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Watching Out For You
Uh oh ... prices are starting to climb! As of September 29, natural gas prices are up nearly $2.075/DTh over the preceding month. Read more |
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Click here to access your My Gateway account. From this link you can check your usage, see payment history and much more. |
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Not Exactly a "Product"
While we usually tout an energy-saving product in this space, one of the best ways to save household energy is to get
outside.So we're spotlighting another type of savings. Whether it's a fair or festival or a locally sponsored run,
being outside is good for you and reduces your electricity and natural gas bill. More events
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5 places to keep the heat in
Soon enough we'll have to break down and turn the heat back on. But just because you'll soon be paying that bill again doesn't mean that the cost has to be the same. Make use of these easy-to-do ideas and you can keep warm knowing that your energy budget won't bust the bank.
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The Truth About CFLs
Fluorescent lighting has been around since the late 1930s, so you'd think it would be more popular, right? After all, they last longer and they're "green." So why the long road to acceptance?
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Watching Out For You (continued) |
On a daily basis, though, the market has been very confusing. Higher prices one day are offset by declines the next day as the market tries to find direction. The net result has been for prices to increase. There are some reasons for prices to push higher. Winter is coming and with it seasonal pressures. Also, the economy is on the path to recovery, which may indicate a renewed demand in energy commodities.
The bottom line for you
You don't need to worry yet, but this recent rise is a good heads-up. Prices are still low enough that, while we may not be seeing the cheapest prices of the season, they're still far better than a year ago.
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Featured Product (continued)
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For those of you in the Northeast, take a hike to view the fall foliage. For those of you who get to hold onto summer a little longer, hit the beach. If those activities don't do it for you, the list below provides some interesting activities from fun runs (yeah they can be) to beer.
Check online for other events in your area that interest you. There's a listing below of Web sites for state tourism information and state parks.
| Date | Event | Where
| Comment | | October 2-4 |
Austin City Limits Music Festival | Austin,
TX | One of the best festivals there is. | | October 9-18
| Cape May Victorian Week | Cape May,
NJ
| Victorian wear encouraged! | | October 10 | Maryland Brewers Octoberfest | Timonium, MD |
Lots of brats! | October 17
| The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Light the Night Walk | Nyack,
NY
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Come out and walk with us to support a great cause. | | October 17-18 | Corn Maze and Hayrides at Drumheller's Orchard Octoberfest | Lovingston, VA | Half the fun is getting there! |
| October 24 | American Classic: 5K Run for Humanity | Washington, DC | Support Habitat for Humanity. | | Fridays and Saturdays during October |
Legends of Horror | Springfield, OH | Nothing like a good fright to get a good laugh. |
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Energy-Saving Tips (continued) |
Your heating:
Heating and cooling comprise about 50 percent of the energy use in the average home. Since this is probably your largest energy expense, here's where you want to make changes. Keep your radiators, floor registers and baseboard heaters clean. Dust, dirt and pet hair clog your system, making it less efficient. Also, change or clean your filters once a month during the heating season to keep your furnace running at its optimal level. Before the weather turns too cold, have your heating system serviced. You should do this once a year.
Your thermostat:
The setting makes a difference. Don't turn it higher than 68 degrees when you are home. Lower the temperature even further when you go to bed or when you leave the house. Better yet, install a programmable thermostat so you won't even have to think about it. Choose models with weekday (for when you're out of the house) and weekend (when you're home) settings. You can cut your annual heating bill by up to 10 percent if you lower your thermostat by 10 percent to 15 percent for eight hours a day.
Your insulation:
Inadequate insulation or no insulation just invites the cold air in. Make sure you have enough in your attic, basement and outside walls. For example, if you live in the South, you need R30 to R60 in your attic. If you live in the North, Mid-Atlantic or Midwest, buy R38 to R60. Measure to make sure your insulation is at least 6 inches thick. Be careful! Remember to stay on the joists if you're walking around an unfinished attic, otherwise you could step through the drywall and create a nice hole in your ceiling. Also, check for air leaks around windows and in plumbing and electrical outlets. Reducing air leaks may cut 10 percent from your monthly energy bill.
Your water:
This is another chunk of your energy bill. Water heating can be the third-largest expense you have, typically accounting for about 12 percent of your utility bill. But there are easy steps you can take to save money. For starters, turn your water heater down to 120
degrees F. Check your model's factory preset to be sure it's set where you want it. Not only does turning down your water heater save cash, but it also can save your children from potentially serious scalding. You can also install water-flow restrictors in showerheads and faucets so that you use less water while bathing or washing dishes.
Your furniture:
Keep clear by making sure your furniture is pulled away from radiators and vents and draperies are not hanging over heating elements. Not only does keeping everything clear help heat circulation, it also prevents fire hazards. Don't block windows either. In the winter, you want to take advantage of the light during the day, so keep furniture and drapes away. You can make particular use of solar heating on your home's south side by opening shades and curtains to let the sunlight in. Close them at night to retain heat and to bounce the light from your lamps back into the room.
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Energy News (continued) |
Perhaps CFLs have
gotten a bad rap due to the flaws of early-generation versions coupled
with myths about today's standard CFLs.
Price
For one, CFLs are more expensive, but only at first. According to Energy Star, the joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy, a CFL will save about $30 over its lifetime and pay for itself in about six months. Add in the benefits of conservation plus the warm and fuzzy feeling you get for being environmentally conscious. Priceless.
Fire, UV Radiation and Mercury
There is also the fear that CFLs expose consumers to the dangers of mercury and ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Some believe that CFLs pose a fire hazard. Since CFLs operate at a lower temperature than incandescents, CFLs actually reduce the threat of a fire caused by lighting fixtures in your home. Still, you should always be sure that your CFL is UL- (Underwriters Laboratory, a products-compliance firm) and Energy Star-certified. Don't be concerned when your CFL finally burns out because it may smoke a little and smell of melted plastic. This is common and not considered dangerous.
While CFLs do emit some UV radiation that ranges from 50-140 microwatts/lumen, UV emissions from a CFL are not considered hazardous and are far less than the amount in natural sunlight. Studies have shown that after 70 years of operation, there have been no significant health problems reported from UV emissions related to fluorescent lighting. Today, double-envelope CFLs, which have a glass or plastic cover which makes them look like incandescent bulbs, emit essentially no UV radiation.
It's no myth that a CFL contains mercury and upon the end of its life must be disposed of properly. The truth is that you'll only be exposed to the mercury inside a CFL if its broken. (See below for how to dispose of a broken CFL.) The use of CFLs actually prevents mercury from being emitted into the air because they require less energy to operate. Over a five-year period, a power plant that burns fossil fuels such as coal, diesel and natural gas to create electricity will emit 10 mg of mercury into the air to light an incandescent bulb. The same power plant will only emit 2.4 mg of mercury to light a CFL in the same period.
Recycling CFLs
If Energy Star-certified CFL is broken, it will release 4 mg of mercury. So it is important that CFLs are disposed of properly. Check your municipal Web site for disposal options, visit www.earth911.org or www.epa.gov/bulbrecycling
for more information about recycling CFLs, or simply bring your used CFLs to Home Depot or Ikea. Some organizations have created convenient ways for you to ship your used CFLs to a recycling center. The Veolia ES CFL FedEx Recycle Pak allows you to collect and ship your used CFLs right from your home. Find it at the Gateway Energy Store (www.gatewayenergystore.com) and search "Veolia."
Again, always be sure that the CFL you purchase is Energy Star-certified so you know that the amount of mercury is regulated. Go to
www.energystar.gov or www.getenergysmart.org to learn more.
What If It Breaks?
If you break a CFL in your home, first ventilate the room. Open windows and turn off the central a/c or forced-air heating system, if you have one. Wear disposable gloves. For hard surfaces, use stiff paper or cardboard to scoop up fragments and sticky tape (like duct tape) to get any glass or powder left over. Avoid sweeping or vacuuming because that will flick particles around the room. Put the clean-up materials and broken pieces into a glass jar or sealed plastic bag. On carpeted surfaces, carefully pick up fragments and use sticky tape for remnants. If you must vacuum, vacuum only the area where the bulb was broken. Remove the vacuum bag or empty and wipe the canister. Put the
vacuum bag and broken pieces into a glass jar or sealed plastic bag. Put the bag or jar in a trash container outside your house for the next normal trash pickup.
No Longer The Ugly Duckling
So, you may be sold on the benefits of CFLs and you realize that they're safe to use inside your home, but you may still be skeptical.
Recent conversations that we've heard from family and friends echo general criticism about CFLs: "They're so ugly." "I can't use them in my fixtures that dim." "I can't use them in my 3-way lamps." We have good news: Recently, manufacturers have made huge strides. Unlike their earliest counterparts, today's CFLs do not buzz or flicker. While it's true that most are not dimmable or useful in a 3-way lamp, manufacturers have wised up and begun to make dimmable and 3-way CFLs to allow you to create the same lighting ambience to which you've grown accustomed in your home.
Find all types of CFLs - standard spiral; covered A-shaped, which look like incandescents; covered globes for bathroom vanities and ceiling pendants; candle bases for decorative fixtures; reflectors for indoors and outdoors; dimmable and 3-ways, along with compatible accessories - at the Gateway Energy Store (www.gatewayenergystore.com) as well as some other online retailers including Amazon. Watch your shipping costs though: standard shipping on a dimmable CFL can run you almost as much as the CFL itself. Buy five or six, so you get the most for your cost.
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Did You Know?
Calling CFLs "compact fluorescent light bulbs" is actually a misnomer? For all you Cliff Clavins out there, CFLs are actually "compact fluorescent lamps." In lamp-industry jargon, a lamp is a device that generates light when connected to electric power. The term "bulb" is used to describe the glassware before it is made into a functional lamp. In addition, the device that most users would call a lamp is called a fixture or luminaire in the lighting industry. For example, what most people refer to as a table lamp is technically called a portable fixture. Yes, Cliffy would be proud.
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