Tips for cutting down on summer energy costs
April 21, 2008
Clark has a few suggestions for lowering your energy bill as we begin to ramp up for the summer.
He's opted for a cycler at his home. On hot days, the power company will shut off his air conditioners when they sense they're approaching peak demand. They'll also pay him a bounty for the right to do this. So far, his family hasn't revolted against him!
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CLARK'S TIP TOPICS
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Clark has a few suggestions for lowering your energy bill as we begin to ramp up for the summer.
He's opted for a cycler at his home. On hot days, the power company will shut off his air conditioners when they sense they're approaching peak demand. They'll also pay him a bounty for the right to do this. So far, his family hasn't revolted against him!
There are varying degrees of sophistication to these kinds of setups. PG&E has a Smart AC option for customers in California. It allows them to decide if they want to participate or not on a daily basis. Customers can also decide if they want the temperature of their home raised 4 degrees or if they want the AC to run at half power for short periods of time.
Clark is also toying around with the idea of purchasing power only at non-peak times. So far his wife is not pleased. This could force them to re-arrange their routine. For example, they may have to do laundry at 8 p.m. instead of 7 p.m. because it may be cheaper later at night. Perhaps the easiest way to cut back on household energy costs is to install a setback programmable thermostat. And during the winter, try piling on another blanket and turning the thermostat down at night.
Finally, have you thought about a home windmill if you live in a windy area? Of course, there are always aesthetic concerns to be addressed with your neighbors before installation! The New York Times reports that there's a new generation of self-installed personal windmills. They've become so simple to set up and hook up to your electrical power. Some local governments even give big rebates to encourage installation.
Making cheap calls while traveling overseas
April 9, 2008
After traveling recently in Europe, Clark was reminded how expensive it can be to call back to the United States.
While in Venice, Italy, he overheard an American woman telling her friend how she got ripped on calls back home. She was charged $68 for a 5-minute call to family and $10 for a 1-minute call to check her voice mail. Clark told the woman he was only paying 5.8 cents a minute and offered to let her use his cell. She probably thought he was another con artist, and she definitely didn't take him up on his offer!
So what's Clark's secret? He heeded a listener's advice and used a service called Pingo.com. There's a charge of about a dollar a month to be a customer, but the payoff is in the great rates. Clark even found an online coupon to receive bonus minutes when he first signed up.
Meanwhile, Clark also has an unlocked world cell phone that he bought on eBay. He's equipped it with a SIM card from GoSIM.com that's been saving him big bucks. Remember, your wallet will be destroyed if you use your standard U.S. cellular from one of the 4 main carriers while traveling overseas.
Beware of phony long distance charges
April 18, 2008
Criminals are trying to reach your wallet through your phone bill again. 3rd party aggregators have been posting bogus collect call charges to phone bills issued by the monopolies AT&T, Verizon and Qwest. ... More
European wind power has lessons for America
April 4, 2008
Did you know that Denmark generates so much wind power that they've begun selling the excess current to other nearby nations? So what does that mean to you and me in the United States? ... More
Cell phone industry not making any new fans
March 28, 2008
People love their cell phones, but hate their cell phone providers. The Better Business Bureau now reports that the cell phone business has received more complaints than any other industry for 3 consecutive years. ... More
More recent Phone & Utilities Tips from Clark:- European wind power has lessons for America
- Cell phone industry not making any new fans
- Solar energy popular in the mountain states
- Sprint announces new $99 deluxe plan
- Comcast admits stacking the room for FCC hearing
- Verizon's unlimited calling plan a win/win for all cell users
- Do Not Call protection being extended
- Do Not Call protection being extended
- Pingo presents cheap international calling options
- New cell industry developments
