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[#1]

Having just gone through the warmest Minnesota winter I have ever experienced I can honestly say I could get used to this, and I am now convinced something must be going on with our climate. I remember 70 plus degrees days in March of this year; when the normal temperature is around 20-30 degrees with snow.

While I know I saved a good amount of money on heating costs this year I am also sure that next year I will not be nearly as fortunate. As we celebrate this year’s Earth Day I would like to look back on past winters by sharing some thoughts on what can be done save money on future utility bills, and also what can be done to help reduce climate change.

What a utility bill doesn’t tell you, however, is how you can reduce your energy costs without having to suffer through excessive cold, heat, and humidity. I was glad to learn that the Geek Squad® will perform a Home Energy Survey. In this survey the agent will show you how to lower your energy costs while still maintaining the level of comfort you’re used to. At the end of the survey they will give you a full report of their findings and recommendations.

Did you know that 30 percent of the energy used in most homes is just wasted? If my utility bill was reduced by 30 percent I can promise you the savings would add up fast. Did you know that five percent of your energy costs come from electricity being used by your electronics when they are not in use?

Some quick an easy things to start saving right-away would be to get a smart power strip for all your electronics, and start replacing your light bulbs with Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFL). Did you know that a CFL will pay itself off in six months, and should last substantially longer?

So let’s say you had the Geek Squad® out for a Home Energy Survey, you took their recommendations to heart, and made the changes to your home. How will you know if these changes are saving you any money?  Well, you could invest in a Home Power Monitor that will list your power usage in either kilowatts or dollar amounts.

In the end it is nice to know that you are doing your part in saving energy usage, and the money you are saving will make it all worth it!

[#2]

I'd like to share a few thoughts about saving energy...

• most of us leave our chargers plugged in all day.  I have my chargers plugged into a multi-switch power bar. Only the device that needs charging gets the power
  http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Tripp+Lite+-+ECO-SURGE+TLP76MSG+7-Outlets+Surge+Suppressor/4696898.p?id=...
  
• Wanna save more?  Consider a power bar with a timer?  If you can't find one, plug the power bar into a timer so that it comes on for a few hours and turns itself off when you are finished charging.
  http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Belkin+-+Conserve+Socket+Power+Timer+-+White/Lemongrass/1516455.p?id=121...
• consider window film if you don't have any.  I have my windows replaced a few years ago with energy efficient ones, but there is still an ever slight about of air leakage.  Window film completely seals it.  So instead of double pane, you now have triple paned windows on the cheap!
• Finally I'm going to disagree with the idea of using CFL.  CFL are expensive in situations where the light switch is flipped on and off all the time.  They burn out too quickly. When you think about potential broken glass and disposal issues, I started to look at alternatives. My bathroom and kitchen lights use LED's.  They don't burn out and are even more efficient.
  

Wtih regards to a power monitor.... how many of us use a UPS for our laptops or computers?  Use the power monitor to check out the wattage consumed with and without a UPS.  I now skip the UPS when I'm running my laptop.

[#3]

This is a great idea. I have been looking for ways to conserve energy and coming across this post is answering that question that hass loomed on my head.