[Energy Efficiency]
Are You a Super Energy Saver?
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Share results of your project to enter our contest! Prizes include energy bill credits for adults and an iPod for youth.
Do you turn out lights every time you leave the room and unplug your computer every night? Have you installed an energy-efficient HVAC system? Caulked and sealed your home?
If you’ve taken heroic measures to lower your home energy bills, we want to hear your story and share what you’ve ...
[Ask Mr. Tight-Watt]
Ask Mr. Tight-Watt: Programmable Thermostats
Monday, July 27, 2009
What are the benefits of installing a programmable thermostat?
Question: What are the benefits of a programmable thermostat? –from Charles, a Smart Choices reader
Mr. Tight Watt checked with Energy Star to find an answer for Charles.
Answer: The primary benefit of a programmable thermostat is that you can save about $180 per year in energy costs. In add...
[Food & Nutrition]
Canning for Dummies
Monday, July 27, 2009
I’m a canning newbie wondering if I can do it right.
By Kathy Roth Eastman, Smart Choices editor
OK, I’ve frozen green beans, tomatoes, berries, and more. But our freezer is already getting full, and I also want to preserve some items that don’t freeze well, such as salsa. Although I helped my mom can our garden bounty many years ago, I h...
[Electric Power Supply]
Nuclear Power Position About Face
Monday, July 27, 2009
Greenpeace founder and former president reverses position at a recent conference.
Greenpeace co-founder and former president Patrick Moore recently announced that the environmental movement “made a big mistake” by opposing nuclear power in the 1970s and 1980s. His statement came when he spoke at a recent National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation confere...
[Ask Mr. Tight-Watt]
Ask Mr. Tight-Watt: Unplugging Appliances
Monday, July 27, 2009
A reader asks an electrifying question.
Question: Is it true that you can save energy by unplugging items you are not using like DVD players or computers, or can you just turn them off? – from Jill, a Smart Choices reader
Mr. Tight Watt refers to Energy Star and past Smart Choices articles about phantom energy use.
Answer:&nb...
[Agriculture]
Family Reinvents Century Farm
Monday, July 27, 2009
After 117 years, the Pisel farm is home to a new enterprise.
Iowans know that farming has changed, and that sometimes economics make it hard for family farms to survive. That’s the position Jolene and Kirk Pisel found themselves in as they struggled to maintain the beef business Kirk operated on their Humboldt County Century Farm. “It’s diff...
[Energy Efficiency]
Let Your Fridge Just Cool It
Monday, July 27, 2009
Properly maintain your best food-preserving friend, the refrigerator.
If we had to choose one appliance we just couldn’t live without, many of us would choose our refrigerator, the workhorse of the kitchen. Without a refrigerator, we couldn’t keep fresh milk, cheeses, produce, and more. There would be no ice cream treats, ice cubes, or stocking up on meats...
[Ask Mr. Tight-Watt]
Ask Mr. Tight-Watt: Geothermal Heat Pump Fans
Monday, July 27, 2009
Should the fan be set to run continually?
Question: My HVAC contractor who works on my geothermal heat pump says I should keep the fan on the pump running 24/7 to circulate air in my home. I heard that this is not good for the system. Is this correct? If that's the case, what’s the best way to keep air circulating in my home? —R...
[Energy Efficiency]
Stay Cool, Save Money
Friday, July 24, 2009
EnergySavers.gov gives their top 10 list.
According to EnergySavers.gov, these Top 10 Tips to Stay Cool, Save Money are easy and generally inexpensive solutions for beating the heat.
Maintain air filters and HVAC equipment. Well-maintained equipment runs more efficiently, so replace or clean your filters as necessary (check often whe...
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