three basic types but we will break it down into five different categories. Below I have listed each type and will describe each as it relates to the different uses.
- Photovoltaic Solar Power-Energy that is created by converting the suns rays into electrical energy is called photovoltaic. I am sure you have seen solar panels on houses or businesses before. These are the devices that convert the solar energy into usable electricity. In a simple form it can be used to power solar lighting, examples of this are traffic signs, yard lighting, or security applications.
- Passive Solar Energy-Passive solar energy can best be described as using the sun’s energy without the use of mechanical devices. One example could be the energy from the sun concentrating heat on a black painted block wall which in turn would warm your house. Another example could be how the sun would warm your house through windows facing south. Even the use of sky light boxes on a roof using the sun to light rooms during the day.
- Active Solar Energy-We discussed earlier not using mechanical devices, active solar energy uses mechanical devices such as pumps, or moving shutters controlled my the angle of the sun. Pumps are used to circulate water in applications requiring the moving of the heated water. One residential use would be solar water heating for a swimming pool were the heated water is returned to the pool using a pump. Other examples would be solar water heating and solar space heating were water is pumped through coils of tubing to heat a room.
- Solar Thermal Energy-Sometimes confused with active solar energy, solar thermal energy is the converting of energy into heat. Anything that uses the sun’s energy to make heat could be classed as solar thermal energy or energy from the sun to produce heat.
- Concentrating Solar Power-This type of energy is used mainly for large production of electricity, and not recommended for home owners. This is a larger scale operation where electricity might be sold to home owners through their utility supplier.
I have listed five types of solar energy above but the last two could fit into one of the three classes above them. Solar energy is becoming a vital resource for power and heat production in the world today. Solar systems are becoming more economical for home owners to help cut the high cost of energy. For more about solar panels and building your own solar systems visit “Earth Power Energy Systems.”
Jerry has got some great information for you about how you can save money generating your own electricity! Download his FREE Ebook, “Why Build Your Own Wind And Solar System?” from his website http://earthpowerenergysystems.net/. Only limited FREE Copies available.
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Pros and Cons of a Solar Lease Program
The cost of solar grid-tie systems still remains costly for the home owner.
However, a solar lease program can cost you one half the cost of buying your own system. Solar leasing is an affordable way for a home owner to save almost instantly on their electrical cost. But there are some things to consider about a lease versus a completely purchased system. Below, I have laid out some pros and cons about solar leasing. Pros:
Cons:
As you can see, a solar lease needs to be carefully studied by the home owner and balanced out financially if it is a feasible option.
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