Tuesday, November 20, 2007 

10 Ways To Cut Your Electric Bill

One of the major concerns in the world today is depletion of energy. As concerned citizens all of us must make a concerted effort to be conscious citizens and save electricity. Electricity has become integral to life but imagine having to live without power.

Conservation of electricity benefits you personally as you will pay lower bills. Consider:

1.Doing an energy audit. This will tell you how and when you use energy and where the wastage lies. You will be able to make an energy savings plan by pinpointing exactly how you can cut back on energy consumption. Some ideas may be as simple as dont leave the coffee machine on at all times.

2.Think about resetting the thermostat ten degrees lower during the night. If you can do this for say approximately eight hours a day you will save 10% on electricity without sacrificing comfort. Insulate the home in winter by drawing shut the drapes.

3.Check all insulation in the house. If you increase attic insulation to around 12 inches the electricity consumption will reduce by 20 percent.

4.Plant more trees around the house these will cool the house in summer and insulate the house in winter. Studies show that a green cover benefits in many ways.

5.Have all electricity wires and outlets checked for leakage. Check all fuses and appliances.

6.Fluorescent light bulbs are energy efficient. They use 75% less energy than ordinary light bulbs. These have a longer life and contribute to great savings.

7.Use energy efficient appliances. These use less energy and believe it or not a high efficiency refrigerator uses less electricity than a light bulb.

8.When you are away even for a few hours or days you should turn off and unplug all electrical appliances and turn settings on the thermostat, water heater, and refrigerator to the lowest setting.

9.Ensure that you use a water-saving shower head. Water heating costs for a family can be lowered by at least US$ 250 a year.

10.Weatherize your home. This helps reduce heating bills by 20% and cooling by at least 10 percent. Even when building a home or decorating it use weather friendly materialsthose that are not good conductors of heat and cold. Install windows and glass panes in the roof in such away that you use sunlight to light up the rooms during day light hours. Make an effort to switch off lights and fans when leaving a room. Ensure that the filters in air conditioners and heaters are always cleaned and free of clog and dust.

If you live an energy efficient lifestyle you will see the numbers on the energy bill actually reducing. The power to cut energy costs is well within your control. It is as simple as only washing full loads and that to in cold water. Use the hot wash option only for very dirty clothes. Cook food only just before you are ready to eat that way you can save reheating costs as well as refrigerating costs of storing the food. Turn the thermostat of the refrigerator to minimum in cold or cool weather. Switch off freezers if they are not in use. Small contributions can all add up to significant amounts of power saved. And, power saved means money in the bank.

Paul Wilson is a freelance writer for http://www.1888Discuss.com/home-improvement/, the premier REVENUE SHARING discussion forum for Home Improvement including topics on exterior home improvement, gardening, decorating, buying and selling, electrical home improvement and more. He also freelances for the premier Mortgage site http://www.1888Mortgages.com

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Your First Set of Golf Clubs Need to Fit Your Game

A basic set of golf clubs is all any golfer needs to start playing the game. A set of three woods, a collection of 3-9-irons, pitching wedge, sand wedge and a putter, are all that is required.

As your game develops and you improve, more specific clubs can be added to suit your abilities. To start there is only one rule to remember: You can't carry more than 14 clubs in your bag at any one time.

Before buying a set of clubs, first determine your ability level. A low-handicap player has a single-digit handicap, meaning he or she generally scores less than 10 strokes over par, or an 82 or less on a par-72 course.

The low-handicap golfer

The low-handicap player should carry a driver and at least 1 fairway wood, most likely the 3-wood. The low-handicap player will benefit from lower irons in his bag, because the three or four-iron is a difficult club to hit but can be very useful if it can be controlled.

A minimum of 3 wedges which includes a sand wedge, pitching wedge and either a lob wedge or approach wedge in their bags, with a maximum 4-degree difference between each one.

The mid-handicap golfer

The mid-handicap golfer plays "bogey golf," meaning his or her score averages out to 1 over par on each hole, or somewhere in the 11-20 handicap range.

In addition to the driver and a 3-wood and a 5-wood, consider adding a 7-wood or even a 9-wood. These fairway woods give much better control and consistency than the harder to hit long irons.

Usually only a 3 through 9 are recommended, since the 2-iron is very difficult to hit consistently. Three different wedges are recommended- pitching wedge, sand-wedge, and either a lob wedge or approach wedge

The high-handicap golfer

The high-handicap golfer is either a beginner or has not had the time to develop his or her game to reach the mid-handicap level. The high-handicapper usually shoots close to or over 100.

For starters, you may not even want to have a driver in your bag. Instead, try going with the 3-wood as your off-the-tee wood and add the easier-to-hit 7- and 9-wood. The wedge you should carry can be either a pitching wedge, sand wedge, lob wedge and or approach wedge.

As for wedges go with a sand wedge (55-57 degree loft) or choose between a lob wedge (60-64 degree loft) or a gap wedge (50-53 degree loft). Putters are usually sold separately from full sets to allow the golfer to choose his or her own style.

To learn more about buying golf clubs and finding golf discounts online visit http://www.igolfalot.com

Serenity Now Yoga

 

Elliptical Trainer Benefits

There are so many elliptical trainer benefits to list that some would say it's the perfect way to exercise. Elliptical exercise trainers meet the overall need of any exercise program. They combine a weight bearing exercise that limits the impact on the body while optimizing the cardiovascular benefits creating a total body workout routine.

One of the best elliptical trainer benefits is the weight bearing exercises that help in maintaining and improving bone density. Elliptical cross trainers burn more calories and make you feel like you have been on a brisk walk with all the benefits of a good jogging session.

The elliptical motion of the machine provides low impact because your feet never leave the footpads. It creates a smooth and continuous movement that eliminates the stress on your joints. This provides a totally impact free cardio workout routine.

The elliptical exercise trainers are programmed with different training settings to help monitor your cardio workout routine and allow you to set one, two or all three of the following: resistance, speed and ramp. The workouts can be very intense or relatively easy depending on the training program you select.

Elliptical cross trainers provide a great workout for your lower body as well as toning and building leg muscles. It's ideal for losing weight because it burns more calories that a treadmill or exercise bike. If you are overweight it helps you burn calories while you seem to be leisurely gliding along. Grab the moving handles and work the upper body muscles for a total body workout routine.

Elliptical cross trainers are one of the best pieces of exercise equipment to hit the fitness industry in years. They provide a relatively easy and enjoyable form of exercise that you will look forward to coming back to over and over again.

Several gyms are buying more elliptical exercise trainers because the demand is so great. Once you use one you'll be hooked because thirty minutes is all it takes for a total body workout routine. You exercise at whatever level you are or whatever level you want to achieve.

You can challenge yourself on your high energy days or you can just maintain on other days. The choice is up to you. Getting fit, losing weight and improving your overall health are only a few elliptical trainer benefits.

Copyright 2005 Treadmill Info.com All Rights Reserved.

This article is supplied by http://www.treadmill-info.com where you will find valuable information, ratings, reviews, articles and buying tips before you make the investment in quality fitness equipment. For more fitness related articles go to: http://www.treadmill-info.com/articles_1.html

Compare Yoga Results Too Pilates Results

 

How To Load a Backpack

By correctly loading your backpack you will find that you expend less energy whilst carrying it compared to one which is unbalanced. Plus you will know that it is also much more comfortable to carry also.

There are a number of different ways in which a person can load their backpack and below we provide some guidelines which will help to ensure that you pack yours correctly. By doing this not only will it be more comfortable when being carried but the likely of any injury occurring during the time it is being carried is greatly decreased.

Step One
You should assemble everything that you will be putting into your backpack including food, water, clothing and any other equipment that you require.

Step Two
Place all of the heavy items as close to your back as possible and do not stuff them into the bottom. Also any light items or clothes that you have should be placed towards the outsides of pack.

Step Three
All items like your tent or sleeping bag should be strapped to the outside. Today there are backpacks such as the Osprey Atmos 65 which now come with additional bungee loops and a place at the base of the pack where the sleeping bag can be packed away into. Also having these loops allows you to attach bungee straps to them which then means that the tent can be securely fastened to the pack and this will help to ensure that all weight you are carrying is evenly distributed between the shoulder straps and the hip belt.

Step Four
Always ensure that you have a garbage bag within your pack especially if you know the weather is going to be inclement whilst away on your trip. Use this as a liner within your pack and place all items such as your clothes that you want to ensure are kept dry at all times.

Step Five
Use one outside pocket of your pack that you can easily reach where you want to put your snacks, water and trash. Today many backpacks now come with additional pockets on the hip belt where items such as snacks etc. can be placed. Also a lot of backpacks now allow the user to have a water (fluid) reservoir which they can place within it and which then provides them with a continuous supply of water and leaves their hands free.

Step Six
Place all essential items such as maps, books, flashlight, sun cream and also batteries in the pocket that allows you to gain easy access to them without actually having to stop. Again such backpacks as the Osprey Atmos 65 now provide the wearer with additional pockets on the hip belt where these particular items can be kept and which they can easily get to at any time during the trip.

By keeping these steps in mind when it comes to loading up your backpack will ensure that everything evenly distributed and so much more comfortable to carry. Plus the chances of any injuries being caused through the backpack being loaded incorrectly and placing pressure on certain parts of the body will be greatly reduced.

To find out why the Osprey Atmos 65 Backpack is such a great backpack visit Osprey Atmos 65 Reviewed at www.ospreyatmos65review.com

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