Are you a hard working employee that wants to save a few dollars per year? Charge your electronic devices at work. Mobile phone, laptop, camera batteries, Plug-in car or electric scooter, etc… they all add up over time. fyi: If you are not a hardworking employee, might not want to get too crazy here. I have an electric scooter like the one pictured below and used it to commute to work for the entire year!

Leaving your home for more than a few days? Consider switching off all your circuit breakers except for your fridge and heating system if needed! You will be surprised at how many appliances/household devices slurp energy when they are not in use.

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Remember the electric blankets of the past - the cords, lumpy spots, shock hazards, and cold mattress sheets? Check out the new kid on the block, the electric mattress heating pad. It slips on under your regular mattress cover and you can barely tell that it’s there. Gone are the heating element kinks and failures caused by rustling the blanket. The cords are completely hidden and dual controls make it easy to adjust either side to a comfortable temp. Now you can crank down your heat to 62 at night and still be a cozy 75-80 in your bed. Below is a link for you on amazon to utilize.

Think of all the oil, coal, wood, or natural gas you will save during the sleeping hours. The electricity to power the blanket costs a fraction of what it would be to heat the whole home.

The only hard part is getting out of bed when that alarm clock goes off in the morning,..then again with a programmable thermostat, it’s a non-issue.
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We all know that texting while driving is dangerous and even illegal in many states. In fact, beginning in November, the police will begin enforcing the driver cell phone ban in Philly. But lets face some facts, people are still gonna send texts while they are driving despite the risks and the fines. So here is my handy guideline for those that insist on using their handheld

When sending a text, surfing, or reading your phone, rest the phone on top of the steering wheel within your hand. This gives you a snowballs chance at stopping quickly if the car ahead stops short or moves on at a light. At least you will be able to use your peripheral vision to see that the car has stopped before you slam into the back bumper. When the phone is down on your lap or under the wheel, Stevie Wonder mine as well be driving – You have no chance of avoiding impending collisions. Just last week, I saw a girl rear end a truck because her head was down and her phone was too low. Getting low in the club cool, getting your phone low in the car...not cool !!

When talking on the phone don’t drive in the left lane,…you will naturally go into a trance driving mode and follow the car in front - this aggravates other drivers and causes many of them to become frustrated and aggressive. Stay in the right lane, keep a safe following distance of 2-3 seconds, and do not speed. Your brain can’t react as quickly when your yapping, as driving seems to take a back seat to your conversation cognitively.

When going thru intersections, look both ways even if you have a green light. Many a driver these days are distracted and they accidentally run right thru red lights. Remember accidents happen when two people are not paying attention and they hit each other.

Got a conversation that is really important or going to get intense,…I will typically pull over for these types of calls, as they can use up 95% of my focus. 5% is simply not enough focus to drive effectively. Once a call eclipses the 90% focus mark,…start thinking about finding a spot to pull over.  Better yet,…initiate the really important calls when you are pulled over.

Use a Bluetooth or wired headset if possible, they are dirt cheap these days and enable safer driving. Evasive driving maneuvers are very difficult with one hand

If your merging onto a highway such as Route 22 or 309,..or on driving an unfamiliar road…put the phone down for a few seconds. Countless accidents have been caused by distracted merging drivers on cell phones. I have been guilty of two cell phone merging accidents on 309, one my fault about 6 yrs ago, and one by another a few months ago…both were very slow and caused no damage.  But they were a wake-up call to get off the darn phone at merges.

So if your going to talk, surf, or text and drive,…do it as safely as possible…or don’t do it at all.

*Update 1/22/11 using your phone in any capacity except with a hands free headset while driving is illegal in Allentown. Punishment is a heavy fine which you will want to avoid.

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So your thinking about moving - Please consider a “used” home rather than new construction. Although many homes are built these days with greener methods than years past, there is still a huge amount of energy expended to erect a new home. Think about the material transport costs, tree removal, erosion issues, service vehicle carbon emissions, urban sprawl, wildlife displacement, and other issues that a new construction home presents. There are plenty of “previously occupied” homes that are likely suitable for your living needs/wants. Please think twice before committing to the purchase of a new home rather than an existing one that not quite perfect. Often times, spending a little to spruce up an older home is way less expensive and more satisfying than going new.

Older neighbor hoods have more established residents, trees, and are usually closer to town. Which saves on time/gas for your commute to work(unless you work virtually).

I have stayed many times overnight in Philly/NYC and almost always get awakened by the shrill sound of sirens/horns – never a happy cardinal or song bird. The Lehigh Valley is filled with wonderful used homes that are ready for you to enjoy. Many are in the heart of the various towns and cities. In most places, you can leave your bedroom window cracked and wake up to the relaxing sound of chirping birds – not noise pollution.

See you around town!

 

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So you have read about solar photovoltaic power systems for residential and business applications, but have never really seriously considered putting one on the roof? Well I have some great news. The federal and state tax implications put in place in 2009 finally give solar an ROI (return on investment) that makes sense. Take a look at the federal rules http://tiny.cc/sfQng and the PA regulations http://tiny.cc/o1Kkh  Why not take advantage of Solar Power to further your savings. Imagine the pleasure of getting your power bill each month and seeing a payment due of only a few dollars instead of hundreds. Aside from the savings, think of how many tons of CO2 you will eliminate by going solar. Contact us for a quote today

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If your like me, you check your email or have it pushed to your cell phone/mobile device pretty often. However, - If you're in a movie, an airplane, sleeping, or somewhere else you know you can't be reached, why not power off your phone completely?  Just keeping it on vibrate uses its battery when you don't need it.  Your voicemails and texts will arrive later when your ready to re-connect with the network.

Also please remember to keep those chargers, stereos, and flat screen TV's on a power strip. They use a fair amount of power even in standby mode. The power strip makes it easy to turn on and off without the hassle of plugging/unplugging.

 *Updated 1/22/11 Or you can get the smart power strip below which will automatically turn off your peripherals when not using the main device. this will add up to significant savings over time.

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You manage or work at a small to medium sized business and your looking for a way to save some money and green it up a bit more. Since you have read some previous posts and already installed high velocity hand driers and sensor activated faucets – you’re now looking for the next step.

Why not install some point of use tank-less water heaters and get rid of your large inefficient hot water tank? We use a Takagi TK-3 at the family vacation home down in Jersey - it enables you to shower with perfect 122 degree water until your skin is thouroughly "pruned" (if you so desire). You will never run out of hot water again!

Smaller electric units are available for under the sink and in the kitchen, which are ideal for many business applications. Here is a great site where you can learn more

The carbon footprint of a small point of use water heater is dramatically less than that of a large tank system. The initial installation might set you back a bit more than a conventional system, but the monthly savings in water usage and energy consumption (approximately 24-34%) makes your return on investment fast. 
*Update: 1/22/11 As a bonus, the Takagi also supplies the hot water for the radiant base board heat. Get the Grundfos 3 speed pump - see link below and the Isolator shut-off valves so you can drain the system / replace the pump when required easily. 

Picture
Looks tricky - which it is, but you can contact me and I can give you some pointers. This system which I installed myself has a domestic recirculating loop, and a baseboard heating loop.
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The Print Button 04/14/2009
 

Since I have been a road warrior for the past several years,..my reliance on printed paper has become less and less. No physical printer drivers are even loaded on my work computer! I do have a free easy to use program call dopdf which simply outputs files into pdf.

I challenge you to examine your paper usage in your home and your office. Ask yourself: Do I really need to print that? Could I just save the file on my computer, backup drive, or a thumb drive and not worry about cluttering up my office with more paper? Does my client really want to deal with paper either? Why am I faxing, when I should be emailing a confirmation, quote, or other document? Really the only use for paper is if you are trying to pull a George Costanza around the office and need to carry some paper and walk quickly to appear busy.

So try it,...Unplug your printer for 24 hours, then a week. Soon your weekly trips to buy ink will be long gone, you will need less filing cabinets, have more desk space, and your life will be more organized and electronically searchable.

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Treat yourself or a friend to a Rain Drop Therapy massage at bellezza hair & body café spa in Allentown, PA. This is great for relief of any lower back pain. Nine organic essential oils are individually applied directly to your spine in a certain sequence. The oils are fanned out and your body will become completely renewed. The heated towel application later in the treatment aids in the absorbtion of the oils into the spine. Bellezza states that the organic oils are one of the secrets to the Rain Drop Therapy. You will feel like jello when your done and glad to be alive! Call today to schedule an appointment.

Get a facial here and watch the years fall off your face. Your skin will feel very soft and glow with radiance. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable, and the spa is very clean. Whether you’re a man or woman, if you want to be pampered in lux style, this is the place to go. As a bonus, show your coupon and save!

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I was taking a stroll in historic Bethlehem the other day. The weather was nice for a change and I had eaten lunch an hour earlier. I passed an ice cream shop with the most unusual name, The Heavenly Hedgehog Ice Cream Company. I was powerless to not enter and get some scoops of mint chocolate chip. The owner and I chatted about the ice cream and how it was made right there in the store. The texture and flavor was fabulous. She then also told me about the source of the milk they use in the ingredients. Barbara the owner had searched high and low for a local farm that could supply her with milk free of growth hormones. The milk comes from Welsh Farms® over in New Jersey and is likely what makes the ice cream shine. Apparently, only eight dairies in the US have been awarded HACCP, and they are one of them. I can’t wait to go back and try another flavor soon. The pistachio looked just as good, but then again so did the other 15-20 flavors that they had in the freezer.

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