Now that winter is closing in on us (it’s freezing here in Oregon!) it’ll pay to save energy in areas other than heating, which is likely going to be the bulk of your energy bill during the cold season. The good news is that heat is not your only energy drain. So many items in our homes run on energy that it’s easy to save all over the place. For example…

If computers are on your holiday shopping list go for a laptop not a desktop. Laptops use about half the energy of desktops and if you snag an Energy Star …read more

It’s getting seriously cold in Oregon – of course I’m a cold wimp, but still! If it’s getting cold where you are you may be frustrated with how expensive it gets in the winter to heat your home, but no worries you can cut costs.

Lowering your thermostat by just a couple of numbers can save you a lot. If it’s cold put a sweater on first then gauge how warm you actually need the thermostat set at. For each degree you turn the heat down, you could save 1% which sounds like nothing, until you turn it down 5 numbers …read more

The cover story of the October issue of Consumer Reports is releasing some strategies that when used together may cut energy costs by a whopping $1,500. Bonus, saving energy is also a green perk.

The piece covers how homeowners can take their home’s energy efficiency to the next level through more-efficient product upgrades and additions as well as simple, low-cost and even no-cost upgrades and actions.
Bob Markovich, home and yard editor of Consumer Reports says, “According to our recent nationally representative survey, of more than 2,000 Americans, only 12 percent added or upgraded their home’s insulation in the past three years …read more

What’s annoying are folks who use their towel once then toss it in the laundry. Not only is this terrible waste of water and energy but it’s gonna cost you. While estimates vary, it’s likely that one load of laundry in a front-loading washer will cost you up to 34¢ per load, which sounds small but adds up quickly. Not to mention unnecessary rewashing of towels over and over renders them more likely to die off early which means you’ll need to by more towels, buy more laundry soap, waste more time and so on.
All that said, I do get …read more

With summer coming I bet plenty of you are considering your options for staying cool without racking up HUGE electricity bills. Following are some tips…

1. See if you qualify for a weatherization program in your area. Most folks think these are only helpful in winter, but that’s not true. Many weatherization programs will wrap your water heater, hand over a microwave, and look for areas where you can make money saving changes.
2. See if you can get a low-cost or free energy audit from your local electric or gas company. Energy audits can reveal surprising ways that you can reduce …read more

Ok so recently my dishwasher has been flooding all over the damn kitchen. Did I just curse? Sorry, but well, it’s super annoying. I’m talking soap and water ALL over my kitchen. I was thinking I’d need a new one, but read up on it first, and found out…
If you have a disposal, you need to run it for about 30 seconds before you run your dishwasher or debris left in the disposal can be pulled into the dishwasher drain line and clog it – which of course can lead to my issues. Do I always run the disposal 30 …read more

It’s still spring, but summer is going to be here before you know it. Gather some easy tools that allow you to save money all summer long…

String and clothespins: I hang most of my clothes up to dry year round to save money, save energy, and to make my clothes last longer. However, if you’ve never hung your laundry up to dry, summer is a great time to try it out. A set of clothespins and some string is super cheap and you can hang the string anywhere between two points. Tip for apartment dwellers – hang your clothes right …read more

I’ve talked to several people lately that wash their dishes by hand because they believe they’re saving energy.  Actually, doing less work can save you more money and it also helps the environment.
According to Consumer Reports, an efficient dishwasher can use less water than washing dishes by hand, no matter how frugal you are at the faucet.  
Here are some other tips to lower your bill while using your dishwasher:
1.  Only run your dishwasher when it is full.
2.  Turn it on the energy saver cycle.
3.  Don’t prerinse your load.
4.  Use an enzyme based detergent to get your dishes completely clean. See …read more