Money Saving Talk

Alternatives to Household Products that Can Save You Money

You use natural and less-toxic household products whenever possible. It’s a great way to save money and save the environment.

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture

Tags: Alternatives to Household Products, energy saving, frugal living, money saving plan, Opt for a healthier lifestyle and save money

How to cut down electricity bill in Summer months

The costs of running air conditioning in the summer months can be as much as half of your monthly electric bill. To cut down the cost, you need to budget your air conditioning usage.

1. Never leave the air on when you leave the house. Why run it when nobody is at home?

2. Make sure air is well circulated in your house. Install fans and ceiling fans in the rooms that you spend most time in such as living room and bedrooms. The electricity used by fans are far less than air conditioning units.

3. If you live in a hot climate, be sure the house in well insulated. Check your windows and doors.

4. Use energy saving light bulbs and air conditioning units. Replace them if you can.

By investing in energy saving devices, you can save money in the long run.

Tags: cut down electricity bill in Summer months, Electronics Saving Tips, energy saving, frugal living

Home Electronics Saving Tips

• Look for energy-saving ENERGY STAR labeled home electronics.
• Many appliances continue to draw a small amount of power when they are switched off. These “phantom” loads occur in most appliances that use electricity, such as VCRs, televisions, stereos, computers, and kitchen appliances. These phantom loads can be avoided by unplugging the appliance or using a power strip and using the switch on the power strip to cut all power to the appliance.
• Unplug battery chargers when the batteries are fully charged or the chargers are not in use.
• Studies have shown that using rechargeable batteries for products like cordless phones and PDAs is more cost effective than throwaway batteries. If you must use throaways, check with your trash removal company about safe disposal options.

Source: EERE, U.S. Department of Energy

Tags: Electronics Saving Tips, energy saving, home office saving

Home Office Energy Saving Tips

• Selecting energy-efficient office equipment—personal computers (PCs), monitors, copiers, printers, and fax machines—and turning off machines when they are not in use can result in enormous energy savings.
• An ENERGY STAR labeled computer uses 70% less electricity than computers without this designation. If left inactive, ENERGY STAR labeled desktop computers enter a sleep mode and use 4 watts or less. Spending a large portion of time in low-power mode not only saves energy, but helps equipment run cooler and last longer.
• To maximize savings with a laptop, put the AC adapter on a power strip that can be turned off (or will turn off automatically); the transformer in the AC adapter draws power continuously, even when the laptop is not plugged into the adapter.
• Common misconceptions sometimes account for the failure to turn off equipment. Many people believe that equipment lasts longer if it is never turned off. This incorrect perception carries over from the days of older mainframe computers.
• ENERGY STAR labeled computers and monitors save energy only when the power management features are activated, so make sure power management is activated on your computer.
• There is a common misconception that screen savers reduce energy use by monitors; they do not. Automatic switching to sleep mode or manually turning monitors off is always the better energy-saving strategy.

Long-Term Savings Tip

• Consider buying a laptop for your next computer upgrade; they use much less energy than desktop computers.

Source: EERE, U.S. Department of Energy

Tags: energy saving, home office saving