Following is a good article from Inman News. Saving money on your energy bills never got easier and these tips work equally well whether it is hot or cold outside. So just click on the link below and start saving money.
“How we think shows through in how we act. Attitudes are mirrors of the mind. They reflect thinking.” – David Joseph Schwartz
Number 7 in the top ten goals checklist is that your goals must be well-balanced. If your goals are not balanced, you risk the chance of burnout. There are certain activities you need to do on a daily basis to prevent your mind and body from becoming overworked.
a.) Start with taking a few minutes each evening planning you next day. It’s a known fact that when you prepare the night before, rather than in the morning, your unconscious mind will actually work during the night figuring out how to fulfill your next day’s plan.
b.) Action – during the day, concentrate on activities that will produce the greatest results. Being busy with nothing to show for your efforts will soon wear thin. Set limits on what you will and will not do, and take decisive action. Eliminate procrastination – become highly productive when you are working. When you are not working, learn to relax.
c.) Learn something new everyday. This is so important to a well-balanced day. To remain competitive in your field, you must take time to expand your knowledge. You don’t have to spend hours doing this. Tapes and books on CD’s are a great way to make use of the time you spend in the car traveling from one place to another. Try to make it a habit to read something about your field for at least 20-30 minutes every day to stay on top of changes.
d.) Exercise – yes, this is very important to keep your body flexible, especially as you age. Not only is exercising good for your body, it is also good for your mind because it gets the blood flowing. Exercising improves your sleep, increases energy, relieves stress and anxiety, protects against injury, promotes a healthy posture and self-image, relieves digestive disorders and expands your longevity. With all these benefits, who wouldn’t want to exercise.
e.) Take some time every day to relax. You’d be surprised how much benefit a 20 minute power nap can be especially after lunch. This is a great way to boost your energy into overdrive so that your afternoon is just as productive as your morning. If you do the same when you get home from work, you’ll have the entire evening to enjoy with your family and not feel guilty that you’re so tired. If you have your own business, be sure to schedule time off from work. When you are off, don’t call the office. Be totally with your family and enjoy your time off. This time is needed to re-energize you mind and body so when you do return to work, you’ll be ready for anything.
f.) The last thing you should do daily is take some time to reflect on the progress you are making in achieving your goals. This is called reflective thinking. Everyday, at the end of the day, take some time to reflect on what you did thorough out the day. How did you do? What did you do well? What could you have done better? Focus on the progress you made and on your shortcomings – but don’t beat yourself up about what you did wrong or didn’t do. Learn from your mistakes and make tomorrow a better day. If you make a habit of taking a few minutes each evening doing this, you’ll be surprised at the strides you’ll make.
It’s an interesting analogy since insulation does make your home smarter where utility bills are concerned. But unfortunately, many people don’t properly upgrade the insulation in their home when and where they should. And, in warmer climates, home owners often sidestep the importance of proper insulation all together. How can you gauge if your home is properly insulated and how can it potentially cut hundreds of dollars annually off your utility bills?
The R-factor, simply put, is the measurement of how well insulation resists (thus, the “R”) heat flow. The higher the R-value, the better the insulating power. Heat (which is a form of energy) tends to gravitate towards cooler areas in the home (ie. the attic, the walls, the crawl spaces.) That’s why it makes the most sense to have these areas with ample, high-efficiency insulation.
But insulation isn’t just for controlling heat. Resistance works in reverse where cool air is concerned, keeping the warm air from flowing into spaces you’re trying to keep cool. That’s why home owners in warm climates need to know their home’s R-factors in order to keep a lid on their air conditioning bills.
What R-values are considered standard and how do they vary from climate to climate? Manufacturers clearly mark the R-value on the types of insulation they produce. Home owners can often use various types of insulation together to obtain a high R-value. (An example of this is hard-to-access exterior walls where insulation is blown in on top of existing insulation.) Standard R-values differ based on what part of the home you’re trying to insulate. For example, since the attic is the biggest area for energy loss, colder climates require values ranging from R-38 to R-49. But in the South, R-19 in the attic should be ample.
Most local building codes require an R-value of R-19 for exterior walls. But if a home is built using 2 x 6 studs, there’s enough space in the wall cavity to insulate up to a value of R-21.
A frequent cold air leak can be where the house meets the foundation. In fact, you can lose up to 20% of your home’s heating/cooling energy from the foundation area in an non-insulated or poorly insulated home. That’s why it’s important to insulate around the area where the house meets the foundation, not just in the basement walls.
Just because insulation is thick doesn’t mean it has a high R-value. Many manufacturers are now producing higher R-value in fiber glass products by merely increasing the density while keeping the thickness the same. Today you might see R-15 insulation in a wall where R-13 was previously the max due to physical constraints. The efficiency has changed while the physical size of the insulation remains the same.
The bottom line is that if your utility bills are calling “Uncle”, it’s high time you review the R-values in your home. Like the man at the hardware store said, they’re your home’s “utility I.Q.”
“When life hands you a lemon, squeeze it and make lemonade.”
– W. Clement Stone
When you’re shopping, look for the bright yellow “ENERGY STAR” label. This easy-to-spot label is your assurance that you’re looking at a Department of Energy/Environmental Protection Agency-approved and endorsed home appliance that will save you considerable money in utility bills as you save energy. ENERGY STAR appliances actually use less water and electricity to do the same job. These appliances are made of technologically superior, higher quality materials than many of their competitors. That’s one primary reason why you may pay more up front for these products, although that’s not a general assumption you can make. The EPA and Department of Energy (DOE) maintain that the vast majority of ENERGY STAR products — including VCRs, televisions, computers, printers and more — do not cost consumers any more than their less energy-efficient counterparts. ENERGY STAR-labeled heating and cooling appliances, however, are likely to run you more up front. The annual savings you’ll enjoy for those products, however, have been estimated as much as 15 percent to 40 percent, so your investment in such products is a wise one. The EPA and DOE estimate that ENERGY STAR products can save you as much as $400 each year in utility bills.
You’ll find ENERGY STAR labels on the most commonly purchased home appliances: refrigerators, lighting, computers, televisions, clothes washers, dishwashers and air conditioning units. You’ll even spot them on some new homes. The label is considered a selling point in the new construction residential market. (Other home appliances, including clothes dryers, water heaters and microwaves, have not yet been stamped with ENERGY STAR labels; however, the United States Department of Energy offers tips on its own Web site for making energy-efficient selections when purchasing those products.) More than 3,400 ENERGY STAR-labeled products among 25 product categories are currently on the market.
Appliances earn the ENERGY STAR label by meeting minimum standards established by the government. The appliances have been subjected to tests to determine their degree of energy efficiency, and those that successfully meet those standards will receive an ENERGY STAR rating. Some appliances will exceed minimum standards more so than other products; it depends upon the product and the availability of technology. Collectively, all ENERGY STAR products utilize the most advanced technology available today.
While you might be skeptical over your ability to reap long-term savings from ENERGY STAR appliances, study that yellow label more closely. The label posts two prices: not only the cost of the appliance itself, but also the cost of operating the appliance each month for as long as you own the appliance. You’re probably going to see on these yellow labels monthly rates lower than you might expect. So any additional cost that you face up front for purchasing an ENERGY STAR appliance will be more than compensated later in terms of your monthly savings. If that appliance across the showroom floor is tempting you — a lower-priced dishwasher without an ENERGY STAR label — you might be surprised how much you’re going to pay to operate it each month. Unfortunately, that’s a monthly charge you’re not going to see posted on the product. Ignorance is bliss … until you receive your first utility bill. And speaking of utilities, call your local utility provider to find out if they offer rebates for ENERGY STAR appliances; many of them do.
It appears that national consumer awareness of the importance of energy-efficient products is growing. A recent survey conducted by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) found that consumers do recognize the ENERGY STAR label and are making purchases based on the presence of that label. Some 80 percent of the consumers who responded to the survey said they recognized the ENERGY STAR label, and 43 percent said the presence of the label influenced their purchasing decision. Approximately 94 percent of respondents said they firmly believed that ENERGY STAR products cut back on energy consumption, and another 82 percent said they believed such products helped protect the environment.
Perhaps not surprising was the survey’s finding that the most commonly purchased ENERGY STAR product among the national consumer base was the home computer, followed by refrigerators, computer monitors and washing machines.
Keeping Current on Real Estate Matters
Mme Jocelyne 