Consumerist
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ouch
Gas Prices Could Rise By 20 Cents In The Coming Weeks
USAToday is reporting that gas prices could jump by $0.20 in the coming weeks as retail prices catch up to the recent surge in oil costs. More » -
financial advice
How $100/Barrel Oil Will Affect You
Oil is poised to break the century mark, and SmartMoney has a short article that examines the effects it will have on the average American's budget. A couple of reasons why we haven't felt more of these effects so far is that the rising cost has largely been eaten by oil refining companies and their gas stations, and because consumers have actually begun to reduce their gas consumption. However, if the price-per-barrel continues to rise, the U.S. faces a cold winter, and the dollar continues its anemic performance, you can look forward to the following consequences: More » -
good to know
IKEA Will Recycle Your CFLs For Free
If you have an IKEA store near you, give them your old CFLs and they'll recycle them for free. CFLs contain small amounts of mercury and should not be thrown away or recycled with glass bottles. More » -
Not freezing to death is expensive! SmartMoney offers up its own advice on how to cut heating costs this winter—mostly the usual stuff about shopping around for a supplier, upgrading old equipment, and winter-proofing your house. Also: new insulation may qualify you for a one-time tax credit of $500 if you do it before the end of the year. [SmartMoney]
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home
10 Things You Can Do To Save Energy This Winter
Consumer Reports' has ten different things you can do to not sweat over your energy bills this coming winter.
Anyone who followed our IDT-Energy debacle will understand why number 10 has a special place in our heart.10. Avoid Energy Scams. Beware of pitches from door-to-door salespeople, unsolicited letters, and phone callers that promise to save consumers big bucks on their heating bill. Alternative power suppliers are unlikely to save consumers much money unless they are using lots of energy.
They also talk about programming your thermostat, sealing cracks, and replacing old windows.Ten Things Consumers Can Do Now to Save Hundreds on Energy Costs [Kansas City infoZine News]
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tips
Online Guide To Home Energy Savings
The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy has just updated its Consumer Guide to Home Energy, which "draws on the latest research on home performance and energy use, translating research findings into the practical steps consumers can take to cut their energy consumption." The guide is offered for purchase, but you can also access highlights from it fro free online. More » -
energy
Heating Costs Will Break New Records This Winter
If you're poor, maybe you just shouldn't have a winter this year. Government energy officials have announced that prices this winter for heating oil, electricity, propane and natural gas will all be at record highs: 28% more for heating oil, 30% more for propane, 7% for electricity, and 5% for natural gas. More » -
green watch
Walmart Tries To Make DVDs, Toothpaste, Soap, Milk, Beer, Vacuum Cleaners, and Soda Eco-Friendly
According to BusinessWeek, Walmart is using its considerable power to pressure its suppliers to reduce manufacturing energy consumption, and in doing so, cut costs. More » -
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california
Utilities With Successful Conservation Campaigns To Collect Government Cash
California utilities may soon unveil new conservation campaigns thanks to an innovative plan unveiled last week by regulators. Under the plan, the Public Utilities Commission will set three-year efficiency targets. Utilities that meet at least 85% of the targets stand to collect rewards of up to $323 million. Utilities that fail to meet 65% of the targets could face penalties worth $500 million.The PUC forecasts that the program would result in $2.4 billion in energy savings before 2008 and would cut about 3.4 million tons of carbon dioxide from California's air.
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energy
Walmart Launches House Brand CFLs
Walmart seems really serious about this whole environmental thing. They'd really appreciate it if you'd buy their new house brand "Great Value" CFL light bulbs. More » -
energy
Get Rid Of "Phantom Power Usage" In Your Home
Trent at thesimpledollar.com is on a mission to cut the extra fat from his budget, and he's found that one step is to reduce the amount of unused power that goes into his home. Everything you leave plugged in continues to draw a small amount of power, and although the cost for these small drains is minimal on a per-item basis, they can add up faster than you think. More » -
on the cheap
Tips For A "Greener" Autumn
LighterFootprint has compiled a list of things you can do during the fall to help lower your impact during the winter. Lowering your impact usually means lowering your energy costs, so it's a good idea to pay attention to these tips even if you hate the planet and want it to melt. More » -
department of energy
Federal Efficiency Standards Result In Less Efficient Washers
As of January, the Department of Energy requires washer makers to use 21% less energy, but some makers are meeting the standards by decreasing how well their products actually wash clothes, according to Consumer Reports.
In several cases, companies achieved the "energy savings" is achieved by decreasing the water temperature. Two GE models actually made the clothes dirtier.
We're all for reducing energy costs, but it should come in the form of increased efficiency, not decreased performance.
Dirty laundry [Consumer Reports via Marginal Revolution] (Thanks to Bullpen!)
(Photo: Jos Goul o) -
alcoholic beverages for immature people
Attorneys General Are Not Pleased With Alcoholic Energy Drinks
Alcoholic energy drinks are causing a dust-up with some state's attorneys general, according the Associated Press. More than 2 dozen attorneys general want federal officials to examine the ingredients and the marketing of these drinks. From MSN Money: More » -
above and beyond
Son Keeps Retired Mother From Boiling In Atlanta By Beseeching WaMu Executive Customer Service For Overdraft Mercy
"I'm not quite sure how my almost-septuagenarian, fastidious, wheelchair-bound, Social Security Disability-stipend mother did it, but she forgot to list a large utilities check in her register and managed to spend over $400 that she didn't have. For a total of TWENTY overdraft and NSF charges (at $32 a charge). Between the overdrafts, the unpaid checks (and the bounce fees on the payee side of the equation), she's managed to tally up more than $1800 in unforeseen debt in the last two weeks. She only gets about $1000 a month, and her last check was deposited before we knew how much trouble she was in, paying this emergency debt down to about $-330 in her checking account and $500 in outstanding bounced checks and fees, and leaving her no money for utilities and no friends or relatives to beg for help from..." More » -
efficiency
Meet The New EnergyGuide Label
The suspense is over. After two years filled with action-packed consumer research, suspenseful public meetings, and frank discussions with advocacy groups, the Federal Trade Commission is finally ready to tag dehumidifiers, dishwashers, freezers, refrigerators, air conditioners, and washing machines with a new and improved EnergyGuide label. More » -
energy
Lower Your Electricity Bill With The Energy Joule Monitor
Sure, the Kill-a-Watt power meter is great for helping you measure just how many little lightning bolts your appliances are eating every day (confession: we don't really know how electricity works), but the new Energy Joule network monitor provides an entirely different level of feedback, so that you can throttle your consumption at times when energy is most expensive. More » -
frugality
Easy Ways To Save On Energy Costs Around The House
With energy costs seeming to go nowhere but up and a growing "green" movement, you gotta love tips that save energy and money. Yahoo Finance has a list of seven eco-friendly ways to cut energy costs. Following even just a few of these can save you big bucks. Our favorites: More »
energy
New York, 5:03 PM
Sun Nov 22
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