As one who is contemplating purchasing a house in the upcoming year, I've considered the complaints and woes of my homeowner friends regarding heating and cooling costs. I am surrounded by very old houses, so, this is a real issue. So I decided to get a head-start and research some of my options and find ways to save on heating and cooling bills. Depending on whether one uses gas or electricity, (oil is very expensive and solar is an emerging energy saving concept) there are several ways to cut several hundred dollars monthly using the following strategies. Please note: These strategies may not appeal to everyone for time, convenience and energy as well as geographical locations. For example, someone on the West coast may not need to heat their homes as frequently as those on the East coast. If the convenience outweighs the savings, which it may in many cases, then pick and choose wisely. Remember, even when your electronics are in "off" mode, they still draw power.
Reduce Your Electric Bill by Regulating the Temperature of Your Hot Water Heater The hot water heater runs 24/7 as it maintains the temperature set for the water, but to really save on electric costs, one should plan on only using hot water at specific times and on a stable temperature. Cut Costs on Your Heating Bill by Regulating Your Thermostat To cut costs on heating your home, check the temperatures of your thermostat . Energy savings can be significant when putting your install water heater thermostat to an ideal setting. Mark Lee from Assured Climate Heating and Cooling, states "70 degrees is an ideal temperature setting in the heating mode, the outdoor temperature should not effect this provided the system is maintained and working properly. In snow storms and ice storms it is very important to keep your outdoor unit clear of ice and snow, this will help the unit defrost itself in heavy snow and ice you need to help it out a little by turning off the system and pouring buckets of hot water over the unit. I know this is inconvenient but it helps the life of your system." Reduce Heating Costs by Turning Off Your Heater Turn off your heater...in the winter? Simply put, another way to cut electric costs, is to turn off the heater at the circuit breaker box when you're finished with your daily activities that involve hot water. Then turn it back on about 30-45 minutes before planning to shower and again off before going to bed if your routine includes a 30 minute or so gap between waking up and jumping in the shower. Although it takes a few days to develop this habit, the savings is immediate and very apparent on the electric bill. Of course, each person's on and off times will vary according to schedule and use, but a lot of money is wasted on heating water that never gets used. One person I know was able to reduce her bill anywhere from $20-$40 monthly. Please note: This savings strategy may work for an electric hot-water heater, but when done with a gas or fuel oil model by turning down the water temperature, the water temperature thermostat will get damaged and the thermostat might need to be replaced. Also, turning off the circuit breaker interrupts all the power going to anything in that circuit. The circuit breaker isn't designed to be turned on and off all the time. Reduce Natural Gas Costs by Purchasing a Tankless Water Heater or Natural Gas on Demand Initially, tankless water heaters are more expensive but the long term investment does pay back and the technology has been improving dramatically for the last five years. Also, the life span on a tankless water heater is longer. Add in also the cost of replacing a regular water heater during the lifespan of a tankless. Some do not make it past 15 years. Consider also the benefits such as cleaner water. The hot water in a regular tank causes mineral build-up. Another friend replaced her 15 year old tank style electric hot water heater with a natural gas on demand. Her energy report stated she had decreased her electric usage by over $70! That was more than the monthly loan payment for the switch from electric to natural gas and most of the cost was covered by an septic repair energy efficiency rebate. If your refrigerator, water heater, washing machine, dryer or any other high energy appliance is more than 10 years old, consider having a power company to an energy assessment of your home. If you have a household that is responsible and can limit water usage, the on-demand heaters offers big savings. This especially applies to a family with teenagers who enjoy hour long showers! Another thing to consider is household heat loss from poor venting design of old fashioned hot water heaters. The heat from one's house leaks from this vent 24/7 regardless of the use of the heaters. Another friend who recently remodeled her house, put a tankless heater in a location that was close to the kitchen and another put her tankless heater between the main baths and the kitchen. Cutting on Cooling Costs - Regulate Your Home Temperature What degree should you set your thermostat in the summer to save the most while also keeping your home cool? One suggestion is to purchase a 7 day programmable thermostat, which can also cut cooling costs. With a programmable thermostat, you're able to establish different temperature settings each day and up to four time periods per day. Some brands have a vacation mode setting as well as an energy save button. Some thermostats do not switch automatically between heating and cooling, so check the manufacturer before purchasing. Some reported savings of $300 per month during their first full month of using it. Mark Lee of Assured Climate Heating and Cooling says, "75 degrees is an ideal temperature setting in cooling mode, this temperature is comfortable yet not too harsh on the cooling system. If the outdoor temperature exceeds 95 degrees, I recommend the temperature to be set on 76 or 77 degrees. These settings are based on a system that has been maintained and is working properly and filters have been changed properly and the house is well insulated." So there you have it. Energy and money saving costs to help you stay warmer and cooler while spending less money. Who wouldn't want to spend fewer dollars on what can be a money sucker service or system? This Blogger's Books and Other Items from...
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A DUI arrest was the worst thing that has ever happened to me. I was out watching a football game at a sports bar with a couple of my buddies one night. We were drinking, but since I was there for a while, I figured I was spreading them out enough to where I wouldn't get drunk. On the way home, I got pulled over by a cop. He told me I had a burned out taillight, which I had known about but hadn't gotten around to fixing yet. While he was talking to me, he must have noticed I wasn't completely sober. He asked me if I had been drinking, and I admitted that I had a couple beers earlier. After failing a couple of the tests he gave me, I was arrested for suspicion of DUI. I was booked at the police station and given a blood test that showed I was almost twice the legal limit. Going through the legal system was horrible. Getting an attorney and taking time off work for court -- everything seemed like a constant reminder of how much I screwed up. I almost lost my job once they found out that I had a DUI arrest. I always used to look at people who got DUIs as bad people. But now I know that they're mostly people who just made a mistake. I can definitely say that it is a mistake that I will never make again. I was always a good kid. I studied, got good grades, and was active in sports and my community. But when I was 22, I made a mistake that has filled me with regret. I'm not a questions to ask your dui lawyer bad person, but I made a really bad decision. It was summer, and after getting off my job one night at a local restaurant, a couple of us decided to go out to the lake and drink. I remember it being a really beautiful night -- it was warm and clear, and we could see a million stars. We got a couple six packs of beer and sat around talking, losing track of time. When we left, I don't remember feeling drunk. Sure, I had a buzz going, but I didn't think it was enough to impact my driving. About a mile away from home, I saw the police lights in my mirror. At first, it didn't even occur to me that I was getting pulled over for drunk driving. But once the officer asked me to take a field sobriety test, I knew I was in trouble. When they gave me a breathalyzer test, I blew a .10. I was arrested on the spot for a DUI. The process of going to court and being convicted was one of the lowest points in my life. I was sentenced to community service, alcohol education classes, and I lost my license for one year, in addition to all the money I spent in legal fees and fines. Getting a DUI was a big wake-up call for me. I always considered myself responsible, and this single moment contradicts that. I realize now that I was way more intoxicated than I thought and that I'm very lucky I didn't injure anyone or worse. I got my DUI when I was 18. I had been at a party at my friend's house when her parents were out of town. I wasn't even planning on driving -- my boyfriend had taken me there and was going to get me home. I thought it was okay for me to drink at the party. We got separated, and I lost track of him throughout the night. I found him later passed out in one of the back bedrooms. I guess he had gotten drunk pretty quickly. A couple of guys helped get him into his car, and I decided I would drive him home. Big mistake. I wasn't that far down the road when I got pulled over. The cops said that I had crossed the center line twice. I knew I was drunk and probably shouldn't be driving, but it wasn't that far, and I thought I'd be okay. Now I know how lucky I was that I didn't kill anyone. Having to face my parents when they came to get me out of jail was the worst part. I had never seen them look so disappointed before. In some ways, knowing how badly I've hurt them has been worse than any punishment I could get from the court. Because I was underage when I got my DUI, the punishment was even worse. I spent several days in jail, got a lot of community service and huge fines that I had no way of paying since I was still in school. Thankfully, my parents helped me out, but it'll take a long time for me to pay them back. Even though I'm still not old enough to drink, I've already learned my lesson. I can't believe that I was so stupid to drink and drive. If one good thing has come from this, it has been that I'm an example to my friends of what can happen when you decide to get behind the wheel drunk. Hopefully I've prevented them from making the same mistake. You always think that DUIs are something that young people get. I always looked down on kids who go out and get completely drunk, then decide to get behind the wheel of a car. Then I got arrested for drunk driving when I was 53. I didn't realize that after three drinks, I was impaired enough to fail a sobriety test. I often went out for business meetings after work and would have a couple of drinks. I guess I never knew how much those drinks really impacted me. I was surprised when I saw the flashing lights but figured that perhaps I'd been speeding. The officer asked me if I had been drinking, and as I answered her, I could smell the alcohol on my own breath. Even then, I thought I was still below the limit. When my test came back at a .09, I was shocked. I didn't feel drunk. I was taken down to the station and booked. I called my attorney, who was able to bail me out. Telling my wife what had happened was hard. She was always on my case about driving after going to these business meetings, and now her worst fear had come true. Even though it's all behind me now, I will always have the stigma of being a drunk driver on my driving record. My insurance company dropped me when they found out about my DUI, and my new insurance company is charging me nearly double. I still attend these meetings for my line of work, but now I strictly drink sparkling water. I also make sure any associates I meet with have a safe way to get home. I never want anyone I know to have to go through what I did. It started out with just a couple glasses of wine. It was girl's night, and my friends and I had met up at a new wine bar we had been dying to try out. We were all relaxed and having a good time, and we decided it was still too early to call it a night. We moved on to a bar nearby, where a couple of us did a round of shots, followed by several cocktails. One of my friends started acting really drunk. She was clearly in no condition to drive, so I decided that I would take her home. As I was pulling out of the parking lot, I noticed that I was definitely not as sharp as I should be. I remember promising that if we got home safely, I would never drive like this again. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. I don't remember everything that happened leading up to the accident. I just remember there being a tree in front of the car suddenly and the impact of hitting it. The next thing I remember, there were paramedics helping us out of the car and the police were there taking our stories. Luckily, we were both wearing our seatbelts, so neither of us was badly injured. My friend cut her head on the windshield, and to this day, she has a small scar. It's a constant reminder of the danger I put us both in by driving drunk. I was arrested for DUI. The process of going to court was difficult. I lost my license for three years and spent several days in jail. My husband now drops me off and picks me up from work. I never realized how difficult it is to get around when you don't have a license. I understand now drinking under the influence penalties what a privilege driving is. While my DUI was a horrible mistake, it's been a blessing in that I now realize how even the smallest amount of alcohol is too much when getting behind the wheel. I now educate all of my friends and family so that I can spare them the trauma and the sadness that I've gone through. |
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June 2017
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