January 2009

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Win $10,000: Show Others How to Save Energy in a 30-Second Video

January 30, 2009 in Free Stuff, Save Energy, Saving Money by susan | No comments

By Susan Seliger

You want to save energy, save money and save the planet, right?  So why not shoot your own little home video and show other Americans how they can be smarter in their energy use. Just a little 30-second video – and you could win $10,000.

That’s all there is to it. The video contest is sponsored by Smart Power, an organization devoted to helping Americans become smarter about their energy use.

Need inspiration? Smart Power offers these factoids on energy use to get your creative green juices flowing:

  • Phantom load (the energy that appliances continue to draw when you think they’re off – but they’re still plugged in) wastes roughly the same amount of energy as produced by 18 power plants!
  • If every American home replaced just one incandescent light bulb with a CFL bulb, we would save enough energy to light 3 million homes for a year, save over $600 million and reduce the emissions equivalent to 800,000 cars.
  • If you are using a second refrigerator in your basement or garage, consider getting rid of it — you’d save over $100 per year.

So start shooting. The deadline for this Smart Power: Let’s Get Energy Smart contest is Earth Day — April 22, 2009.

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Go Green-Save Green: Save $180 On Your Heating and Cooling Bill

January 20, 2009 in Go Green, Save Energy, Saving Money by susan | No comments

By Susan Seliger

The headlines in newspapers and blogs from coast to coast confirm what we can all feel in our pockets – Americans are digging deep to save money.

Well, dig no more — going green can save some green, too.

The key to cutting your energy bills is to keep the heat down in winter and the AC on low in summer. For every degree you lower your thermostat in winter and raise it in summer, you save at least 1% or more on your bills. And if you cut it down 10 percent all those hours you are away from the house or on vacation, the savings for the average consumer whose yearly energy bill is $2,000, can easily range from $150 to $180.

Trouble is, who remembers to do it?

Probably the only sure-fire, idiot-proof way to do keep temperatures optimal for money-savings, day and night, is to use a programmable thermostat. If you haven’t got one, the $30 to $100 it costs will easily pay for itself before the first year is up.

Here’s the big payoff. If you actually take advantage of the thermostat’s ability to change heat and AC temperatures six or more times in the course of a day and especially when you are away from the house (yes, you can’t just buy it, you have to use it – there’s always a catch, right?) you can easily save $150 per year, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, without dramatic changes. More if you’re willing to pull out the woolies and layer up this winter. .

You can lower carbon emissions, lower your heating and cooling bill, and still stay toasty warm or cool as a cucumber when you’re home – not bad.

Furthermore, if you get too hot or cold while you’re home, you can easily manually override the settings (I didn’t say hot flashes, did you?) without having to program it all over again.

Make sure to look for a thermostat with an Energy Star rating – and you’ll keep those savings coming.

FOR MORE on Thermostats from your government and mine at DOE:

Energy efficiency and thermostats, go to the U.S. Dept. of Energy:

DOE info on temperature settings to use:

Winter Tip, Summer Tip

Photo credit: Susan Seliger (those are her bills, too)

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