[Co-op EnergyCast]
April EnergyCast: Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs)
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Expert Rob Kirkpatrick will turn us on to CFLs.
TUNE IN ON: WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 7:00 p.m.
Mr. Tight Watt invites you to attend a 30-minute Webcast to learn more about compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs): types, styles, uses and how much energy you can save by making the switch!
WHERE: Join us from your computer. A high-speed internet connection...
[Energy Efficiency]
Smart Power Strips
Friday, March 27, 2009
Unplug energy—easily—when you’re not using it.
Do a quick count of your household appliances and tools—anything that you leave plugged in most or all of the time—phone chargers, TVs, microwaves and stoves, coffee pots (many of which have built-in clocks that run all the time), and more. A recent Salon article estimates that about hal...
[Energy Efficiency]
Stop Electricity from Going down the Drain
Friday, March 27, 2009
Cutting back on water use means you’ll use less electricity also.
Water use and electricity go hand in hand. Heating water can account for 14–25 percent of the total energy consumed in a typical home. What’s more, systems used to clean public water supplies and deliver it to homes require large amounts of electricity. If your home receives water f...
[Energy Efficiency]
EnergyCast: Weatherization 101
Friday, March 20, 2009
Expert Bill McAnally gives advice and answers our questions.
In a recent Co-op EnergyCast, Bill McAnally, Industrial Technology department at Iowa Central Community College and renowned energy expert, spent some time pointing out to members ways they can reduce their heating and cooling bills through weatherization.
In the 30-minute session, Bill covered suc...
[Energy Efficiency]
Stimulus aid for weatherization savings
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
What does it mean for you? And how do you connect to resources?
Do you qualify for the Federal Weatherization Assistance Program?
As a result of the federal stimulus package, DOE’s Weatherization Assistance Program is expanding with a goal of weatherizing 1 million low-income homes per year. Households with incomes at or below 200 percent of the national ...
[Food & Nutrition]
Brown-bagging 101
Friday, March 27, 2009
It’s not just for kids anymore. Stretch your food budget with healthy lunches from home.
Many foods prepared by restaurants—traditional or fast food—pack a wallop of calories, fat, and sodium.
For example: A typical restaurant lunch of a burger, medium fries, and medium soft drink contains 800 calories and 25 grams of fat.
On the other hand, substituting a homemade tuna pi...
[Energy Efficiency]
Home Heat Loss and Gain
Friday, March 27, 2009
Knowing how your house loses heat (in the winter) and gains heat (in the summer) can help you make energy improvement decisions.
Jim Dulley, national expert, answers a question from a reader by explaining how your house loses heat in the winter and gains heat in the summer. Use this information to determine how to make energy improvements in your home.
Dear Jim: I want to make my house more energy efficient. Before I start, ...
[Energy Efficiency]
iPod® iDeas
Friday, March 27, 2009
Enjoy your music and save energy at the same time.
Here’s the good news about iPods®: Apple has made them eco-friendly, with arsenic-free glass, no brominated flame retardants, and no mercury or PVCs. If you own an iPod, you’re off to a great start toward greening the planet.
It’s up to you to keep your iPod energy efficient, ...
[Safety]
Lightning Strikes
Friday, March 27, 2009
Storm season is here, bringing the majesty—and danger—of lightning.
According to the National Weather Service, lightning causes more deaths than any other weather event except flooding. The U.S. averages 100,000 thunderstorms a year, generating a collective total of 25 million cloud-to-ground strikes; each strike heats the air to 50,000 degrees—five times hott...
[Ask Mr. Tight-Watt]
Ask Mr. Tight-Watt: Replacing an old lamp fixture
Friday, March 27, 2009
The replacement globe is different: Can I use the same lightbulbs?
Question: I have a 35-year-old swag lamp fixture in my bathroom. The glass globes broke, and I just found replacement globes in an antique store. We have always put 100-watt lightbulbs in them but the globes were open on the bottoms. The new ones are closed on the bottoms. Will I still be...
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