If you want to save electricity and reduce your electricity bill, follow a few simple tips, make a few inexpensive changes, and you could cut your electrical usage by 40% or more, as my family has. It’s not hard, and it’s worth it!
We will save about $1,250 per year on electricity than if we had not made these changes (more…)
Apple's Time Capsule
We have a Windows PC setup in our broom closet. It holds a bunch of files; our pictures, digital music, backups, and other stuff we all use. It’s also a shared printer server. Finally, it runs a bit of software that works with several “Squeeze Boxes” that let us play our digital music on the kitchen radio, and in our living room and outside patio. There’s a small monitor, keyboard and mouse which are needed when updating the machine. We also have our wireless network router in there.
The only problem: when all of this stuff is on, my Kill-a-Watt meter shows that it uses 108 Watts of electricity. And it’s on all the time. No wonder the closet is so hot!
Apple to the rescue! (more…)
It's True!
All evidence so far, and from the last few elections and the administrations that follow suggest that people will believe what you tell them, especially if you tell them over and over.
However, the lie has to be done well (and repeatedly). When Bill Clinton said he had not had sex with “that woman” we all knew he way lying. See, he’s a Democrat, so really not very good at lying in a convincing way, since no one else would repeat his denial.
But when Bush promotes the “Clear Skies Initiative” we kind of all know that it isn’t really going to make our skies clear, in the sense of being clean, or less polluted or anything like that, but instead something more … opposite. Except hat hundreds of spokesmen and spokeswomen and “journalists” all say something about “Clear Skies”, so it’s what we believe. (more…)
Have you been dissatisfied with CFL (compact fluorescent) light bulbs? You’re not alone!
I have found and tested a number of bulbs and found several specific bulbs that I believe solve most of the issues people have had with CFL bulbs. I have tried a lot of bad bulbs, but the winners are GE Energy Smart CFL bulbs. There are a few in this line that are not good, but I have tested each of the ones below.
There are a few things to keep in mind about what to expect from CFL bulbs. See below for more details, but first, my recommendations!
| Brand | Model | Style | As Bright As | Comments | Manufacturer Info/Picture | Where To Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GE | 15517 | Standard Bulb, Spiral | 100W | Bright, but a little bigger than a regular 100W incandescent | GE Lighting 100W CFL | Amazon |
| GE | 15516 | Standard Bulb, Spiral | 75W | Good for replacing 60W if brightness is a concern | GE Lighting 75W CFL | Amazon |
| GE | 24685 | 3-Way Bulb, Spiral | 50/100/150W | Considerably larger than a regular bulb; didn’t fit in one of the table lamps I tried, with longer warm-up time, but it’s good for our application | GE Lighting 50/100/150 Spiral CFL | Amazon |
| GE | 47487 | Glass Covered | 60W – 75W | Shaped like a regular bulb, so good for spring-clip shades. Recommend 75W or more for reading | GE Lighting 60W A Shape | Amazon |
| GE | 47486 | Standard Bulb, “A” type, pear shape | 40W | Another pear-shaped bulb, even less bright, but very nice for ambiance. Good for ceiling fans or ceiling fixtures with two bulbs | GE Lighting 40W A-Shaped | Google Search |
| GE | 47483 | Outdoor Floodlight | 90W | Nice and bright, and withstands moisture, etc. | GE Lighting Outdoor Flood | Amazon |
These bulbs are also available widely at local retailers like Walgreen, Walmart and many others. Bulb costs generally run about $7 — more for higher wattages or specialty bulbs, and are available in 3-packs and 6-packs in some cases.
I encourage you to buy from Amazon through the link below, as I get a little commission for bulbs (or anything else you purchase) when you click this link. It helps me pay the bills for my web server :-)
GE EnergySmart Bulbs from Amazon.com
(more…)
