Fiber-Optic Providers Are Leading Choices for Internet, TV, and Phone Service Bundles

According to a recent report released by Consumer Reports, people looking to cut costs without sacrificing satisfaction for Internet, television, and telephone service should consider bundling with Verizon FiOS or AT&T U-verse. 

The magazine found that Intense competition for cable and satellite customers between AT&T U-verse and Verizon FiOS high-speed fiber providers has driven down rates for bundled services. Bundles of the three services have dropped in price by up to 20 percent in the last year, to as low as $80 a month.

The survey also reveals that subscribers were very satisfied with services from the top telecom providers. Consumer Reports readers scores for Internet, phone, and TV, found that Verizon FiOS and AT&T U-verse were the most consistently satisfying providers.

For more information on the survey, pick up the February issue of Consumer Reports from your newsstand or visit consumerreports.org.

Grande Communications Adds Lonestar Sports Network to its Digital Cable Lineup in Texas

Good news for Texas sports fans! LoneStar Sports Network recently reached an agreement with Grande Communications for cable carriage throughout its Texas broadcast markets. 

“As a homegrown Texas company, with deep roots a decade old, Grande Communications knows that Texans love their sports. By teaming up with LoneStar Sports Network, we continue to deliver the sports and entertainment programming Texans want to watch,” said W.K.L. “Scott” Ferguson, Grande chief operating officer.  “At Grande, our customers are our top priority. We are proud of this win for our customers!”

LoneStar Sports Networks will be available in 2009 as part of Grande Communications digital cable lineup. For more information on all the great Texas sports programming available through LoneStar, view their schedule here.

Green Mountain Energy and Standard Renewable Energy Give Green

Earlier this week Green Mountain Energy and Standard Renewable Energy (SRE) donated and funded solar panels to Workshop Houston, non-profit organization that provides after school programs to Houston children.

The donated solar panels will offset approximately 5,900 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) each year, the equivalent of planting 354 trees or not driving 6,554 miles annually. Green Mountain Energy and SRE sure know how to give a green gift back to a community!

Seth Capron, co-founder of Workshop Houston said, "The solar array will help us save money on our electricity costs, reduce our carbon footprint and promote renewable energy in the surrounding community. This is an exciting example of Houston businesses and the community teaming up to make our community and environment better."

This marks the fourth solar energy project that Green Mountain Energy and SRE have done together under the Big Texas Sun Club program. This unique program allows Green Mountain Energy customers to donate $5 on their monthly bill to go towards solar energy installation projects.

House Kills Delay for Digital TV Transition 2009

We're holding our collective horsies on the proposed delay for the Feb. 2009 digital television transition. It was reported a couple of days ago that the bill introduced into Congress to delay the transition until June 2009 would move through relatively smoothly, or so previously thought. Now, according to the AP and multiple news sources, the bill was killed by GOP members in the House of Representatives.

For those of you still teetering on upgrading from analog, the option to upgrade to digital cable or satellite TV may be better ad more affordable in the long run, especially as coupons for digital TV converter boxes won't arrive to many households before the deadline.

Here are more details from Wired.com

The World's Fastest Electric Car?

While electric and hybrid cars are no doubt the future of the automobile industry, it seems to be taking quite some time to get to that point. I mean, when I think of electric cars, I think of something goofy from the Jetsons, still. Finding the sweet spot between convenience, price and widespread appeal is no doubt a tough nut to crack. However, Shelby has announced some new developments that might not only break the barriers for consumer ease of use, but also in style.

Apparently, Shelby's Ultimate Aero EV will be able to charge in just 10 minutes time, which is about how long it takes to go to the pump for standard gasoline powered cars. In addition, a scalable design for the powertrain allows lots of variety. It can be set down to 200 horsepower for smaller cars, and ramped up to 500 horsepower for SUVs and larger vehicles. And for the big payoff, a dual-motor design can sport up to 1200 horsepower. That is kind of awesome.

So how far will this 10 minute charge and these rocking horsepower take you? According to Shelby, up to 200 miles. Not bad, eh? To find out more about Shelby's Ultimate Aero EV, head over to Jalopnik.

DTV Extension Granted

Looks like the Senate agrees that we as a country are just not quite ready for the analog to digital switch. The Senate voted last night to delay the scheduled February 17 switch to June 12, 2009. This will give people a change to buy converter boxes or sign up for television services like cable, satellite, FiOS or U-verse.

The government has run out of the $40 coupons that was aimed at assisting people with purchasing the digital converter box needed to get the new digital signal.

To read more about the Senate's decision visit TVPredictions.

Get the Average Utility Costs for December

The December data has been updated at the WhiteFence Index, our handy little tool that shows the average utility costs among 20+ of the top U.S. cities. You can compare phone, high-speed Internet, cable TV, electricity and natural gas prices in cities like New York, Boston, Dallas, Chicago, Atlanta and more.

The index also allows you to compare by city or by service, giving a ton of options to dig down and see what our neighbors are paying for home services.

Energy Education for Your Children

Let's face the facts. Energy independence, green, conservation, global warming and whole sleuth of other energy issues will rest heavily in the laps of our children. So why not encourage the education process early?

Energy Quest, and award-winning energy education site built and maintained by the California Energy Commission, aims to teach "energy ethics" to our children, who they refer to as "tomorrow's scientists and inventors." 

The site is fabulously interactive with just about everything being clickable and colorful, so I imagine the kids will remain engaged. It provides valuable information on everything from energy news to how common household appliances work, as well as education on recycling and the ENERGY STAR Change a Light, Change the World campaign. Pretty interesting stuff to say the least.

WSJ MarketWatch Recommeds WhiteFence.com

Looking to save money on home services? In their recent article Cutting TV, Internet and Phone Bills, The Wall Stret Journal MarketWatch recommends bundling your services and checking out WhiteFence.com!

...in an effort to cut your bill, take a look around the Web to see what specials are available from all the providers in your area, including cable, satellite, DSL and fiber-optic service. Sites including WhiteFence.com can help consumers compare rates for services side by side...

The article also suggests that for households using all three services, bundling can often be a better deal than purchasing services a la carte.  

Bundle your phone, Internet and TV to save money today!

As Seen (and Green!) on TV?

If you are like me, you find As Seen On TV products pretty fascinating. I blame my father, as I get at least one thing every Christmas from an infomercial! However, I came across a blog post recently that made me look at some of the products in a whole new light.

Sustainablog did a great review of Five Greenish Products You've Seen on TV. While the products aren't exactly what you would consider "green" and there is no endorsement of any particular product, I think it's an interesting topic to consider.

Take the ShamWow for instance. One of the selling points is that you can use it for a lot of jobs you would normally reach for a paper towel to do. Anything that can help you avoid using paper products is a plus. On the other hand, it's made out of a "rayon-type" material that may not be so easy to recycle.

Another product mentioned in the post is the Twin Draft Guard, a product that I must admit I have had my eye on. My doors are pretty drafty! They may help to save you money on energy, but there isn't much known about the materials used or manufacturing process.

I think it's important to give products like these a look, especially if you feel like you've run out of "greening" ideas. However, it's a good idea to use them more as a guide to what you want to do next. And if you find something you like that you think might be a solution, be sure to research it beyond what the spokesperson yells at you from your TV at 2 o'clock in the morning.