Energy Saving ~ Tips & Tricks

[cindycun]

awesome post....thank you!!

So anyone know of a product like a surge protector but has a timer. id like to put my cell phones and home cordless phones all on an electric timer, that say, turns on for 30 minutes to 1 hour every nite for few nites. I have a habit of forgetting to unplug the adapter after charging cell phones. And home phones are charging 24/7.

I can use Energy Saving Smart Strip With Autoswitching Technology for leeches around the PC. But I dont think i can set that product for the phones


Are there any other anti leech products out?

[mom2Isaac]

TIPS ON PUMPING GAS

I don't know what you guys are paying for gasoline.... but the average is 3.50 per a gallon. But my line of work is in petroleum for about 31 years now, so here are some
tricks to get more of your money's worth for every gallon..

Here at the Kinder Morgan Pipeline where I work in San Jose , CA we deliver about 4 million gallons in a 24-hour period thru the pipeline. One day is diesel the next day is jet fuel, and gasoline, regular and premium grades.

We have 34-storage tanks here with a total capacity of 16,800,000 gallons.

Only buy or fill up your car or truck in the early morning when the ground temperature is still co ld. Remember that all service stations have their storage tanks buried below ground. The colder the ground the more dense the gasoline, when it gets warmer gasoline expands, so buying in the afternoon or in the evening....your gallon is not exactly a gallon. In the petroleum business, the specific gravity and the temperature of the gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, ethanol and other petroleum products plays an important role.

A 1-degree rise in temperature is a big deal for this business. But
the service stations do not have temperature compensation at the pumps.

When you're filling up do not squeeze the trigger of the nozzle to a fast mode. If you look you will see that the trigger has three (3)stages:
low, middle, and high. In slow mode you should be pumping on low speed, thereby minimizing the vapors that are created while you are pumping. All hoses at the pump have a vapor return. If you are pumping on the fast rate, some other liquid that goes to your tank becomes vapor. Those vapors are being sucked up and back into the underground storage tank so you're getting less worth for your money.

One of the most important tips is to fill up when your gas tank is
HALF FULL or HALF EMPTY. The reason for this is, the more gas you have in your tank the less air occupying its empty space. Gasoline evaporates faster than you can imagine. Gasoline storage tanks have an internal floating roof.

This roof serves as zero clearance between the gas and the atmosphere, so it minimizes the evaporation. Unlike service stations, here where I work, every truck that we load is temperature compensated so that every gallon is actually the exact amount.

Another reminder, if there is a gasoline truck pumping into the
storage tanks when you stop to buy gas, DO NOT fill up--most likely the gasoline is being stirred up as the gas is being delivered, and you might pick up some of the dirt that normally settles on the bottom. Hope this will help you get the most value for your money.

DO SHARE THESE TIPS WITH OTHERS!

WHERE TO BUY USA GAS, THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO KNOW. READ ON

Gas rationing in the 80's worked even though we grumbled about it.
It might even be good for us! The Saudis are boycotting American goods. We should return the favor.

An interesting thought is to boycott their GAS.

Every time you fill up the car, you can avoid putting more money
into the coffers of Saudi Arabia . Just buy from gas companies that don't import their oil from the Saudis.

Nothing is more frustrating than the feeling that every time I fill-
up the tank, I am sending my money to people who are trying to kill me, my family, and my friends.

I thought it might be interesting for you to know which oil
companies are the best to buy gas from and which major companies import Middle Eastern oil.

These companies import Middle Eastern oil:

Shell...... ...... .. 205,742,000 barrels

Chevron/Texaco. ..... 144,332,000 barrels

Exxon/Mobil. .. ..... 130,082,000 barrels

Marathon/Speedway. .. 117,740,000 barrels

Amoco....... ...... ...62,231, 000 barrels

Citgo gas is from South America , from a Dictator who hates
Americans.

If you do the math at $30/barrel, these imports amount to over $18
BILLION! (oil is now $90 - $100 a barrel

Here are some large companies that do not import Middle Eastern oil:

Sunoco...... ......... ...0 barrels

Conoco...... ........ .. .0 barrels

Sinclair.... ....... .....0 barrels

BP/Phillips. ......... ...0 barrels

Hess........ ....... .....0 barrels

ARC0........ ........ ....0 barrels

If you go to http://sunoco. com/ , you will get a list of the station locations near you.

All of this information is available from the Department of Energy
and each is required to state where they get their oil and how much they are importing.




From SSS

[aaahchuu]

Could be my problem, thanks for posting!

Originally Posted by YouPdWhat The vents from the ceiling. In the attic or whatever you may have the a/c ~ heating tubes connect to the vent by what is called a cap. If you notice that dirt is collecting on your ceiling it is because the caps are not secure. What happens is hot air from the attic / etc. is being pulled in from one side of the cap into your home thus the dirt, then cold air is being sucked out through the opposite side thus causing higher bills.

[enginerd]

Does anyone have a hot water timer? I heard on the radio today that approximately 13% of our home electricity goes to heating hot water. I have heard about a how water timer that turns your water heater off an on automatically at certain times of the day. That way you're not paying to keep the water hot all night long when nobody is using it. I was just wondering how long it takes to get the water up to temperature after it switches back on and how long it stays hot after it goes off. Is it more of a hassle than a good money saving idea?

[heyitsjenny]

Originally Posted by lmncc2003 TIPS ON PUMPING GAS I don't know what you guys are paying for gasoline.... but the average is 3.50 per a gallon. But my line of work is in petroleum for about 31 years now, so here are some tricks to get more of your money's worth for every gallon.. Here at the Kinder Morgan Pipeline where I work in San Jose , CA we deliver about 4 million gallons in a 24-hour period thru the pipeline. One day is diesel the next day is jet fuel, and gasoline, regular and premium grades. We have 34-storage tanks here with a total capacity of 16,800,000 gallons. Only buy or fill up your car or truck in the early morning when the ground temperature is still co ld. Remember that all service stations have their storage tanks buried below ground. The colder the ground the more dense the gasoline, when it gets warmer gasoline expands, so buying in the afternoon or in the evening....your gallon is not exactly a gallon. In the petroleum business, the specific gravity and the temperature of the gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, ethanol and other petroleum products plays an important role. A 1-degree rise in temperature is a big deal for this business. But the service stations do not have temperature compensation at the pumps. When you're filling up do not squeeze the trigger of the nozzle to a fast mode. If you look you will see that the trigger has three (3)stages: low, middle, and high. In slow mode you should be pumping on low speed, thereby minimizing the vapors that are created while you are pumping. All hoses at the pump have a vapor return. If you are pumping on the fast rate, some other liquid that goes to your tank becomes vapor. Those vapors are being sucked up and back into the underground storage tank so you're getting less worth for your money. One of the most important tips is to fill up when your gas tank is HALF FULL or HALF EMPTY. The reason for this is, the more gas you have in your tank the less air occupying its empty space. Gasoline evaporates faster than you can imagine. Gasoline storage tanks have an internal floating roof. This roof serves as zero clearance between the gas and the atmosphere, so it minimizes the evaporation. Unlike service stations, here where I work, every truck that we load is temperature compensated so that every gallon is actually the exact amount. Another reminder, if there is a gasoline truck pumping into the storage tanks when you stop to buy gas, DO NOT fill up--most likely the gasoline is being stirred up as the gas is being delivered, and you might pick up some of the dirt that normally settles on the bottom. Hope this will help you get the most value for your money. DO SHARE THESE TIPS WITH OTHERS! WHERE TO BUY USA GAS, THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO KNOW. READ ON Gas rationing in the 80's worked even though we grumbled about it. It might even be good for us! The Saudis are boycotting American goods. We should return the favor. An interesting thought is to boycott their GAS. Every time you fill up the car, you can avoid putting more money into the coffers of Saudi Arabia . Just buy from gas companies that don't import their oil from the Saudis. Nothing is more frustrating than the feeling that every time I fill- up the tank, I am sending my money to people who are trying to kill me, my family, and my friends. I thought it might be interesting for you to know which oil companies are the best to buy gas from and which major companies import Middle Eastern oil. These companies import Middle Eastern oil: Shell...... ...... .. 205,742,000 barrels Chevron/Texaco. ..... 144,332,000 barrels Exxon/Mobil. .. ..... 130,082,000 barrels Marathon/Speedway. .. 117,740,000 barrels Amoco....... ...... ...62,231, 000 barrels Citgo gas is from South America , from a Dictator who hates Americans. If you do the math at $30/barrel, these imports amount to over $18 BILLION! (oil is now $90 - $100 a barrel Here are some large companies that do not import Middle Eastern oil: Sunoco...... ......... ...0 barrels Conoco...... ........ .. .0 barrels Sinclair.... ....... .....0 barrels BP/Phillips. ......... ...0 barrels Hess........ ....... .....0 barrels ARC0........ ........ ....0 barrels If you go to http://sunoco. com/ , you will get a list of the station locations near you. All of this information is available from the Department of Energy and each is required to state where they get their oil and how much they are importing. From SSS

That was very informative. Thank you! However, I was wondering, where does Holiday import their oil? One of my local grocery store gives coupons for depending on how much you spend to redeem at the gas pump. You can get up to 30 cents when you spend money on groceries and can combine up to three coupons in one fill up.

I was going to ask where SuperAmerica gets their oil, but I found out they are a branch of Marathon, which means they get their oil from the Middle East.

[druidessemily]

I live in an apartment complex, and for the past year the lights in the "breezeway" (area connecting the apartments) have been broken. They replaced them this last week, and I noticed today that they seem to have put a layer of aluminum foil between the lights and the ceilings. I've noticed over the past week that the lights are BRIGHT. They seem to give off more light than the ones in our living room!

So I am wondering, does anyone have any experience with this indoors?

It seems like if it actually works, you can get lower wattage bulbs (which require less energy, correct?) and still have very bright light.

I'm guessing it might also work by lining the inside of lamp shades with a layer of aluminum foil?

I don't know any of this for sure and have not tested it, so PLEASE be careful if you try it! If anyone has any experience, please share! I'm really, really curious about it.

[druidessemily]

Originally Posted by lmncc2003 TIPS ON PUMPING GAS (long entry)

These tips have been investigated by Snopes here: snopes.com: Tips on Pumping Gas Some are good, some aren't; Snopes says there are better ways to improve your gas mileage than these.

[luckimomma]

If your Electric bills ever seem to take a huge unexpected jump, check the water heater elements (of course this is only if you have an electric water heater). Nine times out of ten, this is the cause. Usually it's the lower element getting gunky. They can be replaced by a handy hubby for about $40.

Learn to read your electric meter- you can figure out what's using all the power. Take a reading- turn off the "suspected" appliance. Wait an hour or so. Take another reading. Turn it back on. Wait another hour- take a reading. You can see if it's drawing huge amounts of electric. Be prepared for a shock at what your microwave draws!

How to Read Your Electric Meter

We also had the electric company come and do a free energy audit. I had one years ago- both times, they've told me the energy used for the dryer isn't that bad. Main thing was we need more insulation in the attic, turn off fans in rooms you aren't in- they don't cool the air. Keep the fridge at 37 and the freezer at 0. Set the A/C at 78. What was neat- they gave us a readout for the last 3 years showing our energy usage and the cost per month- we stay almost exactly the same by month except for the weird issues months. Also prepared me for 2 more big bills (summer) before I get to normal.

Another thing- we learned the track lights in our kitchen were really raising our bill- not with energy use, but by the heat they gave off! Each bulb was putting out 200 degrees of heat- and there were 6 of them. DH would turn them on all the time, made the A/C work hard to compensate. We replaced them with a florescent (sp?) fixture that puts out much more light, runs cool and costs less to operate.

[luckimomma]

Originally Posted by DavidKing So anyone know of a product like a surge protector but has a timer. id like to put my cell phones and home cordless phones all on an electric timer, that say, turns on for 30 minutes to 1 hour every nite for few nites. I have a habit of forgetting to unplug the adapter after charging cell phones. And home phones are charging 24/7. I can use Energy Saving Smart Strip With Autoswitching Technology for leeches around the PC. But I dont think i can set that product for the phones Are there any other anti leech products out?

They make a whole house surge protector- ours was installed by the electric company at the meter- then you could use any timer time you want. We went that way onsidering the appliances in the house- washer, dryer, fridge, dushwasher, etc., that can't go on normal surge protectors, but have expensive electronics.