Category: Saving Energy

Portable Generators – All Your Neighbors Will be Jealous as they Sit in the Dark

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Portable generators are becoming a very popular way to keep the power on. There are many things that can knock the power out. The biggest being storms. Whether they are ice storms, thunderstorms or just plain windstorms, a power outage can be a major inconvenience. So what do you do? You go shopping for a portable generator. But, with all of the choices available where do you start? How many watts do you need? Do you need 120v or 240v? How do you connect it to your house?  Read on as we tackle these questions.

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When Shopping for Portable Generators, where do you Start?

If you are keen on making your neighbors jealous when their power is out and yours is not, you need to start shopping and buy your portable generator before the storm. So, that is the first place to start. Make sure that you are not waiting on the natural disaster to begin shopping. Prices can be higher during a natural disaster and supplies may be limited.

You can do your shopping at many of the big box hardware stores or even online at sites like Amazon. There are several things that you need to consider when buying a portable generator. The biggest two are watts and voltage. When looking at these quantities you need to first decide what it is that you want to power when the power is out. Which leads us to our next point.

How many Watts do you Need?

To decide how many watts your portable generator needs to put out you first need to decide what you want to power. Do you want just lights so you can see at night? Does your refrigerator need to have power so your food does not spoil? Do you want to have heat? These are all considerations to take into account when deciding how many watts you need. All of your appliances have wattage ratings. So, decide what you want to power and then go and check the ratings of each appliance.

After you have checked the wattage ratings of your appliances add them up. This will give you the amount of wattage that your generator needs to put out. A word of caution here. Most people want to power their entire homes with a portable generator. While there are some models that are capable of doing this for smaller homes, that is not their intention. The intention is to run critical loads or essential loads. These are the loads that are most essential. If you live in a very cold climate your heating system may be a critical load. Most people choose their refrigerator and a few sets of lights as critical loads.








Should you buy a 120v or 240v Portable Generator?

The answer here depends on what you have chosen as your critical loads. If they are all 120v, such as lights and the refrigerator, then a 120v generator will work just fine. If you are wanting to power your heating system, water heater, or stove then you should consider a 240v generator. Some well pumps are also 240v. So, if you need to power a well pump you need to check the voltage of it as well.

How do you connect your Portable Generator to your House?

Connecting portable generators to your house is a job for a licensed electrician. They will install a transfer switch along with new breakers for the essential loads that you choose. This ensures that when the power does go out and you use your generator that no power will be put back on the grid. Keeping your generator power separated from grid power keeps the lineman safe.

Do not just fashion a drop cord with two ends that plug in and plug it into the wall. First of all this is illegal. Second, you can put power back on the grid this way and cause serious injury or death to someone working on the power lines. Also, if you do this you will try to run your whole house off of it. The extension cord is not rated for this and neither is the receptacle that you have it plugged into. You can burn your house down doing this.

This should be a no brainer, but make sure your portable generator is outside when using it. The exhaust from the generator can be deadly.

Conclusion

Portable generators can be a great addition to your home. They can keep the lights on and make your neighbors jealous. They can also be used to make sure that your food does not spoil during a storm. Make sure that when you are deciding what you want to power that you add up the wattage of each appliance. Then decide if you need a 120v or a 240v generator. Finally, once you have made your purchase, contact a licensed electrician to get everything installed in a safe and professional way.









 

Prepaid Metering

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Prepaid metering is a way that both customers and utilities can benefit from the technological advances in metering that have been made in recent years. When it comes to paying for electricity it seems that the electric industry has fallen behind the rest of the retail world. Electric utilities allow customers to use their service and then at the end of the month calculate how much each customer used and then sends them a bill. This has worked well almost since the first electric bills were sent out. However, with post-pay when customers cannot afford to pay their bills they end up working out arrangements with the utility to pay at a later date. Also, some customers decide that they need to move and they do not think that they need to pay their final bills.

If only there were a way to change some of this. But there is. Prepaid metering is a way that utilities can collect the money from their services up front.

Prepaid Metering Is Good For Customers

There are several advantages that prepaid metering has to the traditional way of billing. One being that payments are collected before the customer uses the power. Just like a prepaid phone service, when the purchased time runs out, the service stops. With smart meters now including remote disconnect devices the utility can monitor the usage from the office. This allows the utility to turn the power off to customers when their purchased kwh time runs out.

Some people will cry foul here and say that it is unfair to the customer to be turned off without notice. But, the companies who offer this service provide customers with text an email alerts notifying them that they need to pay or be turned off. Many of these services offer the ability to pay from the customer’s smartphone.








In addition to being able to pay their bills from their smartphones, customer can purchase blocks of power. Customers can purchase what they can afford at the time to keep the lights on. This is beneficial to many customers who may not have the money to pay a $300 light bill at the end of the month. They may only have $50 to get them through the next few days. This ensures that they do not lose service.

Customers also have the added benefit of an online portal where they can monitor their usage. They can keep up to date with the amount of power that they are using as well as the amount of power they have left. Many studies show that customers who are on prepaid rates are more conservative with their energy usage.

Prepaid Metering Is Good For The Utility

Prepaid metering allows the utility to reduce its bad debt expense. The bad debt is debt that is written off because it will never be collected. This can be due to customers leaving without paying or customers who cannot afford to pay and change the name on the account. What happens is the utility ends up being a lender of sorts. When a customer does not pay the utility often gives them a grace period. All the while the customer is using more and more power. Their bill is getting higher and higher.

The utility eliminates some of its bad debt by collecting up front. If the customer decides to leave the utility reimburses, depending on the rate, the customer. This can be good for utilities who have meters in high turnover areas such as college towns, and apartment complexes.

One way to implement this would be to offer it on a voluntary basis. This is where customers sign up voluntarily. Another way is to start with new customers. Still yet, using credit checks is another.

Conclusion

Prepaid metering is not for everyone. But there are instances in which it is perfect for some. Utilities should examine whether it is beneficial to both the bottom line and the customer. Customers should view prepaid metering with an open mind and look at the potential benefits it offers them.








Time of Use

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Time of use is a metering concept based around changing your usage behavior to not only lower your costs, but the costs of the utility as well. What is time of use? How can you take advantage and benefit from time of use? How does the utility benefit from time of use? These are three important questions that surround the time of use concept.

What is time of use?

Time of use is actually a very simple concept. Utilities use on peak periods and off peak periods. On peak periods are those periods during which the utility normally hits their peak. This is defined as a time period. For instance, the on peak period could be from 2pm – 5pm, Monday – Friday. In this example, the off peak periods would be everything outside 2pm – 5pm, Monday – Friday. Or, the periods of time in which the utility does not peak.

These time periods are typically have names with letters such as, period A or B. The electric meters are programmed with these time periods. Typically these meters have more than one register reading that is displayed. The readings that are displayed are for the different time periods.

In a time of use rate, on peak and off peak prices are different. On peak prices are more expensive than off peak prices. This is to encourage businesses and even some individuals to change their usage during these times. Which leads to the next point.








How can you take advantage and benefit from Time of Use?

To take advantage of time of use and reap all of the benefits you need to do a study of your usage. Some utilities will provide you with this service free of charge. They will install a load profile meter (often called a load survey meter). After a few months you can view the data. The data lets you know what times during the day you use the most power. Armed with this information you can make decisions about the available time of use rates offered by your utility.

It may be that you can come in an hour earlier to avoid hitting that peak. Or maybe completing some of your processes in the morning instead of the afternoon. The data lets you know.

Time of use offers a discount during off peak times. This is where the big advantage lies. Compare the prices of on peak versus off peak for the rates at your utility. You can save big. But beware, once your are on a time of use rate usage during the on peak time are higher.

How does the Utility benefit from Time of Use?

The utility benefits by being able to shift some load to off peak times. Looking at the utility’s consumption on a line graph shows when they peak. The normal line graph has peaks and valleys. They too are billed on the peak. Or if they generate their own power when the peaks are high they have to bump up their generation. Ideally, looking at a line graph, a utility wants their line to be straight. This means that the generation is constant. Moving some customers from on peak periods to off peak periods is one way of achieving this. The utility benefits from the lower cost of generation or price and passes that on to the customer.

In conclusion, time of use is a rate structure that is comprised of on peak and off peak time periods. It can be a great way for customers to lower their bill by shifting some of their normal routines. Utilities benefit by being able to shift some of their on peak load to off peak times thus reducing their overall demand costs as well.









Can Compact Fluorescent Lights Lower Your Power Bill?

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An interesting question indeed. Can those little curly compact fluorescent light bulbs actually save you money on your power bill? The answer is yes! When comparing compact fluorescent light bulbs to the traditional incandescent light bulbs you need to consider a few things. One is light color. Another is wattage and the third is initial cost.

Light color is something that ultimately comes down to preference and I will admit that before compact fluorescent lights were out, I was just fine with the soft white light that was produced by the typical incandescent bulb. However, now that compact fluorescent bulbs have flooded the market you can now compare different light colors to best illuminate your space. There are fluorescent bulbs out there that are made to mimic the soft white light that is put off by the traditional incandescent bulb. These are marketed as soft light or warm light bulbs. These will give you the closest color to traditional incandescent light color that you can get from a fluorescent. Going up from there you have the popular natural and daylight light colors. These lights tend to have a white to blueish color and are made to mimic the natural sunlight that illuminates your home. To figure out which one is right for you, I recommend that you buy a few of each color and try them out and see which one you like best. You may prefer the daylight models in a home office or living room while the more traditional soft white, yellowish color fits your bedroom better. Just try them out and pick whatever looks best to you!

The next thing to consider is wattage. You will want to look at this not only from a savings perspective but from an illumination perspective as well. The ratings on compact fluorescent bulbs show us what kind of light they put off as if they were equivalent to their incandescent counterparts. For example, the replacement for a typical 60 watt traditional incandescent bulb is normally around a 13 watt fluorescent. This will normally be stated on the packaging. It will say something like 60 watt replacement or 60 watt equivalent. This helps us out because our light fixtures are rated for wattage as well. So, if for instance our living room fixture contains four 60 watt incandescent bulbs and we want to replace them and have the equivalent amount of light, we would need to buy four 60 watt equivalent, in this case 13 watt, bulbs.

The other thing to consider with the wattage is the amount that the new fluorescent bulb can save us on our power bill. Using the 60 watt bulb as an example. The rating of 60 watts means that if the bulb were turned on for one hour it would consume or use 60 watts of electricity. So, if we use the fluorescent bulb instead of the incandescent bulb we would use 13 watts in that hour instead of 60 watts. A difference of 47 watts!
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Now, before you get all exited because the fluorescent bulb uses almost five times less power than the incandescent bulb you need to remember that the fluorescent bulb costs more initially. Now, the price of these bulbs has come way down in the past few years but it is still a consideration to take into account. Remember when I said before that buying and installing fluorescent bulbs instead of incandescent bulbs would lower your power bill? I said that it would. However, there is a huge but in there. The lighting load in your home is one of the lowest loads in your home. Let me illustrate.

Let’s say you have a typical three bedroom, two bathroom home. You have a fan in every bedroom that has four lights each and one in the living that has four lights. You also have two lamps in the living room as well. The kitchen has a single light fixture over the sink and a four light fixture in the middle. The bathroom has a four light fixture over the mirror and a one light fixture close to the toilet. The front and back doors each have a light outside and you have a two light fixture with spotlights on two corners outside. We will assume that all of the inside lights and the porch lights are 60 watt bulbs and the spotlights are 150 watt bulbs.

We have a total of 30, 60 watt bulbs and 4, 150 watt bulbs. 30 bulbs x 60 watts = 1,800 watts. 4 spotlights x 150 watts = 600 watts. 1,800 watt + 600 watts = 2,400 watts. That is just basic math that says that if all of your lights were on for one hour they would use 2,400 watts. Let’s put that in terms of dollars. First let’s remember that we are billed on kilowatt hours which means we need to divide 2,400 watts by 1,000. That equals 2.4 kwh. Assume a $0.12 per kwh and it costs 2.4 kwh x $0.12 and we get $0.288 to run all of our lights for one hour. Are you surprised? Now let’s do the calculation for the 13 watt equivalent. 30 x 13 = 390 watts. 4 x 40 = 160 watts. 390 + 160 = 550 watts / 1,000 = 0.55 x 0.12 = $0.066 for one hour. A big difference for sure but not one that you will likely notice. Let’s now assume all of the lights were on for 24 hours per day for 30 days. 24 x 30 = 720 x $0.288 = $207.36. And, 720 x .066 = $47.52. Now it looks like a huge difference but you have to remember that you do not typically turn on all of your lights at the same time. You may not even use some of them on a regular basis. I am not trying to say this to discourage you from buying fluorescent lights. I am saying this to let you know that they do help you out in the long run. You will save money in the long run but do not expect a drastic change in your bill from one month to the next. If you would like to know how to calculate your power bill follow the link to my page where I explain how your bill is calculated.

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Ductless Heating and Cooling Systems

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Ductless heating and cooling systems are an alternative to traditional central heating and air conditioning systems. What are they? Are ductless heating and cooling systems better than the traditional central heating and air conditioning systems? Can ductless air conditioning systems save you money on your power bill? Keep reading to find out.

What are Ductless Heating and Cooling Systems?

What is a ductless air conditioning unit? Ductless air conditioning units, also known as ductless mini split systems, are smaller self-contained air conditioning units that are meant to keep a space climate controlled. I say climate controlled because there are also ductless heat pump models as well. I will also refer to these systems as ductless heat pump, ductless air conditioners and ductless mini split systems, remember that they are all the same thing. Ductless mini split systems contain an evaporator that is mounted inside that also house the fan that blows the cool air or warm air into the space that it is keeping warm or cool. There are coolant lines attached to the evaporator that run outside to the condenser.

The units typically come with a remote control so that you can choose the setting that you want from the ground. They have built in thermostats that allow you to choose the temperature that is right for you. Ductless air conditioners also allow you to choose the fan speed. So, if you are hot and you want to feel more air rushing past you, you can do that. You can also use the unit as nothing more than a fan. If, for instance, it is already cool in the house but you just want a breeze you can use the fan setting.

Additional Features of Ductless Heating and Cooling Systems

Another feature that ductless mini split systems offer is a dehumidifier setting. This is good if you live in a humid climate. It is also good to prevent the growth of mold. Also, often times just by removing the moisture from the air you will feel cooler.

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With all of these features, are ductless air conditioners better than the traditional central HVAC unit? That depends. Ductless A/C units are zone heating and cooling units. This means that if you like your bedroom to be 65 degrees while you sleep at night but you do not want to pay to keep your entire house at 65 degrees then a ductless solution could be right for you. One of the biggest advantages of the ductless heat pump system is that you do not have to run duct-work. This means that if you are remodeling and you have a tiny crawl space and you are looking to add some sort of air conditioning to replace your window units a ductless heat pump could be a better option than a traditional central system.

Saving Money with Ductless Heating and Cooling

Can a ductless mini split system save you money? This is the ultimate question and if used properly the answer is yes. Ductless air conditioners are efficient and being able to control one room at a time means that you do not have to have one central unit that is sized to heat and cool your entire house. You can have individual units that run only when you need them too. One thing to remember about most A/C systems is that they basically know one speed and that is on.

There are some systems out there that are more advanced that do not use as much power when it is not needed but the majority know one speed. This means that when they are on they are using x amount of power as long as they are on. They will use x amount of power for x number of hours to keep your entire home comfortable. But if you have a room such as an office or guest bedroom that is rarely used, why heat and cool it? You can use smaller units that use less power when they are running. So if employed correctly you will use less power and save money.

If you are interested in ductless heating and cooling then check out the links below.







Water Stoves

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So you like the idea of heating with wood because you have endless supply of it or you just don’t want to pay the power company or the gas company any more than you have to. You know that your home heating system can be the number one consumer of electricity during the winter months and that you are tired of seeing your electric meter spin so fast you think it is coming of its bearings. You want to lower your power bill and have the most energy efficient home but still be comfortable. If this is you continue reading. A water stove can do all of these things for you, and if you are not afraid to do a little work you can lower your power bill and slow down that pesky electric meter.

Water stoves are a wonderful alternative to heating with a fireplace or using a wood stove. They can provide heat more evenly than any space heater or baseboard heater and they can do it all while burning practically anything. Are they the perfect heating source? Maybe, maybe not depending on your perspective. What can they do for you?

Water stoves can be installed alongside existing central heating and air systems. They use a heating coil that can be placed in the air handler and you and your guests are none the wiser. The heat coming from the water stove is dispersed just like your central heating and air is. It is controlled by a thermostat just like your normal heat is.
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Another thing that water stoves can do is supply all of your hot water. They can totally replace your conventional hot water system or be used in conjunction with it with your conventional system being used as a backup. Many users have reported that they have seemingly endless hot water. This means that gone are the days when company comes over and you let them all take showers first because you know that there will be no hot water left and you end up taking a cold shower. No more! And let’s remember that the water is being heated by wood. Remember also that your water heater is typically number two on the electricity consumption list behind your heat.

A water stove is installed away from your house so that you do not have to smell the smoke created by it. Here lies the biggest con. The biggest con is that the water stove is away from the house. This means that if it is raining or if it is snowing you will need to go out in the weather to load wood into the water stove to keep it running. However, there are models that can use oil and gas as a backup and if you get one of these models you will not need to go out in the weather.

Also to be noted is the fact that you can use solar water heater panels to heat the water. This means that as long as you have good direct sun that you will not even need to build a fire! Many users of water stoves say that this is the way to go if you get a water stove. Many people do not even build fires everyday in the summertime because the heat from the solar water heater panels do all of the work for them! So, is a water stove right for you? Let me tell you the story of a friend of mine.

A friend of mine grew up heating with a wood stove. He grew up in a very small house and always knew that he wanted a bigger one. He also know what it was like to wake up cold because the fire in the wood stove had burned out overnight. But, he still wanted to heat with wood because he lives on a property with an abundance of free wood. Cutting, splitting and stacking wood has been a part of his life since he was a small boy. So, he builds his house on the same property as his family. His house was close to 5,000 square feet! That’s right 5,000! So, after the first couple of months of the winter I asked him how his water stove was working out and what he was using it for. He said that it was working great and that he was heating his entire house and heating his water with it. So the next question was, how much is your power bill? He told me that it was about $40. I could not believe it even though I know how all of the systems work and what causes your power bill to be high or low. But to me, that is the proof that I needed to know that one day I will install a water stove.

If you are thinking about getting a water stove, rest assured that they can lower your power bill. Make sure that you have it installed by a licensed professional.









Wood Stoves: Advantages, Drawbacks, and Essential Tips For Home Heating

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Wood stoves were once a very popular way to heat your home. One of the advantages that a wood stove offers over a fireplace is that it uses less wood. This means that if you are buying wood that you will be buying less. Or, if you are cutting and splitting your own wood you will be cutting and splitting less and saving yourself time as well. Wood stoves can be an excellent alternative to electric and gas furnaces if you are willing to do the work. Here I will list some advantages and disadvantages of wood stoves.

Advantages of Wood Stoves

  1. Efficient Fuel Usage: Wood stoves use less wood compared to fireplaces. Their design allows better regulation of oxygen flow using dampers, resulting in efficient combustion.
  2. Heat Retention: Wood stoves, often made of cast iron, retain heat effectively. Unlike fireplaces, where much heat escapes through the chimney, wood stoves keep warmth inside the house.
  3. Heat Distribution: Some wood stoves come with fans that disperse heat throughout the room, ensuring even warmth.
  4. Cooking Capability: Wood stoves can double as cooking surfaces. In emergencies or power outages, you can prepare meals on them.

Disadvantages of Wood Stoves

  1. Safety Concerns: Any indoor fire poses risks. Wood stoves can be hot to the touch, and improper use may lead to burns or smoke inhalation.
  2. Installation Challenges: Installing a wood stove requires creating a vent hole in your house’s side. Proper installation by a skilled person is crucial to avoid hazards.
  3. Wood Collection: Owning a wood stove means sourcing dry firewood. Dry wood burns hotter and longer, so maintaining a good supply is essential.
  4. Temperature Regulation: It can be tricky to maintain a consistent temperature with a wood stove. You’ll need to adjust the wood supply based on weather conditions.
  5. Indoor Dryness: Wood stoves tend to reduce indoor humidity. Some people place a pot of water on the stove to add moisture, but caution is necessary due to boiling water and steam risks.

Alternatives

If wood heating appeals to you, consider exploring water stoves as an alternative. In my next post, I’ll delve into water stoves. For now, if you’re in the market for a wood stove, choose from the selection below.

Remember, safety and proper maintenance are key when using wood stoves. Stay warm and stay safe! 😊




Heating with a Fireplace

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There is nothing quite like sitting next to a warm crackling fire in the fireplace, drinking hot chocolate and reading a book or watching a relaxing television show while the cold wind outside beats against the side of the house. But, is a wood-burning fireplace a feasible and cost effective way to heat your home during those long winter months? The short answer is no! To find out why, keep reading.

As mentioned before, sitting beside a wood-burning fireplace can be one of the most enjoyable experiences in the winter. And if this is all it is too be used for then you can expect that your power bill will not suffer much because of it. If you light a fire a couple of times a week or only on the weekend to enjoy the smells and the sounds of the wood-burning fire you will not have to worry about your power bill very much.

If you are planning on heating an entire home with one centrally located fireplace, or one that is in only one room such as the living room, then I hope you are prepared to turn off you electric or gas furnace completely and prepare to sleep in the cold. Think about your typical wood-burning fireplace for a moment. There is the fireplace itself which also includes this huge hole to the outside called the chimney. What is the purpose of the chimney? The purpose of the chimney is to evacuate all of the smoke from the fire so that your house does not fill up with the smoke. Another purpose of the chimney is airflow. Let’s remember from elementary school that a fire needs three things to burn and continue burning. A fire needs, fuel, in this case wood, heat, started usually with matches or a lighter and sustained by the burning wood, and oxygen or air.728x90

We know where the wood comes from, we put it in the fireplace to burn. We know where the heat comes from, we used matches or a lighter initially for the heat source and once it caught we used the wood to sustain it. But, where does the air come from? The air comes from all of the air in your home and when there is not enough, it is pulled in through all of the cracks around the windows and doors. We are talking about the cold blistering air that is outside your house being pulled into your house. But no worries right? We are heating that air with our fireplace and it puts off enough heat to counter-act that cold air. Wrong! It is a good train of thought but the problem is that most of the heat that is generated by the wood-burning fireplace is expelled up the chimney. Remember that heat rises. As the heat rises in the chimney and cold air is pulled in through the cracks, all of the other rooms in the house are not as warm as the room where the fireplace is.

Let me rephrase that last statement. The room where the wood-burning fireplace is will be warm and all of the other rooms in the house will be cooler because cold air is being pulled into them. Now, earlier I said that if you are planning on trying to heat your house with just a wood-burning fireplace I hope that you turn off your electric or gas furnace. That is because it does not matter where the thermostat is the house will not be heated evenly. If the thermostat is near the fireplace it will think it is warmer than it is and it will cause the heat not to run. This will make the other rooms in the house cooler. If the thermostat is not near the fireplace and is in a cool place it will cause the heat to come on and run longer because of all the cold air that is being pulled into the house.

Another thing to consider when heating with a wood-burning fireplace is your wood supply. Do you or will you have access to free or cheap firewood? If so, it may be worth your while but it is a lot of work and you will most likely get cold at night and want an extra blanket or two.

If you decide that you just like your wood-burning fireplace and the cost and the comfort do not matter there are a few things that you can do to help keep some of that heat in. One being that you should try to seal as many air gaps as possible. Also, in the room where the fireplace is you can crack a window just barely that way the air is drawn from there and not other parts of the house. You should also see if it is possible to use glass doors with your fireplace. You will want to consult a professional when dealing with these glass doors because they use a special glass that is made to withstand the high temperatures of a wood-burning fireplace. Insulation is also key in keeping in the heat that is generated by the fireplace. Make sure that your attic is well insulated so you can keep that heat in the house.

Heating a house with a wood-burning fireplace is not the best way to heat your home. It may end up cheaper if you have access to free or very cheap wood but you will sacrifice some of your comfort and need extra blankets at night. Seal those air gaps and most of all if you are trying to heat with a wood-burning fireplace BE CAREFUL! Be careful because houses do burn down and people are killed every year using their wood-burning fireplaces.









Amish Heaters

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Amish Heaters: A Comprehensive Guide to Energy Efficiency

Amish heaters have been compared to space heaters due to their similar functionality. They’ve gained attention for their claims of drastically reducing power bills. A television commercial even featured a customer whose gas bill dropped significantly after using an Amish heater, leading to a gas company inspection of his meter. This anecdote has sparked curiosity and raised questions about the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of Amish heaters.

Understanding Amish Heaters

Amish heaters are marketed as innovative products leveraging advanced technology. They claim to consume power equivalent to a coffee maker. While this is partially true – an Amish heater does use about 1500 watts when operational, similar to a coffee maker – it’s important to note that the heater will run for a longer duration to heat your home compared to the time your coffee maker takes to brew your morning cup of joe.

Energy Consumption of Amish Heaters

As previously discussed, 1500 watts is equal to 1.5 kW, and over an hour, it amounts to 1.5 kWh. Considering an average cost of $0.10 per kWh, the heater costs about $0.15 per hour to operate.

Impact on Your Gas Bill

The impact of an Amish heater on your gas bill depends on various factors. If you plan to use Amish heaters to heat your entire home, thereby turning off your gas furnace, then yes, the Amish heater can potentially lower your gas bill. However, if you’re heating only one room while leaving your furnace on for the rest of the house, the decrease in your gas bill might not be substantial.

Impact on Your Power Bill

Most likely, your power bill will increase if you are trying to heat your entire home with an Amish heater. Given the current natural gas prices, it’s cheaper to heat with gas than electricity. Therefore, if you’re thinking of buying an Amish heater to save on overall heating costs, you might want to reconsider. Even if you have an electric furnace or a heat pump, it’s unlikely that an Amish heater will lower your power bills, as it’s essentially a space heater with an electric fireplace attached.

How to Save on Your Power Bill with an Amish Heater

You can save on your power bill with an Amish heater, but it requires careful usage. Monitor how long it runs each day, heat only the room you’re in, and keep the door closed. Using the thermostat on the unit to maintain a constant room temperature can also help optimize its efficiency.

If you’re interested in buying an Amish heater for its aesthetic appeal, we encourage you to find a model that best suits your style and heating needs. Remember, informed decisions lead to smart purchases!

For more information on energy efficiency and cost savings, check out our other articles on Electric Meter Reading and Understanding Your Utility Bill.

Space Heaters

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Electric space heaters are a very popular option when it comes to heating a small room, an edition or a bathroom. People even try to use electric space heaters to heat their homes in extreme circumstances such as when the central HVAC goes out, the furnace goes out or even when they do not want to pay to get the gas turned back on because the deposit is so high. People also may employ electric space heaters when they are renting because they cannot afford to have the gas turned on in their name because the deposit is so high. The question is, are electric space heaters a good source of heat? To answer that question we need to weigh the pros vs. cons of electric space heaters. Then we need to look at any precautions to take when using electric space heaters.

Electric Space Heater Pros

One of the biggest pros to using electric space heaters for heat is the cheap initial cost. Electric space heaters can be had for as cheap as $15 in some instances. Use the link below if you are interested in purchasing an electric space heater. The cheap initial cost make them ideal when an emergency happens, such as the furnace going out.

Another pro of electric space heaters is the fact that they are portable. This means that you can not only take it from room to room with you but you can also take it to your cabin in the mountains over the weekend as well. Being portable also means that there is no expensive duct work to install. You just put the electric space heater on the floor in the room that you want to heat, plug it in and away you go.

They put out good heat. That is right, electric space heaters do an excellent job of putting out heat. Many come with a fan built in to help circulate the air in the room as well.

Electric Space Heater Cons

In my opinion, one of the biggest cons to using an electric space heater to heat your home is the cost. Electric space heaters can use anywhere between 1200 watts and 2000 watts depending on the model. This means that if they run for 1 hour they could use anywhere between 1.2 kwh and 2 kwh respectively. This translates into about $0.12 per hour to about $0.20 per hour. One space heater can easily cost $30 per month to run. So, if you have a three bedroom house with one in each bedroom and one in the kitchen, living room and bathroom they could easily cost $180 per month to run.

Another con with electric space heater usage is the safety. Now many of them now come with sensors on the bottom that automatically shut them off if they are tipped over, some of the older models do not. This creates a fire hazard. Also, they need to be kept away from paper, clothes, towels, pretty much anything that can catch on fire because electric space heaters can and do cause fires every year.








Another thing to consider when using electric space heaters is where you plug them in. Since they do have the potential to draw so much power you will want to make sure that they are plugged into an outlet that is not overload already full. You want to make sure that you plug them into outlets that are still tight and do not have any play. It is not unusual to feel the cord on an electric space heater and it be warm to the touch. To minimize fire risk make sure it is plugged into a good outlet.

Electric Space Heater Precautions

As stated above you want to make sure that nothing is placed on, in front of, or around an electric space heater that can ignite. Examples are paper, clothes, towels, blankets. Make sure that they are plugged into good firm outlets. Make sure that if you are buying a new electric space heater that it has an automatic shut-off feature in case it is tipped over. Also, children should not be left alone with electric space heaters. You should also make sure that you turn off you electric space heater when you are not home.

Final Thoughts

Electric space heaters can work well as long as you take heed to the precautions mentioned above and are aware that they can be expensive to operate. They are not a long-term solution to heating however and should be used on a short-term or emergency basis. They should not be left on when you are not home. Children should also not be left alone with electric space heaters. If you are in the market for a space heater use the link below.




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Baseboard Heaters

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Electric baseboard heaters can provide an excellent way to keep you warm during those freezing cold months when you are longing for spring. They also offer many advantages to homeowners as well as investment property owners. However, be advised that along with the advantages that electric baseboard heaters provide there are also some disadvantages that you should be aware of as well. First, what are electric baseboard heaters and how do they work?

Electric baseboard heaters are one type of electric resistance heater that is installed on the wall along the floor. They have metal fins inside that heat the air as the air moves past the metal fins. As the cool air falls and goes through the metal fins, the cool air is heated and rises and this is how the room is heated. Electric baseboard heaters are normally installed beneath window both to take advantage of any falling cool air from the window and because windows are located on outside walls where heat may be lost due to low or no insulation.

Electric baseboard heaters can be cheap to install because they do not require any ducts to be used like in a central HVAC system. This keeps costs to a minimum when building an edition that would be difficult to heat or when remodeling an investment property. Electric baseboard heaters can also be a good option if you live in a climate that does not see very many cold days. They can be a good option versus installing a heat pump.

Electric baseboard heaters allow you to heat different areas of your home or office independently of one another. This can be advantageous for those who live in families or work in offices where one person is cold all of the time and the other person is always freezing. This can also be advantageous if you live in a large home and only want or need to heat your bedroom at night and do not want to pay to heat the entire home. For example, you could set your main thermostat on 65 degrees and in your bedroom have a baseboard heater set to 70 degrees. This way you can be warm in your bedroom at night.








For all of the advantages that electric baseboard heaters provide there are also disadvantages as well. The main disadvantage being electricity usage. Many people ask how much electricity electric baseboard heaters use. Typically electric baseboard heaters consume about 250 watts per foot. This means that if you have a 6 foot electric baseboard heater installed in your bedroom that it would consume about 1500 watts (250 watts per foot x 6 feet). Many people will tell you that baseboard heaters are efficient. And in regard to the amount of electricity that is turned into heat they would be correct. Because they are resistance type heaters they convert nearly 100% of the electricity into heat. However, do not be fooled. Heat pumps are more effective at keeping your power bill low than electric baseboard heaters are.

Let’s do an example of how much a small home with only electric baseboard heaters could cost. For the example let’s say that the house if 1,000 square feet with 3 rooms and one bathroom. Each room has one 6 foot baseboard heater, the bathroom has a 2 foot heater and the living has two 6 foot heaters. So we have 5, 6 foot heaters and one 2 foot heater for a total of 32 feet of baseboard heaters. Remember from before that the average watts per foot is 250 watts. So 32 x 250 = 8,000 watts. So for every hour that the baseboard heater is on you will use 8,000 watts of power. Now let’s say that they run for 8 hours per day for 30 days. 8 hours x 8,000 watts x 30 days = 1,920,000 watthours. If we divide that by 1,000 we get the kilowatt hours which is what you are billed on and that equals 1,920 kilowatt hours. Now if we multiply that times say $0.10 we get $192.00 just to run your baseboard heaters to heat your home.

So, the biggest disadvantage is the usage of the electric baseboard heaters. Do they put off good heat? Yes. Are the cheap and easy to install? Yes. Are they expensive to run? Yes. There is one alternative and it is the electric hydronic baseboard heater. They use a liquid inside that is heated and radiates the heat in the room longer than the metal fins do. This means that they may run less often than regular electric baseboard heaters. But be aware that they also use the same wattage when they are running.




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5 tips to saving energy when on vacation

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So you are ready to go on a long vacation and you are worried about your electric bill being high when you get back and you want to know if there is anything you can do to keep you bill low when you get back. Well, there are a few things that you can do to ensure that your electric bill is not through the roof. Most of these tips even work well if you are only going out of town for the weekend as well.

1. Turn off the water heater.

That’s right. An electric water heater is one of the largest consumers of electricity in your home next to the A/C. For a normal family, a water heater can account for as much as 25% of the electricity that is consumed in your home. To put it another way, they can easily uses 300 kwh per month which can equal $30 or more. Let’s understand why we would want to turn off our water heaters while we are out of town. The water heater has a thermostat inside just like the A/C does. What that means is the water heater will be keeping the water at that temperature regardless of whether you are in your home or you are one vacation. One argument that I always hear from people is that they want to be able to take a shower as soon as they get home from vacation and they do not want to be waiting on the water to get hot. Well, let me put your mind at ease. Most water heaters have about a 30 minute recovery. This means that it takes the water heater about 30 minutes to be full of hot water again. So, walk in from you vacation, turn the water heater back on and then unload your car and get ready to take your shower. By this time the water should be nice and hot for you to take a shower. The next question is, “how do I turn it off?” The most convenient way is in the breaker box. Find the breaker labeled as water heater and turn it off. Alternatively, there should be a disconnect at the water heater. You can pull this disconnect and this will turn off the water heater as well. I would only use the second method if you are comfortable dealing with electricity because it could be dangerous.

I want to note that I would not turn the water heater off if you live in a climate that freezes and it is the winter time when you will be gone. This is only recommended during the times when temperatures are above freezing.

2. Turn off the A/C

The A/C is the largest consumer of electricity in the home and because of this, you do not want to overlook it when you leave for vacation. Now, if you are hardcore, depending on the time of year, you will just turn off the A/C when you leave for vacation and turn it back on when you come home. But, if it is in the middle of summer you may want to ensure that the house is not an oven when you get back. My recommendation is to turn the thermostat up to at the very least 80 degrees in the summer time when you leave, higher if you think you can stand it. If you are going on  vacation in the winter time you will want to turn the thermostat down to at least 60 degrees. This will ensure that your A/C or heat are not running constantly while you are gone trying to keep your couch comfortable.







3. Unplug, unplug, unplug!

In this day in age when you turn your lights off at night you can just about still see everything because of all the lights from your devices that are still on. The lights may be from computers, television, gaming systems, microwaves, etc. Whatever the lights are coming from, they are drawing electricity to be kept on. Unplugging things that are not necessary to be on while you are gone, such as your wireless router (if you have networked security cameras you may need to leave that on). All of these little things do not use very much on their own but collectively they do add to your bill. Remember that nothing is free!

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4. Turn off lights

This sounds like a no-brainer but many people forget to turn their lights off when they leave. Often times they will get home from vacation only to discover that they light in their bedroom or bathroom had been left on. Do a once over before you walk out the door and make sure that the lights are off. If you are going to leave a light on for security reasons, look at getting a timer so that it does not run all the time. Or, put in an LED bulb in that particular light fixture.

5. Turn off the water

I know this does not appear to have anything to do with electricity but if something happens while you are gone, such as a busted water line or a leaking toilet, you will be in for a big water bill. If the water line breaks and it is a hot water line and you have forgotten to turn off the water heater, it will constantly run trying to heat the water. This, again, is only recommended during warmer temperatures.

6. Bonus!

If you are hardcore like me and you do not care if you have to reset your clocks when you get back then this tip is for you. When I go out of town on vacation, as long as it is not a time where we are having freezing temperatures, I just go and turn off my main breaker. If your main breaker is off, your electric meter will not turn while you are gone. This is how my power bills during the summer when I have been on vacation have been as low as $40 when the base charge takes up $20 of that $40.

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Five ways to Cool your house without A/C

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During the summer time many people struggle with high power bills because their A/C runs constantly. Here I want to offer five ways to cool your house without using your A/C.

1. Use blinds

One of the most effective ways we can cool our homes without using A/C is by not letting any sunlight into our home to begin with. Heat is transferred three ways. It is transferred by conduction, which is when you touch something, convection, which is when heat is transferred by air (think convection oven), and by radiation. So, think about when you are cold and your go out and stand in the sun to warm up. This is radiation and this is what we are trying to stop by closing our blinds. If we can stop the sunlight from entering our homes then we do not have to cool them back down. Try to use blinds that do not allow any sunlight to come into your home when they are closed. This is the first way that we can combat the heat and keep our homes cool without using A/C.

2. Use curtains

This is basically the same as number one above except that curtains, when used in conjunction with blinds can make a huge difference in blocking the sunlight that enters your home. And, the thicker they are the better. Think about taking a blanket outside and blocking sunlight versus a sheet. The blanket will not let any light through while the sheet will allow some light to pass through. When the light passes through the heat is passing through as well. This is the second way that you can keep your house cool without using the A/C.

3. Use fans

By using fans we move the air around us. We can perceive a three degree difference in temperature just because the air is moving. Think about a cool spring day. As long as you are out in the sun and the wind is not blowing you are warm. But, once the wind starts blowing you need to go and get your jacket. Using fans has the same effect. Ceiling fans do a good job of mixing the air. However, to move hot air out of your house you will want to use a box fan. If you open the windows on one side of the house and place a box fan in a window on the other side of the house you will be surprised at how well this cools off the house. Even better is to use two box fans. One pushing the hot air out of the house and the other pulling the cool air into the house. Do this and your house will be cool in no time. A note that I would like to make about using the box fans is this, do it at night. If you try to do this during the day you will be pulling hot air into your house. Make sure that you wait to do this until the air outside is cooler than the air inside the house.








4. Open the windows

This may sound simple and not effective, but this can be very effective especially during spring. Opening the windows allows the air to flow naturally in and out of your house. This natural movement of air moving past your body can actually make you feel like it is cooler than it is. This is because sometimes there is more moisture in the air outside the house than inside. When our bodies are in this moist air we often feel like the air around us is cooler than it actually is. So, go ahead and open those windows! And again, this works best when the temperature outside the house is cooler than the temperature inside the house.

5. Open the doors

Opening the doors is something that we typically forget that we can do. We often think that if we just leave the door open some random person will just walk in our house. But, if we utilize this huge opening and allow it to be used just like a window we will be able to reap the rewards of using the opening just like the window!

If you put these tips to use, you will be well on your way to keeping your house cool without using the A/C! If your like this article be sure to visit our Facebook page and like it to keep up to date with all of our articles!

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Solar Water Heaters

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Solar water heaters can be a very useful way to saving money on your power bill. A water heater alone can easily cost a family of two $20-$40 dollars per month. Now think if you have a larger family what that could cost you throughout the year.

Heating your water by the sun is not a new concept. Back in the 1970’s there was a big push to conserve energy by heating your water with the sun. It however did not last very long. There are a few different types of solar water heaters out there. They can be as simple as laying a garden hose in the sun to a full enclosed system that uses a heat exchanger to transfer the heat from a liquid that does not freeze to the water.

The system that you decide on depends upon your location. If you live in a warm climate where it never or very rarely has freezing temperatures then you can go wth one of the more simple systems where the sun directly heats the water. The basics of the system include the solar water panel, some pipe and an old water heater. This is my favorite system because you can utilize your old water heater as a backup in case it is cloudy and there is not sufficient sun to heat the water. The old water heater also acts as a storage tank for the hot water and keeps it hot and ready for whenever you need it.

If you live in a climate that sees freezing and below freezing temperatures, you will need to go with a system that uses an antifreeze type of liquid just like your car so the water in the system does not freeze. You would also be wise to utilize your old water heater as a backup for when there are clouds or if the panels are covered in snow. You can also use the old water heater as a hot water storage tank using this method as well.








One of the best thing about solar water heaters is that they do not need electricity to run! This not only will save you money on your power bill but it will also allow you to take hot showers when there is no power! Imagine that there is a storm that comes through while you are at work and the power is out. You will still be able to take a hot shower.

Another advantage to having a solar water heater is that once you have it installed you are one step closer to being off the grid. In my opinion, this should be one of your first things to consider before going off the grid. Before you go and install $30,000 worth of electric solar panels on your house, put a solar water heater up there and start saving right away. It is also more efficient to heat your water with the sun than it is to power your old electric water heater by the electric solar panels you are thinking about putting up. This is because there are always losses with electricity. There will be losses due to heat, wire and electronics. This means that you are better off to heat your water with the sun first. This also means that you can save some money on the electric solar panels because the load that they will need to carry will not be as great. Electric water heaters can typically pull anywhere between 1500 and 4500 watts. This is 1500 to 4500 watts that you will not need to buy solar panels for.








Top 5 tips for using window units

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When summer approaches we all want to beat the heat and the way that some of us go about it is to use window A/C units. These unit do their job and they do it well but there are a few things that we can do to help them cool our homes more efficiently.

1. Check the rating.



Window units are typically rated by the number of BTU’s they can produce. However, most of us, do not have a clue what a BTU is and so the manufacturer’s of window units will typically tell you how many square feet the unit will cool. To find your square footage measure how big your room is and multiply the length times the width. You will want to make sure that you get a unit as close to your square footage as possible.

Most of the time it is better to go over just a little if you will be cooling an area with a kitchen or if you have high ceilings. You want to make sure the rating is close because if it is too small it will run constantly and not cool very efficiently therefore making your power bill higher. If it is too large the room could feel a bit moist since part of the job of the window unit is to dry the air as well.

2. Use fans.

That is right. Use fans to help mix the air in the room that you are using the window unit. This will help you be more comfortable instead of having one area that is hot and one that is cold. Another thing that the fans do as well is give the perception that it is cooler than it is. Moving air in the home can give us the perception that it is up to 3 degrees cooler than is. This means that we can set the thermostat to a higher temperature so that it does not run as much.




3. Use the thermostat.

This is very important but it also depends on the room that you are cooling. If you have one big window unit in the living room that you are using to cool the entire house then you want to find a temperature that is comfortable and set the thermostat and leave it. Now, if you are using a window unit in your bedroom you can set that thermostat higher when you are not in there so that it will not run all day to cool a room that you are not using.




4. Keep the filter clean.

Keeping the filter clean on your window unit can help save you energy when you are using it. When the filter is dirty the window unit has to work harder to move the air. This in turn means that it will take longer to cool the space that you are trying to cool. I know that when I am hot I do not like to wait any longer than I have to to be cool. This will also help your window unit last longer. Because the filter will be clean and the motor will not have to work as hard, the window unit will last longer.




5. Seal the air gaps.

This sometimes seems like a no brainer but I cannot tell you how many times I have had someone complain about their power bill only to find out that they are using a window unit. When I go inside to inspect I see air gaps everywhere. The fan on the window unit not only blows cold air but it sucks air in as well. This air has to come from somewhere and it is going to take the path of least resistance and if that means that it is going to come from around the door where you can see outside then so be it. Go to the hardware store and buy some insulation and some weatherstripping to keep out the drafts. Even tape can help on old drafty windows. Another problem area to address many times is the attic access.

These may be stairs or just an access hole. Many times the seal around these holes is not very good and lots of hot air can come from your attic. If you are not sure where to start with weathersripping and insulation, look at your windows and doors and if you can see daylight (I am not talking about through your glass window panes for you wise guys out there) you can bet that cold air is escaping and hot air is coming in. You can also crawl up in your attic and see if there is insulation. If there is no insulation, start here. You will see a dramatic improvement.

You will be suprised how much better your window unit works after you follow these tips!

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