You know it, and I know it – all the best television these days lives on premium cable. Unfortunately, the price for this great programming can be a bit higher than some of us are willing to pay at times. Lucky for you, Bounce Energy wrangled a great deal with DIRECTV so that you can watch all the top shows and sports while saving money!

With the Triple Savings Event, you can lock in 3 years of savings in 3 different ways this summer:

1. 3 Years of Instant Rebate Savings
2. A Free Genie™ Upgrade
3. 2013 NFL SUNDAY TICKET at no extra charge

And, as late-night infomercials scream – “Wait! There’s more!” When you sign up with DIRECTV during the Triple Savings Event, you will receive 2 years of savings with Advanced Receiver Service and 3 FREE months of the most popular movie channels. Also, you will be given the chance to purchase the new Genie Go™ product for only $99 so that you can bring your DIRECTV anywhere on your smartphone, tablet, or laptop.

Let’s break down all of these savings into their component parts so that we can better understand all that you’re saving. Please be advised that only low-risk customers will receive the full benefits of this savings offer.

3 full years of Instant Rebate Savings

• Save up to $396 in Year 1
• Save up to $120 in Year 2
• Save up to $120 in Year 3

Free Genie™ Upgrade

• The Genie™ upgrade powers the entire home with just 1 HD DVR.
• You’ll receive 3 Genie™ Minis for further coverage and signal stability.

2013 NFL SUNDAY TICKET at No Extra Charge

• When you get this great programming for free, you’ll also receive NFL SUNDAY TICKET MAX, the best possible upgrade, also for free.
• This is the earliest that this popular programming product has ever been offered.

2 years of savings with Advanced Receiver Service

• DIRECTV will give you a $10 bill credit each month for 24 months.
• To be eligible for these savings, HD DVR customers will have to provide a valid e-mail address during sign up and then must maintain your original package, Auto Bill Pay, and paperless billing throughout your contract term.

So, this summer, expand your television viewing horizons and save money while doing so by choosing DIRECTV through Bounce Energy during the Triple Savings Event.

• NBC News list of local Tornado relief funds
• Live updates and links from the Moore Oklahoma Tornado Recovery Facebook page
• A list of tornado relief drop-off locations in Metro OKC
• To donate $10 The Regional Food Bank of  Oklahoma text ‘FOOD’ to 32333
• To donate $10 to the Red Cross Disaster Relief text ‘REDCROSS’ to 90999
• To donate $10 to the Salvation Army Oklahoma Tornado Relief text ‘STORM’ to 80888
• To donate to the  United Way of Central Oklahoma Disaster Relief Fund visit their page

Tornado Safety Tips
We also want to help prepare you for the continuing tornado season and the looming severe weather that is headed to Oklahoma and Texas.

1. Know the difference between a tornado watch and a warning. A watch means that the conditions are favorable for a tornado to develop and that you should be alert. A warning means that a tornado has been spotted and that you should take shelter immediately.
2. Download the Red Cross Tornado Warning App for alerts on upcoming tornadoes and storms. This application will give you step-by-step instructions on how to prepare for a tornado, what to do when the tornado hits, and has a siren that will go off in case of an emergency.
3. Have plenty of emergency supplies including water, food, medicine, flashlights (and batteries), a full tank of gas, and important documents.
4. If time permits you should move all lawn furniture and trash cans away.
5. If you are in a mobile home you should find a prearranged shelter.  Since your mobile home is not built into the ground, it can be picked up and airborne in no time.
6. If you are unable to flee before the tornado hits you should take shelter indoors in a basement or interior hallway or room – you must avoid windows.

(Clicking on the image will take you to the original source page for the life hack.)

Kids are thirsty, but you haven’t had a time to refrigerate a drink? Chill a coke in 2 minutes by rolling it around in salt water.

Little Tommy’s favorite toy is out of AAA batteries! Use a 9-volt battery instead! Peel back the casing, and you’ll find six AAA batteries.

Has your child waited until the last second to go to the bathroom (as usual)? When the moment hits, scratch his calf vigorously for a bit of relief while waiting.

Ask any mom - we see some pretty disgusting things that may make you want to hurl. It turns out that you can suppress your gag reflex while completing an extra-nasty task.

Tired of the tears that flow when chopping fresh onions? Turn off the automatic waterworks by putting your tongue against the roof of your mouth and breathing through your mouth (instead of your nose).

Save space and time by filling the dresser drawers from front to back rather than top to bottom. This is one of our favorite mom tips!

Keep yourself organized and your children safe by using a hanging shoe rack to store cleaning products.

This is one of my favorite life hacks to use in the kitchen, as it prevents so many messes. 

Don’t you hate it when the tasty take-out you purchased gets cold before you get home? Use seat warmers to keep the food warm!

Here’s another great life hack for the kitchen – easy cooking AND reduced cleanup. 

If your kids have outgrown the crib, and you don’t plan to have another child? Re-purpose that crib by turning it into an activity area and/or desk.

What are some of your favorite mom tips that help make life easier in your house? Have any other life hacks you’d like to share?

#1 – Set the air for a lower temperature if you really want to cool the house faster. False!

This one makes sense on the surface, but your air conditioner really doesn’t work this way. The HVAC system works by taking hot air and replacing it with cold air. It works at the same speed whether you are trying to cool the home by five degrees or fifteen. The same is true in the winter when you turn the furnace on. Setting the heat for a higher level does not magically make the furnace work harder or heat the home any faster.

#2 – Get a bigger system for better efficiency. False!

Not only is this myth false, it can actually cost you a small fortune. When the air conditioner is too large for the square footage it’s supposed to cool, it cools the home too quickly and shuts then down before it can start dehumidifying the air. You will eventually wind up with a very cool but damp environment, and that can be miserable (and bad for your health). Additionally, the system will cycle on and off rapidly, and this only wears down the components faster and causes your electricity bill to increase because of all that cycling.

#3 – Keep registers and doors open throughout the home to create the perfect home temperature. False!

There’s absolutely no reason to cool or heat rooms that aren’t being used. Conditioned air will be pushed through any open vent, so it’s better to close off the vents to rooms you aren’t using and force that air back to the areas you are using. Close the doors to maximize efficiency and reduce energy usage. If possible, put a draft dodger under the door to further isolate the unused space.

#4 – Use fans to make the air conditioner more effective. False!

Your HVAC system uses a specific pattern of air flow throughout the home to operate. Running a fan actually disrupts that flow and can cause more harm than good. In general, there’s no reason to run fans, so save a little money and leave all the fans off. People often run ceiling fans believing that they will distribute the air through the home, but this only drives up your electricity bill unnecessarily. [Editor's Note: If you want to use fans in your home, that's an OK idea too, but you should probably turn off your air conditioner first.]

#5 – Air conditioners pull a lot of energy. True & False!

This one is both true and false. It’s true that your air conditioner does pull a lot of energy, but is the problem you’re facing related to your air conditioner or to your poorly insulated house? The simple fact is this: It doesn’t cost nearly as much to cool a well-insulated house as it does to cool a drafty one. People are often tempted to leave windows open and just use ceiling fans to stay comfortable instead of overusing their air conditioner and running up their electricity bill. Unfortunately, this does nothing for the humidity, the temperature won’t cool very much, and those ceiling fans could wind up costing as much to run as the air conditioner. Before you resign yourself to warm temperatures and decide you cannot afford to use the air conditioner, consider making changes around the house to make it more energy efficient.

These myths cost people a great deal of money and frustration every year. However, you don’t have to believe the myths any more. Close off unused rooms, invest in the proper sized HVAC system, and turn off the fans to enjoy a home that’s the perfect temperature throughout the year, complete with a reasonable electricity bill.

Shelly Duell is a blogger on behalf of Polansky Heating & Air. Shelly has been writing since she was able to hold a pen, and blogging for the past three years. Polansky Heating & Air believes in treating their client’s property as if it were their own. They believe in offering quality service that doesn’t cost more than it need be. You can learn more tips like the ones in this article by visiting the blog at: http://www.wacoheatingandairconditioning.com/blog

Refrigerators

Next to air conditioning, refrigerators are one of the appliances that makes modern life convenient. We’ll be the first to admit that your 15-year old veteran air conditioner might appear to be working fine right now, but in fact, it’s wearing out. The CFC coolant breaks down and compressor motors wear out. Even the vinyl sealing stripping on the doors ages and cracks, allowing chilled air to leak out bit by bit.

Energy Star refrigerators are definitely built to help you save money, and they do so through some important design features. For example, top-mounted freezers use 10-25% less energy than bottom-mounted or side-by-side models. Automatic ice-makers, especially those with a through the door dispenser, increase energy use by 14-20% —adding to your energy costs. Yet while Energy Star standards require qualifying models to be 15% more efficient than non-qualified models, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) recommends energy conservation models using at least 30% less electricity than that required by federal law.

Last but not least, don’t forget about size. The bigger the fridge, the harder it is to keep cool. According to the Residential ENERGYsmart Library, the most common home refrigerators are 18 to 20 cubic feet in size. Fortunately, the most energy efficient models are are typically 16–20 cubic feet.

Which ones are the best models? Sorting the current Energy Star Qualified listings by comparing Configuration, % Better than Federal Standards, and Total Volume Returned, it seems that GE is leading the way in helping consumers save money and use less electricity. Its 16.5 cu. ft GTH17BBC-series model is rated as 35% above federal energy efficiency standards with an average consumption of 300 kWh/year. The best one the next size up is also a GE; the 18.1 cu ft GTH18ABC series is also rated 35% over the Federal Standard and uses 311 kWh/year.

Energy Star rebates for new refrigerators are also available through state and local utilities. Also remember there are local programs that will safely recycle your old fridge.

Washing Machines

Doing your laundry can be a dirty business when it comes to energy conservation. It’s estimated that 25 million washers in use are over 10 years old and waste billions of dollars in energy cost every year. Washing machines use energy in two ways: one is direct electrical energy to power the motor and controls, while the other is the energy it takes to heat water. In general, horizontal axis machines tend to be more energy efficient and use less water than older top-loading washers. Energy Star washing machines use 20% less energy (270 kWh/year) and 35% less water (about 15 gallons/load) and the most efficient ones are horizontal axis.

You can compare different Energy Star washing machines yourself. Sorting the database with the Modified Energy Factor in descending order and Annual Energy Use set in ascending order shows that the most efficient was the LG-WM8000H front loading washer with 5.16 cu. ft. that averages 135 kWh/year and 6,068.16 gallons/year.

Dishwashers

Coming clean about dishwashers means that that you have to expose their problems with energy conservation. The situation is similar to that of your washing machines, but you have to include the added problem of heated drying. Energy Star qualifying dishwashers have advanced technology such as soil sensors, water filters, and efficient spray jets that help remove food particles faster and easier. They also use less electricity and water, and when you use fewer resources when cleaning, you’re going to save money easily.

The current Energy Star dishwasher database makes choosing the leader tricky. It lists the Asko D5894A (series) as #1, BUT there are trade-offs with its nearest competitor, the Bosch SHE8ER55UC . The Asko model uses 171 kWh/year, is 51% better than Federal Standards for energy efficiency, but uses 4 gallons of water. The Bosch model uses 180 kWh/year, is 49% better than the Federal energy conservation standard, and only uses 2.22 gallons of water (65% better than the Federal standard). We’ll call this one a tie.

Central Air Conditioning

Of all your appliances, the one that devours your summertime energy dollars is central air conditioning. It’s also one of the most expensive home appliances to replace, so it’s important to know which ones will give the best performance. The average lifespan of a central air system is 14 years, though frequent breakdowns often indicate the system may be rapidly deteriorating and might need to be replaced soon. If your central air conditioning unit is more than 12 years old, replacing it with an Energy Star qualified system could cut your cooling costs by 30%.

Central air conditioners (and heat pumps) are rated according to their Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER). The SEER represents the cooling output divided by the power input for a hypothetical average U.S. climate. The higher the SEER, the more efficient the air conditioner. Sizing is the important concern, and this capacity is measured in tons. This doesn’t mean the heat exchanger weighs 2,000 pounds, but rather describes the amount of heat in BTU’s it can remove from the air. A 1 ton system can remove 12,000 BTUs. To calculate the cooling load in tons, you need to plug in the variable for building size, windows, and sun exposure, but this should be done by a qualified HVAC contractor because the outside unit must be matched to the inside blower unit.

Energy Star central air conditioning systems are 15% more efficient than conventional models and have SEER rating of 14.5 in zones 1-3 and 13 in zones 4-8.

Currently, the most efficient central air conditioning unit for 2013 is the Broan FS4BI Series with iQ Drive Control (series). It rates 24.5 SEER and comes in 2,3, and 4 ton capacities plus offers an additional 18% of cooling capacity is available for rapid cooling. The 2-ton version uses 823 kWh/year, has an annual cost of $90, and is 47% better than the national average. Retail cost, excluding labor, is about $4,000.

Sure, by suggesting that consumers should spend money on new appliances might seem counter-intuitive if you’re looking to save money, but by purchasing top-rated Energy Star appliances, you’re going to save more money in the long run. Since you’ll be using less energy to power your home, your electricity bill will be smaller on a monthly basis, and those savings will add up rather quickly.

In the second installment of “The Wind Bloweth where It Listeth,” we will examine how the industry came of age and some of the challenges it faces. In the later half of the 20th century, with energy prices increasing as well as a greater concern for the environment, government and business devoted more attention to renewable energy policy, including wind power development.

California’s Fan Club

Early commercial wind energy projects, like California’s Altamont Pass, were fueled by investment tax credits, but instead of basing that investment upon energy output performance (the correct metric), they were based upon the number of wind turbines. For example, in 1985, wind energy projects in California began with 7,035 wind turbines with a generation capacity of 500 megawatts (MW). When the tax credit ended in 1986, there were 14,609 wind turbines with a generation capacity of just over 1200 MW for California. However, 9,381 of all 14,609 wind turbines deployed by 1986 had capacities of 100 kw or less.

In order to stimulate growth and innovation in the wind energy industry, Congress augmented existing renewable energy policy and developed a production tax credit that focused on increasing energy output rather than the number of wind turbines installed. The Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPACT ’92) set up a Federal Production Tax Credit (PTC) of 1.5 cents/kWh of generated output. To take advantage of this tax credit, wind energy investors had to look more closely at how well their wind turbines performed, what technologies could improve performance, and where would they perform best. As it turned out, there were other states that offered much better wind conditions than California, particularly Iowa and Texas.

Changes rattled the electricity industry in the late 1990s when several states began deregulating their utilities, including New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas. These changes required the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to reorganize the electric power grid so that all players in the industry (generation, transmission, and distribution) had fair and unfettered access. To bring their own renewable energy policy in line with EPACT ’92 (and to stimulate investment), states developed their own renewable energy standards. Among these laws were those established by the newly deregulated states:

• Pennsylvania passed its “Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act of 2004″ mandating that 18% of consumed electricity must be renewable energy by 2020.
• New York State authorized The “Renewable Portfolio Standard 2004″ that designates 30% of electricity consumed by New York customers must be from renewable energy sources by 2015.
• Texas passed Senate Bill #7 in 1999, establishing a Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) of 2,000 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy to be available by 2009. In 2005, this was increased to 5,880 MW in 2015, and 10,000 MW in 2025.

Wind Energy’s Big Fan

The combination of federal and state renewable energy policy with the EPACT’92 tax credits propelled utility-scale wind turbine manufacturers to develop larger capacity wind turbines. In addition, the long dormant residential wind energy industry begin showing renewed signs of life. “Small wind,” as it is known, relies on wind turbines that generate 100 kW or less (the same capacity deployed during the 1980s in California). By 2007, 8,905 small wind turbines had been sold in the US, representing $42 million in sales and a generation capacity of 55-60 MW. Meanwhile, the average maximum output or “nameplate capacity” of a utility-scale wind turbine has increased by 174% since 1999 to over 1.5 MW in 2010 with further increases reaching over 3 MW. in 2012.

Part of the technology behind these increases is the size of the blade and the rotor circumference. Blades in the 1980s measured roughly 22 feet, their rotor circumference being 45 feet (approx. 15 meters). By 1999, blade length had been extended to 75 feet and rotor size increased to 150 feet (50 meters). By 2007, the blade length stretched as long as 150 feet with the rotor spanning the area of a football field—up to 300 feet (100 meters) allowing wind turbines to catch more power from even a gentle breeze.

But it isn’t always the wind turbine’s size that matters. A wind turbine only produces as much power as long as there’s a steady breeze. Location and elevation have everything to do with harvesting wind power capacity. New York has taken advantage of wind on the Allegheny and Adirondack mountains to develop 1400 MW of wind energy with 18 projects. Pennsylvania, too, has built 24 wind energy projects, mostly in its southwestern mountains, that combined have a capacity of 1,340 MW —just above 1 gigawatt (GW).

Texas is currently the wind energy production leader, mainly because West Texas and the Panhandle region have constant and reliable winds. With Texas electric energy demand one of the highest in the nation, wind energy development grew to … well, Texas-sized proportions. In 1999, Texas had 180 MW installed, but Texas’s renewable energy policy helped drive development. By 2005 it had installed 1,995 MW — just 5 wind turbines short of surpassing its 2009 RPS goal of 2,000 MW.

During this period natural gas prices were surging. Since natural gas generated about half of Texas electricity, electricity prices were also on the rise, making wind farms an even more attractive investment. In 2007, Texas had installed wind capacity of 4,296 MW, and by 2012 it grew to 12,214 MW. On March 18, 2012, wind energy generation hit 7,917 MW, representing 24 percent of the total ERCOT area load (33,373 MW). Texas now has 6 of the largest wind farms in the US, and investment continues to roll in. In January 2013, Google announced it was buying a $200 million stake in the 168 MW Spinning Spur project.

To be sure, Texas is wind energy’s biggest fan.

An Ill Wind Blows

In the summer of 2008, natural gas prices were still closely linked to petroleum because it was a by-product of oil drilling. That July, speculation drove petroleum/natural gas prices higher and higher. Gasoline surged to over $4.00 per gallon, while natural gas prices jumped to $13.69 per billion BTU (mmBTU). In Texas, the cost of electricity in exploded. Inundated with high fuel prices, consumers all across America cut their travel and their energy use. In fall 2008, the US economy started contracted so severely that businesses laid off workers in droves or simply closed.

With little demand for heat or electricity from shuttered businesses as winter came on, natural gas prices fell. At the same time, a new process for extracting natural gas from shale opened up ocean-sized reserves of natural gas in North Dakota, New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas. By fall of 2009, natural gas had lost over 80% of its July 2008 value and plummeted below $2.409 per mmBTU. With the US suddenly awash in cheap natural gas and new EPA regulations making it more expensive to burn coal, electric generating companies began switching their plants over to cleaner burning natural gas.

While some believed cheap natural gas would knocked the wind out of wind energy’s sails, other factors were propelling it forwards. Chief among these was that the PTC was set to expire in 2012, and this drove utilities and others to invest in building or expanding wind farms before that credit ended. Years of development and competition among wind turbine makers was not only lowering wind turbine prices, but also created lower maintenance and operational costs. So, even though cheap natural gas caused a few rumbles, wind energy seemed unstoppable. Except that on some windy days, the blades stand still because there was nowhere to send the electricity.

Lightning in a Bottle Neck

In an extreme case of stating the obvious, one of the most important attributes of wind power is the location of a given wind turbine. Wind farms are located on sprawling, wide-open landscapes that are far from cites and towns … and power lines. If a wind farm sits in the Texas Panhandle, it’s several hundred miles from a junction with the rest of the Texas grid, and it must be connected with an expensive transmission line. Even then, the wind farm’s energy output might curtailed because high demand is constraining transmission on the rest of the grid.

In Texas, from December 2008 to December 2009, between 500 MW and 2000 MW of wind energy was curtailed daily, totaling 16% for the year. Throughout America, electric transmission congestion is a daily problem for all generators (especially in summer) when supplying consumer demand and the physical limitations of wire cable threaten to cause blackouts. The answer at first seems to be, “Build more transmission lines.” The problem is that someone must pay for them, and no one wants these monsters in their back yard.

All of these developments – technological, political, scientific, pricing, and otherwise – bring us into 2013. Challenges continue to abound in the electric industry, including issues with transmission capacity as well as cheap natural gas prices to run conventional generators. Although the PTC had become quite controversial and was set to expire back in December, 2012, it was quietly extended for another year. An astute observer might note cynically that this comes as no surprise as 70% of all U.S. Congressional Districts have an operating wind project and/or a wind-related manufacturing facility.

This simply means that there are many more wind farms out there than before, including several schools, businesses, and universities deploying wind turbines of their own. Currently, there are 60 gigawatts (GW) of installed wind energy capacity in the US. That’s up from the 10 GW of installed capacity in 2006 that took 25 years to build. While all this capacity is currently land-based, there are plans for bigger off-shore wind farms in the works.

And in a development straight out of science fiction, there are even some plans being pushed in some quarters for adding batteries and putting wind turbines in the sky. Check out Part 3 next Thursday for the Future of the Wind Energy Industry.

In April, we held our inaugural Be Green Pin It to Win It contest, and tons of new followers followed us on Pinterest and repinned their favorite Earth Day images on your Pinterest board. So, we’re happy to announce that the randomly selected winner of our inaugural Be Green Pin It to Win It Contest is…

Drumroll please…

Bonnie F.!

This lucky lady will receive a $1,000 American Express Gift Card on behalf of Bounce Energy. Along with nearly 1,000 other entrants, she shared at least 5 different approved pins on her Pinterest boards during the month of May, all of which shared her love of Planet Earth with her friends and followers. Topics of interest that people shared included “Green Quotes,” “Green Living Tips, “Green Products,” “Organic Recipes,” “Life Hacks,” and “Promotions.” And for each submission to our Be Green Pin It to Win It contest, we also donated $1 to World Wildlife Fund. April was a great month for the Earth!

We then celebrated Bounce Energy’s 5th Birthday in Texas from May 1st – 5th by holding our 5-5-5 Birthday Promotion. With this contest, we offered a range of bill credit rewards to both new and renewing customers who showed their love for Bounce by choosing us as their retail electricity provider in Texas. Specifically, there are 5 brand new customers who will receive a first bill of only $5.55:

• Deborah S. of Baytown
• Daisuke T. of Houston
• Christopher M. of Euless
• Jiann-jyh C. of Victoria
• Elizabeth O. of Fort Worth

Furthermore, we had 5 renewing customers receive a $55 Bill Credit on their next bill:

• Qing L. of Houston
• LaDonna R. of Katy
• James R. of Humble
• Mark A. of Rockwall
• Larry A. of Crosby

And finally, we had 1 lucky renewing customer receive a $555 Bill Credit on his next bill: Edgar T. of Katy!

Wow! We are really honored that everyone participated in these two great contests. For 5 years now, Bounce Energy has worked hard to prove that we are “more than just an electricity company,” and we have our amazing customers to thank for all of our success.

And as always, be sure to follow us on our blog, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Tumblr for more great Bounce Energy news, tips, and contests, because we’ll certainly be offering you more chances to win in the future!

The trick to learning about programmable thermostats is to get out there and do the research.

Fortunately, I have already done some of the work for you.

Since web interfaces are becoming more popular, the first seven programmable thermostats on the list feature some flavor of web interface that allows users can connect to via their computer, tablet, or smart phone. Using a network dongle (also known as a Wi-Fi module) seems to be common right now in smart thermostats. Some have separate power sources that must be plugged into a nearby outlet; others have modules that plug into the thermostat housing. Parents of rambunctious, teething children should take heed of this kind of feature.

If you are going to install one of programmable thermostats yourself, you will need to need to know what kind of HVAC system you have. Apart from the standard 24-volt 4- or 5-wire kinds, there’s a lot of others out there, including boiler systems, multi-stage heat and cooling, and heat pumps.

In short, you NEED to know what-wire-goes-where.

With that in mind, I’ve included links to the models’ installation manuals and guides. If you see one that you like, take some time to browse the installation information. It’s way cheaper to familiarize yourself with these devices this way before buying one. Otherwise, you might wind up feeling bamboozled and disappointed.

1) The Nest

Price: $249. Features: Compatibility checker; DIY friendly; Installation manual. Being 95% compatible with most home HVAC systems, The Nest has been acclaimed as the number one rated smart thermostat. By using a combination of motion sensors and input, The Nest learns the occupants’ schedule during its first week of operation. The Nest then takes this data and creates a heating and cooling schedule for your home. You can tweak this by accessing your Nest via a connection set up through your browser or smart device, but you need to set up a Nest account to get access. Overall, The Nest does a good job of learning the temperatures you want and at what time you want them, but it’s not the best way to learn about how your home heats and cools – much less how you can save the most money on your climate control.

2) Venstar Colortouch T-5800

Price: $170. Features: DIY friendly, Installation manual. In terms of eye candy appeal, the T-5800 is a nice piece of work. It’s equipped with a screensaver function that lets you set the background you want. In addition to the regular furnace/AC programmable features, there’s also a smart fan setting allowing you to just run the blower fan, since sometimes just circulating the air through your home can shave a bit off the costs of heating and cooling your home or business. For Wi-Fi access, the T-5800 requires purchasing the separate Wi-Fi module, as the Skyport Wi-Fi key that plugs into the unit’s SD slot. To remotely access the thermostat, you set up an account with Venstar’s Skyport Cloud Services. The keycard runs between $50 and $65, raising the full price of wireless thermostat version to around $225.

3) ecobee Smart Thermostat (EB-STAT-02)

Price: $300. Features: DIY friendly (but complex), Installation manual. Escobee has a sturdy track record of putting out innovative products, as this Canadian company was one of the first manufacturers of web-accessible smart thermostats. The installation requires some complex wiring – the control unit needs a separate power supply and must have connections wired into to the HVAC system, plus there’s also low voltage connections to the control interface. Granted, the Wi-Fi module is built into the ecobee Smart Thermostat, so there isn’t a separate dongle required. To access the thermostat via the web, however, you do need to register the device with ecobee to set up your web portal. The ecobee uses lots of data, including local weather station information, to learn about your home climate. There isn’t much eye candy here, but you get a lot of data that provides you with flexibility to run different parts of your HVAC system to get the most efficiency out of it.

4) Honeywell Prestige HD YTHX9321R

Price: $250. Part of Honeywell’s “Professionally Installed” line, this model is not recommended for DIY. Honeywell has been designing thermostats for decades, and Consumer Reports gives this one a high rating. To be honest, this one seems designed for an older demographic, one that might shy away from tiny hand-held connectivity and prefer a larger, easy-to-read interface. Its internet connection is handled by a $93 dongle called the Redlink Internet Gateway which raises the price from $250 to $343 — which doesn’t include the cost of professional installation. All the software resides on Honeywell’s servers, so if your home LAN looses its internet access, you’ll have to get out of your chair and program the lovely touch screen by hand (GASP!)

5) Wi-Fi Color Touchscreen RTH9580 Wi-Fi

Price: $249. Features: DIY friendly, Installation manual. This is Honeywell’s thermostat that’s designed to compete with The Nest. It works with common 24-volt systems such as forced air, hydronic, heat pump, oil, gas, and electric. It will not work with Milli-volt systems, such as a gas fireplace, or with 120/240-volt systems, such as baseboard electric heat. The price is good, making this option quite Nest-competitive. Limited rebates are also available from your utility company, depending on your state. For remote access, you will need to register the device and sign up with a Honeywell My Total Connect Comfort account. Both iOS and Android apps are supported.

6) LockState WiFi Internet 7-Day Programmable Model #LS-90i

Price: $298. Features: DIY friendly, Installation manual. This thermostat model comes with lots of connectivity options. It’s compatible with common HVAC systems (including heat pumps and auxiliary heat), external air baffles, humidifiers, and dehumidifiers. Wi-Fi access requires inserting the “LockState Connect USNAP” Wi-Fi module. Remote management requires setting up a LockStateConnect.com account and registering the device.

7) Hunter Universal Internet Thermostat Model: 44917

Price: $99. Features: DIY friendly, Installation manual. This programmable thermostat has a basic screen interface, and it’s very DIY friendly with a very clear and simple installation manual. It does require that you plug in a separate gateway Wi-Fi module (powered by a wall power supply) that maintains a link to your wireless router. It also requires that you register at my.HunterFan.com or when you download the app from the iTunes store.

8) Lux TX9600TS

Price: $70. Features: DIY friendly; Installation manual. This thermostat doesn’t have any web interface at all, BUT it does has universal compatibility (with only a few exceptions). If you are looking just for a friendly programmable thermostat with an easy-to-use blue touchscreen, this is it. Each day of the week can be programmed separately. There is an air filter monitor (counts down a customizable period of days until it’s time to change the air filter) and an energy usage monitor that displays basic run-time information for heating and cooling.

Eerily enough, predictions this year’s storms are for a far more active season.

Colorado State University (CSU) expects enhanced hurricane activity due to a lack of El Niño activity this summer. For the uninitiated, “El Niño” refers to is a warming of sea surface water in the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean that begins around Christmas time. CSU’s prediction states there is an “above-average probability for major hurricanes making landfall along the US and Carribean.” They expect storm activity in the Atlantic Ocean basin to be 175% above the long term average (1981-2010) with 18 named storms, 9 hurricanes, and 4 major (category 3-5) hurricanes.

WSI also predicts an active season, predicting 16 named storms, nine hurricanes, and five intense (major) hurricanes expected.

Tropical Storm Risk (TSR) of University College London forecasts “an active hurricane season to moderate probability“, stressing that enough uncertainties remain for a 30% chance of being a near-normal season. They also argue that the accuracy of forecasting in April tends to be low. All the same, they expect to see 15 tropical storms, 7-8 hurricanes, and 3 major hurricanes (all numbers rounded).

Common to all three prognostications are the current neutral El Niño conditions combined with the early presence of warm surface water in the north Atlantic Ocean. US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) notes that El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) conditions are neutral, stating “Most of the SST are within one-half degree celsius of the climatological normals.”

Neutral El Niño conditions mean less chance for vertical wind shear off west Africa. Wind shear here tends to disrupt the formation of storms that ultimately become hurricanes. In addition, CSU points out, “Anomalously weak westerly winds in the mid-latitudes also promote anomalous ocean currents out of the south, which contributes to general warming sea surface temperatures (SSTs) throughout the north Atlantic basin.”

So, calmer winds coupled with an early supply of warmer-than-average surface ocean water (which fuels hurricanes) are seen as making a busy hurricane season. WSI points out, too, that historically low amounts of Arctic summer sea ice in the north Atlantic Ocean are indicators of enough warm water present to heighten the threat of a hurricane.

NOAA always issues its prediction in late May. Not surprisingly, CSU, WSI, and TSR all state they will be providing updated information between May 23 and June 1. Stay tuned!

Remember, you and your family can stay informed through the Bounce Energy Hurricane Prep Center for the latest information this hurricane season. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for Smartphone alerts and get all the other important news about what’s happening if a hurricane strikes.

It’s May, which means that it’s National Electrical Safety Month, a month designed to promote electrical safety in the workplace, home and elsewhere. This event is spearheaded by the Electrical Safety Foundation International, (ESFI) a non-profit that’s dedicated to encouraging electricity responsibility. And since Bounce Energy is an electricity company, we thought it would be helpful to provide some of our own tips and tidbits for using electricity responsibly in your home or business.

Hopefully, following some of these suggestions and adjusting the way you use electricity could prevent a fire, electrical damage, or electric shock within your household. Let’s face the facts – electrical mishaps are responsible for almost 44,000 home fires, 440 deaths, thousands of injuries and about $1.5 billion in property damage each year. By implementing just a little bit of electrical safety in some key situations, you reduce your chance of becoming an accident statistic.

1. Be mindful of plugs. You might think that it’s OK to plug a variety of appliances into one outlet on the wall, simply by picking up an accessory that allows you to turn a two-socket outlet into a four or five socket outlet. If you think it’s OK to do this, think again. Plugging too many appliances into one outlet or into one electrical cord could lead to damage to your appliances, damage to your home’s electrical system and, in a worst case scenario, a fire.

2. Use safety caps. You might think that safety caps are only for households with young children as a means of preventing them from sticking fingers into them. But these caps should also be applied wherever there’s an open socket, regardless of whether there are young children in the home or not. Why? It’s because covering these unused outlets can actually help your home save energy, because it will reduce drafts. A pack of these cover plugs can typically be purchased for under $10.

3. Hide electrical cords. Just about every appliance that needs to be plugged in comes with an electrical cord. But don’t just leave these cords scattered about, tuck them in and hide them. This prevents pets from chewing at them and children from playing with them, two actions that can result in electrical shock.

4. Don’t yank that plug! We know how convenient it can be to simply yank the electrical cord of an appliance out of the wall socket when you want to remove it or after you’re done using it. But that’s a poor habit to get into, both in terms of potential damage to any electrical item you have plugged in as well as the socket and greater electrical system in the household. So don’t yank on cords, instead gently remove the electrical cord from the point of insertion by gripping the plug.

5. Don’t rely on electrical tape. People have been using this stuff to complete patchwork jobs for years, but it’s not always a smart choice. Typically, when you need to use electrical tape, it’s really a sign that a certain electrical cord is past its prime. So beware of electrical tape and consider just replacing the cord.

6. Protect valuable appliances with surge protectors. Power surges are spikes in the current flowing in your home’s electrical wires. And they can have dire consequences, such as short circuiting some of your appliances. That’s why it’s recommended that you purchase surge protectors to plug valuable and expensive electrical appliances, such as your computer, flat-screen TV, and Blu-Ray player, into. While individual surge protectors are one option (such units are generally inexpensive and offer multiple sockets), you can also outfit your home circuit breaker with a whole house surge protector. While this option is a little more expensive, it’s a way to safeguard every electrical appliance in your home or business, no matter how small or large.

7. Get to know your electrical box. If you blow a fuse in your house, no matter the reason, the only way to fix it is to reset the circuit breaker. It’s not hard to do – you just find your electrical box (usually located in your basement) and flip back the only switch that’s in the opposite direction of all the others. But how well do you really know your electric box? Do you know where the main fuses are? This May, talk to a knowledgeable friend or even considering hiring an electrician to give your box an inspection to make sure everything checks out OK and is up to code. But while you’re getting it inspected, take an active role and learn what switch powers what outlet. It never hurts to have this knowledge.

In honor of National Electrical Safety Month, spend a little bit of time thinking about how you use and consume electricity this month. We encourage you to develop electrical safety measures to protect your home or business. Hopefully, these 7 tips have helped!

Do you have any suggestions for improving electrical safety in your world?