How Connecticut Residents can Help Reduce America’s Carbon Footprint—and Save Some Money in the Process

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Thanks to the polarizing weather extremes of Connecticut that causes blazing hot summers and frigid winters, your HVAC system is a necessity. Unfortunately, by taking up nearly half of most people’s total energy consumption, it is an energy sucking necessity that drives your carbon footprint and the cost of already high electric rates in CT through the roof. With the summer fast approaching, it will soon be time to crank up the A/C; to help reduce the effect that this will have on both your carbon footprint and how much the Connecticut energy suppliers bill you, we’re going to outline five tips that will cut into your HVAC system’s energy consumption.

1. Control your HVAC system with an automatic thermostat

Running your HVAC system all day is not a good idea. If you switch you’re A/C off when you leave, though, you’ll be coming home to an uncomfortably hot house. This leaves you with two undesirable options: either remain hot for long after you get home or allow your HVAC system to suck energy all day.

Fortunately you are not beholden to these options alone. Instead of worrying about whether or not you need to switch you’re A/C off, have an automatic thermostat installed. Such a device can be set to turn off right when you leave and switch on just before you come home.

2. Upgrade your HVAC system

HVAC systems take up a lot of energy in general, but low efficiency HVAC systems are big time energy hogs. Investing in a high efficiency (look for the Energy Star label) HVAC system will cut deeply into your energy consumption. Since having a new HVAC system installed usually runs in the thousands, this is the most expensive way to improve your home heating and cooling, but it is also the most effective tool in your fight against the high rates that Connecticut electric suppliers typically charge.

3. Make sure to get regular maintenance

Having your HVAC system inspected at least once a year will allow you to maintain optimal performance and discover any mechanical issues that could be causing your HVAC to take up more energy than it needs to.

4. Change your filters often

Changing your HVAC system’s air filter at regular intervals will reduce the likelihood of mechanical, issues occurring and maintain its optimal efficiency (the latter cuts into your energy consumption). The manufacturer’s recommendation for when to change your air filter will vary, but for best results you should change yours ever 30-60 days, especially if you are running your HVAC system a lot.

5. Don’t work against your HVAC system

The electric rates in CT are higher than they need to be due to the fact that people are working against their HVAC systems throughout the day; most of them don’t even realize it. Here are a few ways that you could be inadvertently causing your energy bill to rise—and how to fix it:

Leaving your windows open

The summer air is hot. Leaving your windows open invites it in, forcing your HVAC system to work harder to maintain a constant temperature. Unless there is a hazard or your HVAC system is broken (in which case it will not be affecting how much the Connecticut energy suppliers charge you anyway), keep your windows closed at all times.

Not closing your blinds

During the summer, the sun is looming all day. In order to reduce its ability to overheat your home, close your blinds so that its rays remain outside.

Turning the AC up too high

We know that some of you like to enjoy a relatively cool home after dealing with the sweltering heat. Connecticut energy suppliers are counting on this, because your HVAC has to work harder to maintain a low temperature, so it will allow them to charge you more. You don’t have to crank up your temperature so high that you’re A/C turns off either: even a one or two degree difference can have a strong impact on your energy bill.

To learn more about how to reduce your carbon footprint…

Please contact Make the Switch USA. They are dedicated to helping simultaneously reduce carbon footprint and energy rates in CT by connecting people like you with inexpensive, energy efficient Connecticut energy suppliers.

Source:- http://www.reddit.com/r/energyefficiency/comments/2e2p0h/how_connecticut_residents_can_help_reduce/

Deregulation continues across America

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Monopoly has been a dirty word in the United States since the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890. This fact, however, has not prevented the nation’s energy industry from being held down by the weight of power supply monopolies in each state. However, times are changing, deregulation is here and now in full swing in many states.

Regulators (and more importantly, consumers) have been keenly aware of the monopolies utilities have operated for decades but in the past fifteen years, regulators have begun to act. This action is mostly coming in the form of altering and/or the removal of restrictive laws in the energy industry that make it impossible for a new energy company to exist, let alone compete with the energy industry monoliths. The common term for these changes is deregulation. Although the energy industries in many states are still unfairly regulated, there are many states in which deregulation is spreading and fast. As of right now, over half of all states have enacted deregulation at some level—and the list is growing fast. Let’s take a look at how the spread of deregulation in the energy industry has changed things:

How energy industry deregulation across America affects energy companies

The big energy companies may not have welcomed the prospect of deregulation. Electric companies in PA, for example, held off deregulation for years. This is due to the fact that when a company enjoys a monopoly, they can whatever they want to do—charge whatever rates they want, add arbitrary fees, provide mediocre customer service, etc. When they are the one company that holds all of the power, they can do what they like.

With deregulation in place, the industry has opened up to hundreds of new electric companies in PA, CT, NJ, MD, OH, MA, ME, TX, GA and every other state that is deregulated for that matter. Now utilities have had to adjust how they do business, sell off their generation assets and purchase power from wholesale power plants just like all of the new competitive suppliers do.  The utilities also promote electric choice now and help to grow the consumer awareness level in their state about the benefits electric choice can provide to their customers.

How deregulation could affect you

There are many changes wrought by deregulation, but the most important are those that affect you. Here is what you get from deregulation:
More choice

When a monopoly is in place and you need a product or service, you go to that one company that offers them. Since deregulation breaks up monopolies in the industry, you can choose from among other power companies in your area. The growth in the  number of energy companies across the USA has been substantial. For instance, there are now over 50 electric companies in CT, where there was once only two.

Lower energy bills

With choice comes competition, and when companies are competing, prices go down. When you take advantage of this by shopping around for the best rate, you end up paying less on your monthly bill.

A few avoidable problems

There are a few potential issues that you could run into in a deregulated energy market. Some of the electric companies in PA and CT, for example, are receiving complaints about extremely high variable rates. This problem can easily be avoided by customers who do basic due diligence and only consider fixed rates.

How to make a switch if you live in a deregulated state

To make the switch to another power supplier is easy, thanks to companies that connect you directly with the energy suppliers in your area. Make the Switch USA, for example, gives you the power to compare and contrast the offerings of electric companies in PA, CT and NJ.

What further action needs to be taken to enhance deregulation as it spreads?

Deregulation is helping, but more steps need to be taken to further improve the energy industry. Here is what you can expect legislators in deregulated and regulated states to do in the near future:

Informing customers

You can’t take advantage of energy industry deregulation if you don’t know about it. This fact is not lost on many states. For example, there are more power companies in NJ than ever before. Despite this fact—and the fact that they have been deregulated for 15 years—less than a fifth of all customers in the state use an electric company outside of the traditional utility companies.

Protecting customers

As we mentioned earlier, there are some ways that predatory energy companies can take advantage of deregulation in a way that harms customers. Fortunately, some states are taking action. In Connecticut, for example, legislators just passed laws that stunt the ability of electric companies in CT to surprise people with deceptively high variable rates.

10 Energy Efficient Ideas for your Home

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The negative impact of using excess energy in your home is twofold: you are costing yourself money and  increasing your carbon footprint. In a state like Pennsylvania where energy rates aren’t exactly low and the lion’s share of it is produced using coal, one of the dirtiest forms of energy around, it is especially important that you cut out the energy waste. That is why we are going to list and explain 10 energy efficient ideas for your home that will curb your environmental impact and reduce the amount that PA electric suppliers will charge you for powering your home.



1. Control your HVAC

Your HVAC is the biggest consumer of energy in your home, especially during the summer and winter months. Reducing its energy consumption is often the single best way to reduce your energy bill. Here is a list of things you can do to dial back your HVAC’s energy use:

•Install an automatic thermostat
•Have routine maintenance done
•Change your filters often (30-60 days)
•Close your blinds during the summer (prevents the sun from overheating your home) and open them during the winter (allows the sun to warm up your home a little)
•Upgrade your roof with reflective shingles
•Install an Energy Star HVAC
•Insulate your home

Since your HVAC is such a big energy consumer (one third to half of your total consumption), taking the above steps can really trim your electric bill, regardless of the current electricity rates in PA.

2. Change your light bulbs

You may be shocked to learn that traditional incandescent lightbulbs waste 90 percent of their energy as heat. This means only one out if every ten kWh used for your lighbulbs is actually useful. Unfortunately for residents of PA, electric rates therein do not discriminate. Replacing all of your incandescent bulbs with super efficient and similarly priced compact fluorescent bulbs or ultra efficient, but expensive LED lighting will take a bite out of your energy bill.

3. Turn off electric items when you’re done with them

This one is a no-brainer. Shut off your lights, television, gaming console, etc when you are finished with them so that they are not using unnecessary energy.  These are easy measures to take around the house, if you don’t you may find electric suppliers in PA are charging you for more than what you would have otherwise had to pay.

4. Invest in power strips

Power strips make number three easy, especially since some things, such as your cell phone charger, keep sapping energy even when it is not plugged into your device. It also makes turning everything off convenient enough to become a habit.

5. Dry your dishes by hand or by air

In most cases, there is little urgency regarding the need for all of the dishes in your washer. That is why you should consider just opening the door and letting them air dry. If you do have an urgent need for a few dishes, hand drying them won’t hurt.

6. Update your appliances

Your HVAC system isn’t the only object in your house that should have an Energy Star label on it. Your fridge, washing machine, dishwasher, etc will be exponentially more efficient as Energy Star appliances. This not only reduces your carbon footprint and the amount that PA electric suppliers can charge you, but it also qualifies you for substantial tax credits.

7. Only wash full loads

You dishwasher and washing machine take up just about the same amount of energy when doing big loads and small loads, so do yourself a favor and fill it up before using it

8. When your electronics are fully charged, unplug them

You may be under the impression that your laptop or cell phone stops charging when it reaches 100 percent, but your charger is using energy to sustain that fully charged state. This puts a strain on your phone’s battery and your overall energy use.

9. Stop using screen savers

You may think your screen saver is saving power, but it really isn’t. Depending on the screensaver, you could actually end up using more screen energy than you would while actually using it. Do yourself a favor and turn your computer screen off.

10. Develop some nocturnal habits

In PA, electric rates often vary based on the time of day. Peak rates are during the daytime; doing some things (washing clothes or dishes for example) after 8 pm could save you a lot of money on your energy bill thanks to reduced off-peak rates.

Visit Make the Switch USA to learn more about how to save energy.  Make the Switch USA knows that in states like PA, electric rates are often much too high for consumers. That is why they dedicate themselves to helping you find the best Electric Suppliers in PA comparing their rates and services.

5 BENEFITS OF ENERGY DEREGULATION

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There are many benefits of going green but one of them is definitely that you can save when you do. You can save money on your water and your energy as well as other things by making your own cleaning supplies or by borrowing instead of buying.
Find out other ways you can save by going green from Make the Switch USA.

10 WAYS TO GO GREEN AND SAVE GREEN

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Living in a state that has energy deregulation offers many benefits such as being able to pay less for electricity or even having the option to choose. The professionals at Make the Switch USA show you a few of the major benefits of living in a state that offers energy deregulation. 

How Business Owners Save Money With The PA Power Switch

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If you’re a business owner in Pennsylvania, then you’re probably always looking for ways to cut costs without sacrificing quality. One way to cut costs is by conserving electricity, such as by turning off electronics when not in use and buying energy-efficient equipment and electronics.