You might not be aware of a federal program that provides assistance for costs associated with home energy bills and the weatherization of homes or energy related minor home repairs. The LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) provides about $3.5 billion in assistance to families across the United States. LIHEAP is designed “to assist … Read more
When finances are tight, or if you simply choose to live frugally, there are ways to make your home decor choices an active part of your frugal lifestyle. The lighting choices you make can noticeably affect your monthly energy bills. Lighting is a vital part of any home decor. Obviously, the best money-saving tip involving … Read more
It’s summer time! Or darn close to it. Here in the South East it got hot…quick! We’ve had very little time to get used to the heat but here it is and here is shall stay. Everyone I’ve been talking to recently has been cursing about having to turn on their air conditioners at the … Read more
Last night I saw the commercial below offering free telephone service, or so it appears. [flashvideo file=/wp-content/uploads/IMG_0023.flv /] While the commercial says “the government will pay for you to have free home phone service”, it’s not the whole story. The government program behind this is the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Lifeline and Link-Up Affordable Telephone … Read more
I’ve mentioned a little unit that I purchased to see if I could lower our energy consumption from one of our heat pumps. It is a little device called the Cool-N-Save and it operates by cooling the air that flows over the fins of the heat pump. You can read the study conducted by Tulane … Read more
Kim wrote in today and comments on my previous post, “I’m Saving $20,000 in Electricity Because I Don’t Want to Work to Pay the Bill.” She said: Will you provide more info about the solar panels you chose? Where does one even start w/ that kind of project? Do you call your utility and ask … Read more
This morning I had to wake early to greet the electrician. He was kind enough to come over to help me install my latest gadget, the TED, the electricity detective. It was advertised as a DIY kit, and for some homes I’m sure it is a breeze to install. But for some unexplained reason, my … Read more
Marvin Schur of Bay City Michigan was found stiff as a board in his bedroom after the city turned off his power. When he was found the internal house temperature was cooler than many refrigerators. “When neighbors went inside Marvin Schur’s house, the windows were frosted over, icicles hung from a faucet, and the 93-year-old … Read more
Information is already leaking out about the efforts of American Express to closely watch the places their card members shop at as an indication of credit problems. With mounting losses by credit card companies and an avalanche of new bad credit card debt to come, creditors are looking for ways to identify potential high risk … Read more