Eco20/20 Blog-Energy Saving Ideas

Buy a Whole House Fan

2009-06-12T10:00:00.003-04:00

This summer has been predicted to be cooler than usual. This is a great development, if you decide to install a whole house fan. A whole house fan takes the air from the house and puts it into the attic. This hot air is cooler than what is in the attic. The result of using a whole house fan is a savings of up to 5% on your energy bill. The fan can cost anywhere from $150 to $350. The cost of

Seersucker

2009-06-05T10:53:00.000-04:00

Are you sick of sweating behind your desk as the thick cotton shirt slowly creates an oven like effect around you? If this sounds like you it is time to switch to a truly eco friendly material. Seersucker is a thin cotton woven material. These days you can even have a suit made from this very breathable material. If you are forced to wear long sleeves in the summer consider a seersucker shirt

Line Dry Clothing

2009-05-15T10:32:00.002-04:00

Spring is finally here. The weather has starting to become warm and pleasant. The birds sing there happy tunes. With the warmer climate, the challenge of saving some money on your electricity bill becomes a little harder. Air conditioning tends to be a little expensive. Here is a suggestion for those who live in their own house. If done on a regular basis, could save around 5% on your bills

Energy Efficient Homes Save Energy and Money

2009-04-24T13:37:00.003-04:00

With summer just around the corner home improvement projects are beginning to take off. As more and more people become conscious of the environment and work to reduce their carbon footprint, energy efficient, green upgrades are gaining in popularity. By making a few changes around your home you will not only save money but also do your part to reduce negative effects on the environment. The

Save Money on Your Trip to Work

2009-04-03T11:17:00.001-04:00

As the weather slowly gets warmer and more spring like, people are looking to start living on the outside again. Warm weather gives us the ability to us our legs as a mode of transportation. If we want to get serious about saving some real energy and money, it is time to start with warm weather. If you live n a city with public transportation please take advantage of it. If you live within a

Saving Electricity with a Current Cost Meter

2009-03-27T09:14:00.006-04:00

The Current Cost meter is a simple device that measures how much electricity you are using at any given time. The current cost meter gets its data from a special clamp that transmits data from your electricity meter to the current cost meter. The special clamp is really easy to install, as it just fits around your incoming power cable. No electrician is needed.Regardless of the size of your home,

Cooking Faster Saves Energy

2009-03-20T13:03:00.003-04:00

It seems fairly straight forward, the less time you spend cooking, the more energy and electricity you will use. The less electricity used the more energy and electricity you will save. How can we reduce the amount of time spent slaving and cooking in the kitchen?Lets learn some simple and easy methods of doing things a little more efficiently in the kitchen department. First off, before we

Recycle Paper

2009-03-13T12:30:00.002-04:00

One of the easiest and most immediate ways to save energy is to conserve. Conservation is vital to saving energy and money. One less stop to buy something, whether online or at the store saves energy. Paper conservation can go a long way on saving money and energy. Not wasting paper is an easy way to save some easy money. It is also a way to conserve. If you are not picky with paper try

Kindle Meet Kindle

2009-03-06T08:47:00.003-05:00

If you haven't noticed, Eco20/20 loves to highlight eco friendly energy saving items. About a month ago we highlighted the Amazon Kindle. This handy device was the neatest thing since sliced bread. You could read books on a screen that would not hurt your eyes. Just when we thought it could not get any better it did. The Kindle 2 was announced a few weeks ago and we thought we should

Attic Insulation

2009-02-27T09:36:00.001-05:00

Weatherizing your home is important year round. All parts of your home could be improved including your attic. There are a few things you can do to stop energy loss and save money. Insulate you attic. Working with a professional will save money, if you cannot do it yourself. Installing the proper insulation can be tricky. If done properly can save you quite a bit of moneyAnother aspect to

Energy Saving Basics

2009-02-20T09:43:00.002-05:00

It is time to get back to the energy basics. Nothing complicated just a comprehensive list of how to save energy and money.If you think we've missed some, feel free to add them on.1. Drive slower2. Add a storm door3. Use power strips4. Insulate your heater5. Use your laptop more6. Unplug appliances7. Carpool8. CFL bulbs 9. Tankless Water Heater10. Get a front load washer11. Change thermostat by

House Plants-Get One

2009-02-13T10:05:00.003-05:00

Do you find yourself getting sick, generally grumpy and needing to keep the air in your house clean with new filters all the time? What if you could fix all of these symptoms with one quick fix. It is no big secret and everyone can do it. Buy a house plant. If you want buy two house plants. If you are feeling adventurous, buy one for your office, cubicle or where you work. Houseplants have

Importance of Weatherization

2009-02-13T09:46:00.003-05:00

According to the US Department of Energy, the weatherization of your home can reduce you heating bills by 32%. However, as any home owner knows, replacement of items can be expensive and not worth the upfront costs. For people who may be low income, the government has programs to help offset some of these costs. For people who are trying to weatherize their homes they can do some simple things

Solar Panels-The Right Fit?

2009-02-06T10:57:00.008-05:00

Solar panels may be just the perfect fit to save you some serious money on you energy bill. The reason to buy a panel now is because of the economy. When the economy is down, the price of items usually go down as well. Combine this with up to 30% rebate from the government and you can save yourself some serious cash.There are some things to consider. If you live in a non sunny area, the

Save 50% of Energy Usage with a Motion Detector

2009-02-06T10:24:00.003-05:00

We were recently shown an article about how businesses and giant warehouses are putting motion detector lights within buildings. As the workers are in the area, the lights goes on. When they leave, they goes off. The result was a savings of nearly 50% on their energy bill. Then some thinking came about. What if we could do the same thing for all the houses all over the world. Imagine how

Teach Your Kids-Save Money

2009-01-30T10:28:00.001-05:00

For those with kids, you know that trying to teach them how to save money, be good citizens and be responsible can be challenging. No longer. Lets take the time to teach them all three. Here is the idea. Along with the chores of the day, sit down with you children to go over the energy and water bill. Help them set up a breakdown of how much energy and water cost and how to save money. As

Rebates and Energy Tax Credits

2009-01-30T10:07:00.001-05:00

With all the bad economic news it can be overwhelming. Do yourself a favor. Turn off that TV and step over to the computer and learn some great ways to save some money. With the new administration the renewable tax credits are back. Rebates are all over the place, and energy tax credits are available.Now that we know there are energy credits out there, how can one take advantage of them? You

TV- Take some time from them!

2009-01-23T10:24:00.002-05:00

Turning your TV off can have long lasting impacts on many parts of your life. For the main purpose, saving energy. The average American watches about 4 hours of television daily. Turning off the tube even for an hour can not only save you money on your electricity bill, but can help you live longer.Let's say that a half hour of the day is spent watching local news. Instead of watching the

Weather- Dress for it

2009-01-23T09:56:00.003-05:00

It seems that no matter where you go, every city has the same joke about the weather, "Wait five minutes and it will change". As the weather gets colder, or hotter, it is vital that we dress for whatever the temperature outside. Dressing for the weather is one of the easiest things that you can do to save energy around your house and office. In the winter, make sure to put on a hat, gloves and

Coffee- Make it at Home

2009-01-16T10:08:00.000-05:00

When talking about ways to save money and energy, coffee is generally not always at the top of the list. However if you are like most people who do a lot of commuting to and from work, it should be. Many people like their store bought coffee from the local fast food place. In fact in many ways it is convenient and easier to buy than to make it.Here are some things to consider. Making the

Gas Mileage- 3 Ways to Save

2009-01-16T09:34:00.001-05:00

Doing regular car maintenance can save you a bundle of money on your driving costs. A car that is running unchecked can end up losing you 10 to 15% off your gas mileage. When the weather gets colder it is especially important to stay up on all the important aspects to make your car happy.Energy savings for your car is as simple as FOI, Filter, Oil, Inflate. Remember that acronym and you and

Turn off Lights When Leaving Room

2009-01-09T10:28:00.001-05:00

If you are like most people, the last thing on your mind when leaving the room or the house is “turn of the lights”. Not that it is not on your mind, but most of us are very busy and many times, it may just slip our minds. However, when leaving a room or house, please turn off the lights. This rule may not be a hard fast rule. Turning off and on the lights shorten the length of your bulbs.

Quit Smoking - Save Energy

2009-01-09T09:52:00.002-05:00

It does not matter how tall or short you are, rich or poor, overweight or thin. If you have ever tried to quit smoking that you know it is extremely difficult. By now everyone knows the inherent dangers of smoking. We all know about all the harmful chemicals that are added. Not only do these chemicals damage your body, they are also addictive. We are going to come at the reason to quit

Go Digital with an Eco Friendly TV

2008-12-31T10:26:00.005-05:00

By now we are all sick of the commercials telling us that after February our TV's might not work. If you have already sent away for a digital converter, make sure that it is energy star compliant. For the rest who are thinking of buying a new television set think about making it an Eco friendly one.Nearly every brand available has an energy star certified model for purchase. In fact most of

Cooking-Saving Time and Money

2008-12-31T10:08:00.002-05:00

There are many reasons to take a look at the way you cook. Cooking a home cooked meal has many advantages. If done correctly it can save you a bunch of money. Everyone is worried about going green, saving money and keeping a healthy and happy family. All of these things can be accomplished in one fell swoop.Home cooked meals get overlooked a ton. By sitting and eating a meal at home, you