"Glass over Cans"

I have heard recently that it is more energy efficient to recycle glass bottles than aluminum cans. So next time you choose your favorite beverege consider glass instead of aluminum.

Sun Block

Here is what I do in the Summer months to reduce the temperature inside my house. I have two large skylights and I cover them with these detachable window curtain rods so they block out the sun. I estimate that this keeps the interior house temperature about 10 degrees cooler.

This "sun block" should be somewhat easy for you to make and help you have a "cool Summer". You can then take these skylight shades down for the Fall and Winter seasons to let the skylights help heat your home.

FALL & WINTER ENERGY TIPS

Today I received some energy tips from my local electric company (NSTAR) for fall and winter energy saving. The energy saving tips include the following:

1. Keep your south side curtains and shades open during the day for solar heating.

2. Make sure your windows are locked for a tighter seal to help prevent drafts.

3. Here is a suggestion I had never heard of before; "Place a sheet of aluminum foil between the radiator and wall to reflect heat back into the room."

4. Make sure your radiators and heat vents are free from furniture and/or drapes.

5. For every degree you lower your thermostat you save about two percent off your heating cost so try to set the temperature no higher than 68 degrees during the day when you are home and lower the temperature when you are not home and at night

With "Old Man Winter" getting ready to knock on every one's door; it is important to try to make your home as efficient as possible to help lower your winter heating bills.

"FREE ENERGY AUDIT FOR HOME"

It is a good idea to check with your local energy company supplier as many utility companies offer a free energy audit for your home or business. While not much in this world is really free; there is no extra cost for the energy audit as each energy consumer helps pay for the cost of the energy audits through their monthly energy bill.

Generally an energy audit looks for ways to help the homeowner make their home more energy efficient by taking steps to help reduce the amount of energy consumed in the home. For example, replacing incandescent light bulbs with florescent light bulbs will help reduce your electric light energy used and help you save on your electric bill. An analysis is also generally done of the amount of insulation found in the attic, basement, and walls to see if you could benefit from increasing the insulation level to reduce your heating costs in the winter and cooling costs in the summer. If you have an old refrigerator, incentives are given to replace their refrigerator with an energy efficient refrigerator. The type of windows are analyzed with proposals given for window replacement if you have older inefficient types of windows. Searching for air leaks and draft spots in the home are also noted along with suggestions on how to correct these problem areas.

Many of the suggestions generated from an energy audit have proposals with attractive financing and rebates available along with potential for qualifying for state and or federal governmental incentives to make your home more energy efficient. Estimates can be obtained for solar installation at your home for example.

In summary, it should be worth your time to contact your local utility company and make arrangements for an energy audit for your home. You can not only save energy and money but also have a more comfortable home after you make the necessary energy efficiency upgrades.

Grocery Shopping Tips

I can't claim to be an expert on how to save money while grocery shopping but I thought I would pass along an observation or two of some things to consider when you are filling up your grocery cart.

First of all you might want to consider store brand items such as ketchup, salsa, and steak sauce over the more famous advertised brands as they are lower in price but are often processed at the same site as the more expensive national brands. Also generic towels and toilet paper usually provide the same utility as the advertised national brands at a lower cost.

Another thing I consider when shopping for meat products are the "manager's price reduction" stickers on items such as steak,pork, or chicken. For example the store coupon may say $2.00 off or $3.00 off the price of the meat product. Of course you should inspect the item visually to make sure it looks fine but depending on how many people you have to feed with the meat item the less the meat item weighs as long as the amount meets your needs; the greater the per pound discount you will receive from a fixed amount store coupon so the lower your per pound cost for this item.

Of course you should be on the alert for in store sale items and also clip coupons from the newspaper or print them from web sites on the Internet to reduce your grocery bills.

MAKING SEA SALT

If you live near a body of salt water you should consider making your own sea salt. I have started making sea salt this summer. It is quite an easy process. All you need to do is gather some salt water and then let the sun evaporate the water which leaves sea salt crystals. Sea salt is better than regular table salt as it has more minerals.

One thing I also do is heat up the salt water if I am already baking something in the oven such as potatoes. I don't use any electric energy except when I am already cooking something else. I also put a pot full of salt water if I am using my gas grill to cook steaks or hamburgers. I also put a pot of sea salt on the stove after I have cooked something like popcorn or spaghetti and have already turned off the electric power from the stove as this way the residual heat helps evaporate the water.

ea salt has a more intense flavor than regular salt. So, if you are going swimming some time in the ocean; bring some salt water home with you. There is approximately three percent salt in salt water and the results are not immediate but you may find this a fun thing to do to make your own salt.

"TREASURE CHEST"

In Harwich, Massachusetts on Cape

Cod there is a recycling center for usable household items next to the Town Dump known as the "Treasure Chest". This steel building is very popular and open year round. Clothing, kitchen ware, books, records, Christmas items, bicycles, furniture, picture frames, golf equipment, glassware, along with select garden and building supplies are some of the items found at the "Treasure Chest" which is staffed by local volunteers and open Friday through Monday during the Summer season and Saturday and Sunday during the off season.

Recycling centers such as the "Treasure Chest" keep fewer items from being dumped at the land fill and give local residents a chance to pick up and drop off usable items to extend the life of these usable goods. There is also a steel storage container on site that they fill with surplus books which are shipped overseas.

Your town should consider a recycling center like the "Treasure Chest" if your town does not currently have a recycling center.