How Rain Barrel Use Can Help Save You Money

Why pay for outdoor water use during dry days when, in most locations, more than enough rain falls right on your roof? Rain in barrels are a time-tested way of collecting water for reuse. Runoff water from your roof, which normally flows onto your lawn or down your driveway and out into the street, can be collected in barrels and used for watering your lawn and garden during rain free times. 

The collection and reuse of rainwater can help the environment, but there are also financial benefits for implementing a rain capture strategy. Here are a few ways you can save with rain barrel usage: 

• Reduce dependence upon city or well water by as much as 40% or more, therefore reducing your water bill
• Possibly avoid water restrictions with a ready back-up water source in times of drought or between rain showers
• Increase the health of your soil by watering the yard and plants with rainwater, minus the many harmful chemical contaminants (minerals, chlorine, fluoride, and other chemical contaminants).

Posted by Clean Energy Experts 

Small space heaters can be a smart, cost-effective way to heat individual rooms or spaces, without relying upon central heating. In many cases, it is less expensive to heat the occupied space versus the cost to heat an entire area controlled by a central system.

To maximize cost savings, turn down the thermostat to 55 degrees F and place space heaters in a child or elderly person's room or where their are individuals that be sensitive to the cold. By concentrating the heat, the central heating system will run less and heating costs will drop.

Kick-off he New Year right with a these green living tips:

A new year is starting; it is now time to reflect on the past and look to the future and set new resolutions. Some of these green tips you may already know or already integrate them into your daily daily life. If you are currently not doing any of the following, even if you only follow a few of these easy tips,  you will save money, time and energy. You will find that these eco-friendly green resolutions are surprisingly simple to implement.

1. Replacing Appliances - When your next appliance breaks down and can not be repaired, be buy an energy efficient replacement.
   
2. CFL Light Bulbs—You can save over 50% of your energy use for lighting by replacing traditional, incandescent light bulbs with a Compact Fluorescent Light Bulb (CFL).
3. Reduce Vampire Power Loss - Never leave anything on standby. Switch off PCs and TVs when not in use. And unplug your mobile phone charger when you're not using it. Leaving appliances on standby wastes at least 6% of domestic electricity use.  Also look into the use of smart power management products.
   
4. Use Re-usable Water Bottle  –  Utilize refillable bottles for drinking water to help reduce the millions of gallons in crude oil required to produce and distribute plastic bottles, that otherwise would take thousands of years to decompose.
5. Reduce, Reuse & Recycle -  The new year usually means out with the old and in with the new - but don't be so hasty. Don't let those items end up in the waste stream by recycling and reusing what you already have - one of the most eco friendly things you can do is look after what you already have or finding a new home for the item.
6. Better Thermostat Use - In many parts of the country, the heating and cooling portion of your utility bill makes up over 50% of your utility bill. Reduce you bills by 10%-15% by adjusting the thermostat by 2 - 3 degrees. You can can also reduce your cooling costs by 30% in the summer by implementing a flash evaporation system. 
7. Buy Organic and Local - As a partial replacement to fast food and chain supermarkets, try organic and local produce from your local farmer's market. The production of organic food causes much less environmental damage than conventional agriculture and also helps to reduce pollution by cutting down on food miles which contribute to climate change.
   
8. Use Green Household Cleaning Products – Eliminate the use of cleaners that utilize Phosphates, which have known environmental negative impact.Many conventional household cleaning products contain chemicals and phosphates. 
9. Reduce Car Use and Cut Car Pollution - Over 50% of all car trips are less than 4 miles, which is an ideal distance to be covered by bicycle.
10. Use Re-usable Grocery Bags - Plastic bags cause as much, if not more economic damage of plastic water bottles, showing up in water ways and landfills. By using a re-usable grocery bag, you can reduce the amount of plastic bags that end up in the landfill by 5 - 8 bags per trip.
    
11. Re-use plastic bags— It may be hard to completely avoid ever buying or having plastic bags around, but to minimize using more you can do a few simple things. If you have pets you can keep a drawer full of these bags and take them with you when you venture out with Fido. Another use for plastic bags is using them as trash bags in the smaller waste pails like the laundry room or the bathroom.
12. Composting - Composting is nature's recycling program, a process by which natural materials decompose as a result of natural chemical reactions or be aided by fungi, bacteria and insects. An excellent way to reduce the amount of food waste that will end up in the landfill by using an outdoor composter. If you live in an apartment or have limited space, a indoor composting system may be a good solution.
    

Unfortunately, most of the fruits and vegetables in the supermarket are covered in wax, germs, pesticides, soil, herbicides and a whole host of other chemical contaminants. If not washed properly, you may ingest these harmful chemicals.

A quick rinse under sink water is not sufficient to properly clean our fruits and veggies before we eat them, due to the fact that the agricultural industry makes their pesticides, herbicides and most other agricultural chemicals waterproof. The use of wax to make sure fruits and veggies look nice is another way all of these harmful chemicals are sealed onto the food product surface.

The pesticides, fertilizers, herbicides, road dirt, supermarket dirt, molds, fungi, waxes and more, are usually on the beautiful apples, pears, cucumbers and other fruits and vegetables before you eat them. Besides the dirt and other chemicals just mentioned, numerous strangers in the field and in the supermarket have handled your fruit or vegetables before you bought them!

Plain water, alone, just doesn't get all those chemicals and dirt off before you eat it.

The Natural Solution to Washing Fruits and Vegetables

Many folks in the US and around the world are now finding a solution with vegetable washes and food sanitization systems. Here are a few options:

1. Vermont Soap Organics Produce Magic - It's made with organic oils and makes food taste better! Natural soaps have been safely used by humans for thousands of years and harmful detergents for less than a hundred. Doesn't it make sense that a natural, organic soap safer for you and your family?
2. Lotus Sanitizing System LSR100 - The lotus® Home Cleaning System infuses water with ozone, in the Multi-Purpose Bowl included with the system, to reduce bacteria and pesticides on foods. You can also use lotus to infuse water in the Multi-Purpose Spray Bottle attachment and sanitize surfaces with one of the lotus® Microfiber Cleaning Cloths, also included with the system.
   

Properly sealing cracks and openings in you home can significantly reduce heating and cooling costs throughout the year. You may already know where some air leakage occurs in your home, such as an under-the-door draft, but you'll need to find the less obvious gaps to properly seal your home.

Here are several tests that can be used to check for air leaks:

1. Window Seal Check - Shut the window on a piece of paper. If paper can be pulled without tearing paper, than window should be resealed.
2. Visual Gap Check - After daylight hours, shine a light through closed window and door seam and have a partner confirm if light is visible on other side.
   
3. Hot/Cold Air Check - Use your hands to feel around door and window seal checking for cold or hot air coming in through a leak.
   

Common areas to check for leaks are between brick and wood siding, between foundation and walls, and between the chimney and siding. In addition, you should inspect around these areas for leaks and drafts:

• Door and window frames
• Mail chutes
• Electrical and gas service entrances
• Cable TV and phone lines
• Outdoor water faucets
• Where dryer vents pass through walls
• Bricks, siding, stucco, and foundation
• Air conditioners
• Vents and fans

Home Pressurization Test

If you are having difficulty locating leaks and drafts, you may want to conduct a basic building pressurization test:

1. First, close all exterior doors, windows and fireplace flues.
2. Turn off all combustion appliances such as gas burning furnaces and water heaters.
3. Then turn on all exhaust fans (generally located in the kitchen and bathrooms) or use a large window fan to suck the air out of the rooms.

This test increases infiltration through cracks and leaks, making them easier to detect. You can use incense sticks or your damp hand to locate these leaks. If you use incense sticks, moving air will cause the smoke to drift, and if you use your damp hand, any drafts will feel cool to your hand.

Now that we are approaching the early part of winter, you can take some steps to reduce the amount of energy that you're using to lower your bill. Here are some suggestions.

1. Turn Back the Thermostat - Set your thermostat to 68°. Your heating system will operate less and use less energy.  You can also save from 450 - $125 a year by turning down your thermostat down 5° at night or when leaving your home for an hour or more. For a small investment, consider purchasing a programmable thermostat to adjust your home's temperature settings automatically. 
2. Use power strips – Plug home electronics devices, such as TVs, computers, game devices and stereo equipment, into power strips; turn the power strips off when the equipment is not in use. Another step further would be to implement smart power strips to improve energy efficiency and reduce vampire power loss.
3. Set Water Heater to 120° - Consider reducing your water heater to a cooler setting will reduce the amount of energy required to keep the water warm enough. A reduction of 10°F could result in a savings of 2 - 6% savings in water heating related costs.
4. Wrap Your Water Heater - Purchase a water heater blanket, which is widely available at most hardware and home improvement stores. The Department of Energy states that this will save the average household around 4-9% of their annual total water heating costs (around $12 - $48 for most homes.)
   
5. Clean Refrigerator Coils -  On an annual basis, refrigerator coils should be vacuumed and cleaned. Dirty coils can result in energy loss between 5% - 8%.
   
6. Seal Building Leaks and Gaps  - Use weather stripping and caulk around windows and doors. This will be an inexpensive way to save on energy loss.
7. Install Water-efficient Water Appliances - By installing low use shower heads and faucets, you can reduce hot water usage by up to 10%, which will be a savings of $5 - $25 per water appliance.
   
8. Replace Furnace or Heat Pump Filter - Regularly replace dirty filters to improve airflow, which will improve furnace performance, which can result in a $25 - $50 annual savings.
9. Properly Seal Duct Work - Properly seal ducts of a FHA (forced hot air) System to reduce energy loss.
10. Switch to Compact Flourescent Light Bulbs - CFL's can save up to $40 - $50 over the life of the bulb in energy costs.
11. Smart Appliance Replacement - When appliances and electronic devices can not be repaired, choose a replacement that is Energy Star Compliant. These devices are tested to be more energy efficient than older models.
12. Seal Fireplace Damper - To reduce heat loss, be sure to close damper when not in use. You can further reduce heat loss up the chimney by installing a chimney draft stopper.
    

Reasons to Install Dryer Vent Cover

Have you ever noticed that the room containing your clothes dryer is usually the coldest room in your house? Most clothes dryers are connected to a 4″ diameter exhaust duct that runs directly to an opening on the exterior of the home. During the winter months, cold air leaks in through the duct, through your dryer and into your house, allowing your heated air to escape.  In addition to the energy loss issues, other problems include insects, mice and other pests to enter through the exterior vent. 

One solution to the problem is to install a Dryer Vent Seal Cover. The installation of the dryer vent vent kits with a floating cap design can provide several benefits in the following areas:

Energy Efficient

Because dryer vent cap only opens when the dryer is in use, the movement of air, either air conditioned to the outside, or cold exterior air to the inside. This design also keeps rain, snow and dust or other debris from blowing into the dryer vent. Because cold air isn't allowed in and heated or cooled air isn't allowed out, this will improve the energy efficiency of maintaining air in the effected area.

Fire Safety

The louvered design of the dryer vent seal allows lint to pass freely to the outside, preventing the buildup of lint in the dryer vent. Collected lint is very flammable and the use of wire mesh or screens by many homeowners traps the lint and increases the collection of the flammable material.

Acupressure has proven to be a popular natural health remedy and has gained a strong reputation amongst natural treatments and alternative medicine throughout the world. The first use of the acupressure mat as we know it today was in Soviet Union in the 1980s, but by the 1990s, with the spread of liberation following the demise of the Soviet Union Acupressure Mats began to be popular in a wide range of former Soviet Block countries and beyond. Today we are seeing the popularity of Acupressure Mats spreading worldwide with their use sweeping across Western Europe and the Americas.

Current estimates have over 75% of the US population suffering from lower back pain, resulting in and estimated $50 billion on back pain relief ranging from medication to surgery.

A new treatment that has great results and is cost effective, the Halsa mat, is attracting attention amongst the back pain sufferers. This mat, based on the acupressure theory, made up of thousands of plastic nails stimulating pressure points which release pain relieving hormones.  Many of the product benefits of the Halsa Mat include relief from back pain, insomnia, migraine headaches, or simply want to relax after a long or stressful day.” 

The Benefits of Residential Solar Panels

The environmental impact of installing solar panels are evident. The installation of residential solar panels will reduce the size of your carbon footprint and your share of greenhouse gases that are produced annually. As you go through the decision-making process of determining the feasibility of installing residential solar panels, here are a few key points to consider:

• Start-up Costs - You can reduce the substantial initial outlay by taking advantage of incentives and tax rebates. 
  
• Self sufficiency and independence -The ability to get of the grid can be liberating. You can also remove a bit of market volatility that can be caused by terrorism, natural disasters and market forces.
  
• Return on Investment - The initial purchase of solar panels is obviously a substantial investment, but energy generation starts immediately, resulting in immediate savings on electrical costs. After the initial outlay is covered, in 10 - 15 years, the system will provide pure profit.
• Remote Installation - Cabins, sailboats, RV's, these are great places to see the advantages of solar energy. Solar power is often much more cost effective to establish in remote areas than conventional power infrastructure.
• Environmental Impact - The use of solar energy produces no emissions or noise pollution. 
• Home equity - Passive solar layout & landscaping concepts increase the value of a home. 
• System Longevity - Solar panels have the capability of collecting energy for 40 plus years and manufacturers typically warranty the systems for 20 to 25 years.
  

Solar Panels

Tips and Recommendations on Selecting Solar Chargers

Portable solar battery chargers have been a great benefit to individuals that spend time outdoors or city dwellers that are  constantly on the move and disconnected. Portable solar chargers are used to charge cell phones, MP3 players, GPS devices, tablet computers and laptop computers. The chargers today utilize various types of solar panels, ranging from thin film to monocrystalline panels. With the myriad of choices and applications, there are several things that should be considered when evaluating a solar charger purchase: 

• Built-in Charge Controller - The charge controller monitors the amount of charge supplied to the batteries. Once the batteries reach full charge, the controller will halt charging to prevent overcharging.
  
• Device Tip Compatibility - Confirm that the charger is compatible with your electronic devices. There is limited standardization among electronic manufacturers and there are a large variety of tip options.
  
• Charge Time Requirements - The more solar cells on the device, thee more watts that can be generated. Most solar chargers have only one or two solar cells and so put out a relatively small amount of power in a short period of time. It is going to take some time in the sun to charge your device. The more solar cells the charger has the more watts of power it can generate and the faster it can charge your devices. When comparing chargers look for the charger with the most output in watts for its physical dimensions and price.
• LED Charge Indicator - Many solar battery chargers offer a LED indicator that will enable you view the see how near the unit is to a complete charge. if the unit is still charging or full. There are also units that will automatically block sunlight whenever the battery is full. A typical solar charger has adaptors and charging clamps for the batteries.
  
• Panel Dimensions & Charger Voltage - The larger the solar panel is typically translates to more solar cells. As the number of solar cells increase, the the more charge that can be transferred to the charger's battery. For comparative purposes, a solar charger with a 2 watt solar panel has twice the current generating capabilities of a 1 watt panel and a battery rating of a 4 amp hours (Ah) has the capability of holding twice the charge of a 2 Ah battery.
  

 

Here are a few ways to repurpose plastic cereal box liners:

• As a sandwich baggie. Place your sandwich in the liner, wrap and go.
  
• Use as a dog waste bag. Take them along of walks with your dog to handle their dog waste.
  
• Carry them with you to use them as a small trash bag.
• Use as shipping packing material. You can bunch to use as padding or fill with air and close  to make an air pillow.
  
• Use as a wet/soiled clothes divider in your suit case or gym bag. 
  
• Bags can be used as a portable food container, such as packing trail mix or snacks on outdoor excursions.
  

Tips to Properly Maintain Your Hot Water Heater

There are several easy and inexpensive ways to increase a water heater's operating efficiency and operating life. By following several of these tips, you can make your hot water less expensive:

• Add an insulation blanket.
• Inspect the flue for breaks or gaps that could leak deadly exhaust gas.
  
• Twice a year, drain and flush sediment, which reduces efficiency in the water heater. If the level of sediment is in your water supply is high, this may need to be done more often.  To drain the tank, turn off the water supply at the tank top, hook a hose to the water spigot at the base, open a hot-water tap in the house and open the water spigot. Once the tank is drained, turn on the water supply at the top of the tank and let it run until the water draining out is clear. Close the spigot and turn off the tap.
  
• Once a year, check the pressure-relief valve to make sure this crucial safety device isn't clogged. To relieve any overpressurization in the tank, place a bucket beneath the copper overflow pipe. Carefully push the relief valve at the top and a burst of hot water should spray out. If not, the valve should be replaced.
  
• Make sure a viable anode rod hangs in the tank to prevent rust out.
  

The Use of Power Strips to Reduce Extra Energy Costs

The plugging in of your electronic devices is a great way to reduce your energy expenditures. Switching power strips off when the connected devices are not in use can help cut costs by reducing the "energy vampires" that occur from electronic devices that continue to draw power when not in use. The devices that should be readily connected to Power Strips are:

• Office Equipment (computers, printers and scanners)
• Cell phone and PDA chargers
• DVD players
• Gaming Systems
• Televisions and stereo equipment

You can take it one step further by us smart power strips.  Smart power stripsautomatically turn off electricity to all the things you don't need -- when you turn off your TV, a smart strip turns off power to DVD players, home theater components, cable boxes, game consoles and so on.  When you're not using your computer, have it turn off your monitor, speakers, and printers. Save electricity, save energy, save your electronics!