13 Ways to Lower Your Electric Bill
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Forgoing the family road trip will spare you from getting dinged by sky-high gas prices this summer, but staying at home in the air-conditioned comfort of your living room may not result in the cost savings you expected. Here are simple ways to keep electricity prices from overpowering your budget.
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Arrange an HVAC Inspection
Hire a technician to check that your heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system is operating efficiently. Make an appointment before the hot weather hits, says Ronnie Kweller, spokeswoman for the Alliance to Save Energy. If you schedule your appointment before contractors are busy with repair requests, you may be able to get an early bird discount.
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Shop for Size
If you're in the market for a new room air conditioner, use Energy Star guidelines to assess how powerful a unit you need. A too-powerful unit will cost more in both initial purchase price and ongoing energy bills, says Kweller.
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Keep It Clean
Whether you have central air or an individual window or wall unit, be sure to clean the air filters every month. Dirt and dust hinder air flow, reducing efficiency.
Next: Program Your ThermostatMore From SmartMoney.com:
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Program Your Thermostat
Programming your thermostat to give your air conditioner a break for the eight hours you're at work — even by just a degree or two — could cut your cooling bill by up to 10%, says Jennifer Thorne Amann, a senior associate at the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.
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Seek Out Incentives on Appliances
Energy Star-certified products are not only guaranteed to be more efficient than their conventional counterparts, but they can also cost less. Many utility companies and local governments offer rebates on such purchases. Austin Energy in Texas, for example, offers $50 back on window air conditioners with an energy-efficiency ratio of at least 10.7.
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Seal Up Your Home
Pricey cooled air can leak through cracks along window and door frames. Invest in some caulk and weather-stripping to plug up these drafts as you notice them. You could spend as little as $10 on the project, which would more than pay for itself over the course of the summer, says Kweller.
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Change Your Lightbulbs
If you haven't swapped your incandescent bulbs for compact fluorescents yet, get to it, says Amann. Not only do CFLs use 75% less energy than conventional bulbs, but they also generate 70% less heat.
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Close Your Blinds
It's a simple concept: Rooms get hotter without shades or curtains to block the sunlight.
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Use Fans
A breeze makes the room feel a few degrees cooler. Just be sure to turn it off when you leave. "Fans cool people, not rooms," says Kweller.
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Unplug
Gadgets like your cellphone charger and microwave suck energy — and generate heat — as long as they're attached to a power source, says Amann. Plug them into a power strip that can be turned off when not in use.
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Check Alternate Suppliers
If you live in a state where the electric industry is deregulated, shop around for a different energy provider, says Rosenstock. Savings can be as substantial as 20% a month, and many of these companies use renewable energy so they are much less dependent on the whims of oil, coal and natural gas prices. Visit your state's Public Service Commission to determine your options.
Next: Consider Time of UseMore From SmartMoney:
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Consider Time of Use Plan
A growing number of electric companies are offering so-called time-of-use plans, which offer lower rates for energy consumption during off-peak hours (usually from mid-evening to early morning). The catch? You'll often pay more for peak-hours use, so consider your schedule before signing up.
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Fix Your Bill
Ask your utility about fixed-bill plans, which charge the same amount every month for a set period, regardless of your electricity use. You'll pay a premium rate per kilowatt hour to hedge against price increases and seasonal spikes, so make sure to crunch the numbers against your total 2007 energy bills to see if you'll really save, advises Kweller.
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LionsXden44 05:46:46 PM Apr 06 2009
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REHMGDBOY 09:27:40 AM Nov 22 2008
Our country is $10 Trillion in debt now due to Reaganomics, and Bush following the same pattern. When Reagan took office, the Ntl Debt was under $1 Trillion. When he left office, it was almost $5 Trillion. George H W Bush called it VooDoo Economics. That didn't stop George W. Bush from doubling the Ntl Debt to $10 Trillion by Financing 'his' War. We are in deep DooDoo people! We must back our new President regardless of Party, and not treat Politics like a Football game, where it's you against us!
Air Fresh AZ 04:03:36 PM Jul 04 2008
CFL.s are a toxic mercury nightmare. Please read online about the mercury toxicity and the hazmat issues with them if you break one. Use LED's. Expensive , yes but a lifetime light with a better spectrum for the eyes and no mercury issues. www.nowsaveenergy.com
Gmahubbard2 12:32:39 PM Jun 28 2008
Sunnco? and Hess, what about the West Coast? Try car- pooling, biking, walking or riding the bus. Even the train for a long commute, even one day a week would save many gallons of gas in a short time. Action speaks louder than words and the way to make them listen is to keep your money out of their pocket and in yours.
Equestrian5634 09:10:22 AM Jun 27 2008
Just to make it clear, most legislation needs a 2/3 vote to clear not just a majority.
Marapoet33 02:32:31 PM Jun 26 2008
disgusted1 2:24 PM 6/26/08there's bickering in congress-let's have term limits.there's bickering at the UN-lets keep our money and get out of it.there's bickering in or just about everything and everyone.let's all pray in whomever we believe in that this country will always remainthe very best in the world.
Poorkg2 06:16:22 AM Jun 24 2008
A Somali arrives in Minneapolis as a new immigrant to the United States . He stops the first person he sees walking down the street and says, "Thank you Mr. American for letting me in this country, giving me housing, food stamps, free medical care, and free education!"
The passerby says, "You are mistaken, I am Mexican."
The man goes on and encounters another passerby. "Thank you for having such a beautiful country here in America !" The person says, "I not American, I Vietnamese."
The new arrival walks further, and the next person he sees he stops, shakes his hand and says, "Thank you for the wonderful America !" That person puts up his hand and says, "I am from Middle East , I am not
American!"
He finally sees a nice lady and asks, "Are you an American?" She says, "No, I am from Africa !"
Puzzled, he asks her, "Where are all the Americans?"
The African lady checks her watch and says..."Probably at work."
Goodidea42 02:08:45 PM Jun 22 2008
LightMan01: don't give me any credit because I am a conservative democrat not a rebublican. It used to be true that laws where passed by the legislative brances but it seems the idiot from Texas has had his way for almost 8 years and he has said the Constitution is just a piece of paper. I guess he forgot that he swore to uphold that piece of paper. He took us to war with lies and the republicans Had the majority then.
Goodidea42 06:06:24 PM Jun 21 2008
Just so no one is ignorant of the fact the democrats have only one more vote than the republicans do in the legislature and thats not enough to get what they want. With only one vote-the entire democratic population in the legislature would all have to vote the same way and thats a hard thing to get done.
LightMan01 02:33:18 PM Jun 21 2008
Goodidea42 is quite correct... The President doesn't make law, the Congress does. He will sign legislation into law, but where does that legislation come from? In short... the two houses. And, which party presently holds the majority of seats and the controling votes in both houses? You know as well as I do... the Democrat party.
What I'm getting at here is, simply put so even a Liberal can understand it, CFountain1842 (6/20/08 at 05:47:42) is engaging in their normal hate speak. What's funny to me is that most mid to far left Liberals think (Whoa... now there's an oxymoron "Liberals think") that if they spout their uninformed, mis-informed and just plain ignorant ideas loud enough and long enough they somehow become true. CFountain1842 seems to be yet another example of why we that have more than Two brain cells to rub together now believe that Liberalism is a mental illness.
