Entries Tagged 'House' ↓

Did you know that many devices these days can draw power even when they are turned off? Nearly any electronic device with a soft switch will continue to draw electricity, a small amount, when turned off because of that “instant on” feature. These electrical drains, called phantom electricity drains, have the potential to cost you hundreds of dollars a year in power without having any benefit to you. Why not unplug them?

How can you identify whether or not a device is drawing power? Easy, look for a hard switch. Buttons are a tell-tale sign that the device isn’t off. If there’s a little red light (or any light), that’s another sign that electricity is being drawn. It’s only when you have a hard switch, like a light switch, is the physical connection broken. If you don’t break that connection, the circuits and switches in the device will provide resistance and draw power from the grid.

So, how do you use less power? The easiest way is to plug everything into a power strip and then pull out the strip when you don’t use it. Otherwise, unplug things you know you won’t use for a while. No sense paying for something you don’t need right? The power companies don’t need the money as much as you do!

Very often, pharmacies inside grocery stores and convenience stores will offer $10 to $25 gift cards or cash for you to transfer your prescription. Prescription transfers are often very easy and totally worth the hassle for the gift cards, provided these two things are true.

Cost: Not all drugs cost the same at all pharmacies. Check the price of the prescription with the new pharmacy to ensure the difference still makes the gift card worth it. Sometimes it’s less, sometimes it’s more, so factor that in.

Convenience Factor: The ideal situation is where you transfer the prescription closer to where you live or shop most often. Sometimes you can be convinced to move it farther away but the incentive and pricing has to line up. Part of the plan with these prescription transfers is to lock you in with a particular grocery store and for you to shop there more often.

When it comes to cable television and internet, we’re always striving for the best possible deal. Fortunately in our area, Comcast is in a bitter battle with Verizon for your cable television and internet business and have rolled out a lot of hot new offers. Comcast cable and internet deals are plentiful and the latest offer is via ComcastSpecial.com.

The Comcast Triple Play deal gives you up to $275 dollars cash for signing up and includes free after rebate equipment as well. Let’s check out the deal:

Comcast High Speed Internet Deal - The standard $19.99/month for six months offer plus $100, a cable modem and a wireless router. By having your own cable modem, you save on a $3 per month rental charge.
Comcast Cable Television Deal - Rates start at $39.99 per month and you get $75 cash back so you can get at least two months free.
Comcast Digital Voice - Starting at $29.99 per month, you get up to $100 cashback with this offer though I’ve never used it.

Comcast must be really fighting hard because this is a solid deal.

It’s been getting pretty hot around here in Maryland now that it’s June and our thoughts turn to air conditioners. When it comes to air conditioning, there are essentially three numbers you need to be aware of: British Thermal Units (BTUs), Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER), and square footage of cooling.

British Thermal Units are like calories, a unit of heat measurement. A BTU is the amount of heat required to raise a pound of water one degree Fahrenheit. On air conditioners, it refers to the amount of heat it’s able to cool down a room. The range will be from 5,000 BTUs to 24,000 BTUs, but it pays to get the amount you need for your room.

Before we get to that, you need to be aware of the unit Energy Efficiency Ratio, or EER. That’s simple math, divide BTUs by wattage when the ambient air is 95 degrees F and you get the EER. The higher the number, the more efficient the unit and the more expensive it will be. The range for these will be from 8 to 11.5. You will often also see a SEER or Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio which is a little different. It’s supposed to capture how the device performs throughout the year. Energy Star rated AC’s must have an EER of 14 and most will have above 13. You can’t compare EER and SEER.

Lastly, the BTU will tell you how many square foot a unit will cool and under what conditions. An 8000 BTU Sharp AF-S85NX can cool 415 sq. ft. if there is an occupied room above it. Only 360 sq. ft. if there’s an insulated roof/attic above it and a mere 235 sq. ft. if there is an uninsulated roof/attic above it. As you can see, room configuration is significant.

Comparably, a 12,000 BTU Sharp AF-S125NX can cool 745 sq. ft., 650 sq. ft., and 415 sq. ft respectively.