When operating your vehicle’s heating and cooling system, one probably doesn’t fathom a scenario in which simply turning on that function could set the car ablaze. But that’s exactly what several owners of Hummer SUVs say happened to them. [More]
heating
Smart Robotic Ceiling Fan Wants To Save You Money On Heating Bills
By 1.8.15
Consumers are often advised to install ceiling fans as a way to feel cooler in the summer without actually running the AC, but can a “smart” ceiling fan save you some money on your heating bill? The whimsically-named industrial fan company Big Ass Fans thinks so. Unveiled at CES 2015: a “smart” ceiling fan that they claim could save consumers an estimated $200 on winter energy bills. [More]
A Guide To Ensuring Your Entire House Does Not Become Your Fireplace
By 11.16.11
There’s a certain romance to a crackling fire warming up a cold November night, but if you go through the motions without ensuring your fireplace is safe you could be lighting the way to disaster. Unkempt fireplaces can spark dangers ranging from house fires to skin burns and air poisoning. [More]
Federal Assistance Cuts Could Literally Leave Poor In Cold
By 11.3.11
Low-income residents who rely on federal assistance to keep the heat on may be in for a rough winter. Because the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’s allotment for heating assistance has plunged to $1.7 billion this year from $4.5 billion last year, thousands of homes may not be able to keep the heat on. [More]
Repo Man Cometh For Furnace
By 1.5.11
Repossessing a car or mobile home is one thing, but a furnace? [More]
Weatherproof Those Windows To Keep Cold Out, Bills Down
By 12.7.10
Jack Frost lurks outside your home like a slasher flick villain, and if you want to keep his icy fingers off your thermostat, you’d better make sure your windows are sealed tight. [More]
Save Money By Starting A Fuel Oil Coop
By 8.27.08
To save money on heating costs this winter, consider joining or starting a fuel oil co-op. What’s that?
Traveling Gas Sellers Rip Off Homeowners In Michigan
By 2.27.08
Universal Gas & Electric, a Canadian company, sends out door-to-door salesmen who lie to homeowners about the imaginary “savings” they’ll enjoy if they switch gas suppliers, when in reality Universal is currently about 50% higher than the default supplier. One former Universal employee says, “I’d have people ask, ‘What am I paying now?’ and they’d look at the bill and it’s right there in front of them and they don’t know where to look and I would avoid telling them that.”
Gas Company Abandons Plan To Report Delinquent Customers To Credit Agencies
By 2.12.08
Last fall, CenterPoint Energy—Minnesota’s largest natural gas supplier—announced it was considering reporting the payment histories of its customers to credit reporting agencies in an effort to reduce delinquencies.
How $100/Barrel Oil Will Affect You
By 11.13.07
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:
Heating Costs Will Break New Records This Winter
By 9.25.07
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.
Triple Indemnity: Keyspan Overestimates Gas Bills
By 3.1.06
Got bi-monthly bill from Keyspan. Gas supplier. Opened. Read.
Save Electricity This Winter
By 12.16.05
The reason I ask is that my roommates think it takes more electricity to turn the AC off and then turn it back on later.
The answer? Turning it off at night is fine, because “it definitely takes more energy to remove that heat constantly rather than removing it just once when you turn the AC back on later.”
