Save Energy, Save Money

During this lean times, everyone is looking to save a buck and you can start by saving energy at home and a good one to start is replacing those incandescent light bulbs we use all over our homes.

According to the EPA and the US Department of Energy if every American home replaced just one light bulb with ENERGY Star qualified bulb, we would save enough energy to light 3 million homes for a year. That amounted to $600 million in annual energy cost, and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more than 800,000 cars.

Replacing those incandescent light bulbs with Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs makes a lot of sense and eventually will save you energy cost. Compared to the incandescent light bulb, CFLs use about 75% less energy, 75% less heat which means they are safer to use, last 10 times longer which means all this could save you $35.00 for each bulb's lifetime use.

CFLs comes in different sizes and shapes, for indoors and outdoors, warm or soft lighting and are great to be used in all areas of our homes.

Some CFLs works with dimmer switches but make sure to read the labels because majority of CFLs will not work with these switches.

It's a small start but it makes sense, it will save you energy cost in the long run and also great for the environment.

www.thediypal.com

Is Your Water Heater Needs Replacing?

Don't get caught unprepared when your water heater fails. Water heaters lasts about 10–15 years or so, so if your water heater is getting close to the end of it's service life, start looking around for a replacement and replace them before they actually fail.

Take in consideration of all the available options and models of water heaters in the market today and choose one that will save you energy, operating cost and the one that will meet the hot water demand of your home.

Some of the available types of water heaters are Heat Pump Water Heaters, Gas Storage Water Heaters, Gas Condensing Water Heaters, Whole-Home Gas or Electric Tankless Water Heaters, Solar Water Heaters and Heat Pump Water Heaters.

Here are some of the checklist you can use before purchasing.

• Check for product availability in your local area and on the web and do a research comparison.

• Decide on what size you need according to your household hot water demand, your plumber or sales person will be able estimate them for you.

• Get quotes on water heater cost and installation, get them in writing.

• Find out about warranty on the water heater, parts and labor.

• Make sure you have the available space for your new model and size you choose.

• Take in considerations any additional expenses such as additional electrical wiring or additional plumbing.

• Find out if there are special deals and any tax credits for purchasing a qualified Energy Star compliant water heaters.

• Find out if your contractor will obtain all the necessary permits for you.

• Get references for your contractor.

• Check the companies you are dealing with the Better Business Bureau.

By preparing and acting before your water heater fails, you will save money, more in control of your purchase and a lot less mess on your hands.

www.thediypal.com

Change your Clock, Change your Smoke Alarm Batteries

March 8, 2009 at 2:00 am is the start of daylight saving time, don't forget to set your clocks before you go to bed but most importantly, this serves as a reminder for all of us to replace the batteries of our smoke alarms.

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA),

• A 2004 telephone survey found that 96% of U.S. households had at least one smoke alarm, yet in 2000-2004, no smoke alarms were present or none operated in almost half (46%) of the reported home fires.

• An estimated 890 lives could be saved each year if all homes had working smoke alarms.

• 65% of reported home fire deaths in 2000-2004 resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.

Some facts to ponder, smoke alarms really do a great job saving lives, but we must maintain them.

www.thediypal.com