Today I’ll continue my series on energy efficient appliances by tackling the refrigerator. Thankfully, it’s not as hard to find an energy efficient refrigerator as it is to find other kitchen appliances such as energy efficient stoves that I discussed in my previous post. Energy Star has rated refrigerators, so energy efficient refrigerators are easier
Stoves are not very energy efficient as a rule. Like microwaves, Energy Star has yet to qualify any stoves. However, you can still buy stoves that use less energy and you can use the stoves in an energy efficient way. Here’s what you need to know. Stove Type There’s a hierarchy of energy efficiency for
We’ve been talking a lot about energy efficiency and saving money on electricity lately. Because kitchen appliances eat up to 25% of your home energy costs we thought we’d start in the kitchen while starting a series about individual appliances. Choosing an energy efficient microwave isn’t straightforward. Currently there’s no Energy Star rating for microwaves.
The recent storms and power outages got us thinking about emergency power generators again. A lot of people make big mistakes with their generators. Here are some of the most common ones. You Aren’t Changing the Gas If you have a gas generator you will need to use a gas stabilizer on the fuel you
We know that many people enjoy the feeling of accomplishment that comes with doing a really good DIY project. That’s why we share so many how-to projects on our blog. However, some projects just aren’t suited for DIY work. Installing a bunch of security cameras for your home, for example, is one of those projects.
Our blog has talked about a lot of DIY electrical projects that you can do around the home. Therefore, we thought we’d take a moment to discuss how to avoid electrical shock. About 1,000 people still die of electric shock each year in the United States. They are usually in the process of doing DIY
It’s not always easy to know whether you need an electrical panel replacement or upgrade. Here are a few things to watch out for. First, you need to look at the size of the panel, especially if you live in an older home. If the panel is 100 amps you’re probably due for an upgrade.
So your dream house is older, and you’ve got some concerns about the electricity. It’s true that wiring in old houses can carry some challenges for homeowners. For example, some older houses have cracked or brittle insulation. This should be replaced right away in order to avoid fires. Another problem is ungrounded wiring. Older houses
After our previous post about the Energy Star label we began getting questions like, “What is the Consortium for Energy Efficiency?” because we’d mentioned them in the Energy Star post. We thought we’d take some time to give it a little attention of its own. The Consortium for Energy Efficiency, or CEE, is a non-profit
In our last post we explained what the Energy Star rating is, and we talked about some of the benefits of purchasing Energy Star appliances. You may also have heard that there are some rebates associated with the Energy Star program. Here’s how to find out whether you qualify for Energy Star rebates. These rebates