Tips for Families Looking to Cut Costs

Families across the country are hurting—big time. I almost choked when I passed the gas pumps on the way to work this morning. I wanted to share an article I just published over at EnergyBabble, since the price for all our necessities seem to be on a stairway to heaven. I put together some information on our sites and additional resources that can help families budget a little better, and hopefully sleep a little better as well. Hope this helps...

Here is a brief blurb, and you can read more about these money saving tips over at Energy Babble.com:

Families are hit the hardest. Single folks like myself (though being a single father isn't cost effective) still feel the weight of rising utilities like everyone else, but we are fortunate to not be providing for a family of five or more.  So again, I am going to list a few links and resources—some our sites, some outside resources—to help families find easy and efficient ways to save money.

WhiteFence is Ready to Help Our Future President (and his/her Entourage)

Jumping on the political bandwagon (as WhiteFence COO Jeff Wagoner did today on Fox & Friends), WhiteFence is poised to help November’s D.C. newcomers set up their utilities.

Looking at the political landscape today - who knows what it’ll be tomorrow - our new president could come from a variety of places around the nation — Arizona, New York and Illinois. Within minutes of election, the new President could switch over his or her phone, Internet, TV service, gas and electricity. Checking out the WhiteFence Index, it looks like no matter who gets the nod, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama or John McCain, they will all be paying a bit less on their utilities in the Capital.

But the uses of WhiteFence.com don’t stop there. The new presidential family can keep entertained by ordering movies, music, newspapers and magazines for their new Washington D.C. address. If the ants come marching in, the President can halt the problem by ordering pest control service. And the First Lady (or First Man) can rent furniture to help decorate their new home.

In all seriousness, however, you’d hope one of the perks of being the president is that you don’t have to worry about the technicalities of getting the White House connected. Thankfully, the same services mentioned above can be used by all the staffers that will be making the big move right along with the new Commander-in-Chief. With the daunting task of helping the President run the country, I am sure they need all the help they can get when it comes to getting settled in their new city.

WhiteFence Knowledge Centers

As a consumer trying to make an informed decision about essential home services, sometimes it can be a little daunting if you don't quite have all the facts. For instance, do you know about the coming digital transition for television? Do you know the differences between cable television and satellite television?

If you don't know about those things, there's no need to worry, because WhiteFence has Knowledge Centers about these very subjects. Recent posts at EnergyBabble and CommJunkie both highlight some of the different Knowledge Centers that are available for home service shoppers, in order to help educate about some of the lesser-known details that aren't always easy to come across.

• Energy Knowledge Centers
  
For the green, gas and electricity Knowledge Centers.


• Communication Knowledge Centers
  
Knowledge Centers having to do with high-speed Internet, home phone and television.

WhiteFence on TV

For those of you who are fans of The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet from the FOX News Network, you might have seen a little piece about how homeowners can save money with the rising cost of gas, utilities and groceries. This segment highlighted WhiteFence's own Jeff Wagoner as he demonstrated how WhiteFence can save money for consumers around the country hoping to find cheaper alternatives to home services.

With prices continuing to rise on all kinds of basic necessities, it's nice to know that we can choose our costs in other areas. If you're looking to save money on your home services, enter your address to the left and start browsing for the package that's right for your home.

To view the segment from The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet, give it a watch over at FOX News.

Green Gab

Amber at EnviroMojo recently posted an article about eating earth-friendly when you're out and about. Like CommJunkie and EnergyBabble, EnviroMojo is a new WhiteFence blog. However, it is devoted solely to all things green. The topics range from green energy to living green at home and abroad.

The recent article focuses on the Certified Green Restaurant™ Guide provided by the Green Restaurant Association^SM, "a national non-profit organization that is helping the restaurant industry to become more environmentally sustainable". The great thing about this guide is that it gives you tips on where to eat and what to look for when trying to find a green restaurant.

To get more information about the Certified Green Restaurant™ Guide, be sure to read about it over at EnviroMojo, your home for anything green.

Your Guide to Home Energy Conservation

Rising energy prices is a frightening prospect for hard working families across the United States, and trying to strike a balance between energy efficiency, protecting the environment and managing the costs of energy in your home is a daunting task. In fact, it's quite common to feel overwhelmed by a wall of information surrounding energy costs and the fight against global climate change.

In the spirit of affordable earth-friendly (and wallet-friendly) practices, we've compiled a list of energy conservation resources and tips to help ease the stress and worry as the hotter summer months approach. Conserving energy and saving money can go hand-in-hand with the idea that families can participate in an eco-friendly America, and reduce wear and tear on your finances along the way.

Simple Conservation Tips at Home

Conserving at home is far simpler than you probably imagined. Your cleaning, eating and energy habits, really just everything you encounter and do on a "typical" day, all contribute to increasing both your impact on the ecosystem, but also the costs of operating a comfortable home.

With tips to cleaning with baking soda and water to changing out your traditional light bulbs to compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs), there is a plethora of great ways to be energy conscious in your daily habits. Here are just a few:

• CFLs alone can use up to 75 percent less energy than traditional light bulbs - meaning simply by switching all your light bulbs in your house, you can save time and money.
• Look into purchasing a programmable thermostat. According to U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Web site, installing and using these types of thermostats in your home can help you save as much as 10 percent a year on your heating and cooling bills.
• Examine your water heater's settings. Many water heaters' factory settings are higher than they need to be. Setting your water heater to 120°F will not only be hot enough to provide comfortable water, but also save you money in the long run. You can visit the EERE Web site for other water heater tips.
  
• Be energy conscious in your everyday life! Just remembering to shut off lights as you leave is one little thing you can do every day to conserve.

Here are some additional tips on going green at home from our green blog at EnviroMojo.com

Energy Efficient Appliances at Home

ENERGY STAR^® is a fantastic venture between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the DOE to help families save literally billions of dollars in annual energy costs. Look for the ENERGY STAR^® logo on your home appliances, with all approved appliances following strict energy efficiency standards set by the DOE and EPA. In 2007 alone, people across the country helped reduce greenhouse gas emissions equal to 27 million cars and save $16 billion with ENERGY STAR^® products.

For more information on energy efficient products, home improvement and more:

• ENERGY STAR^® Web site
• Green Guide to energy efficient appliances from GreenEnergyChoice.com.

Reducing Your Carbon Footprint

Many of the concerns over rising oil prices only increases the importance of renewable energy options to meet the growing demand for energy. The DOE has unveiled an ambitious goal to increase wind energy capacity to 20 percent by 2030, a phenomenal feet considering wind power accounts for 1 percent of our total energy capacity. The cost of renewable energy tends to be confusing information for families shopping for better electricity prices. In many states the costs of renewable energy are actually quite comparable to what you traditionally pay for non-renewable electricity.

For those of us in areas that do not have renewable energy options, Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) give you the ability to use your purchasing power to reduce the impact of daily energy consumption. Carbon dioxide accounts for 3/4 of global greenhouse gas emissions. A single REC represents one megawatt hour (MWh), or 1,000 kilowatt hours (kWh), of renewable electricity generated and delivered somewhere on the power grid. So your purchasing power not only replaces power generated from fossil fuels with 100 percent pollution-free renewable energy, but allows you to play a part in encouraging the development of renewable energy resources. Sites like GreenEnergyChoice.com allow you to calculate how many RECs you would need to effectively counteract your household energy usage.

The Value of a Home Energy Audit

The savings a professional energy audit can provide are substantial. With the summer months and higher energy costs steadily approaching, an energy audit can greatly improve your home's energy efficiency, helping to pinpoint air and water leaks, insulation quality and ensure your cooling and heating systems are working efficiently and properly. A professional auditor will inspect the structure and foundation, roof, HVAC and mechanicals, plumbing, and interior and exteriors, providing detailed information on areas that are lacking in proper insulation and efficiency standards.

If you decide a professional energy audit is not for you, there are still some simple ways to perform an audit yourself and help reduce your energy waste.

For more information on energy audits:

• Home Audit Can Save You Money from ElectricityTexas.com
• Home Energy Audits from ENERGY STAR^®

Additional Home Energy Conservation Resources from WhiteFence:

• EnergyBabble - News, tips and resources on electricity, natural gas, green energy, conservation and more.
• EnviroMojo - Expressing our love for Mother Earth with green news, tips and resources for the environmentalist in us all.
• GreenEnergyChoice Green Guide - Renewable energy information and resources, as well as the ability to purchase green energy and RECs.
• What is Green Energy Lens at Squidoo - Our dedicated study to the green energy phenomenon.
• WhiteFence Green - Our combined efforts as a company to offset the carbon impact of our daily business practices, and offer you additional ways to go green and save money.

Outside Resources

• 20 Percent Wind Energy by 2030
• Energy Conservation Wiki
• U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
• Texas State Energy Conservation Office
• Home Energy Conservation Tips - 10 Bright Ideas to Make Your Home Energy Efficient
• U.S. DOE - Your Home
• Do Something - Using the Power of the Internet to Help Young People Change the World
• Federal Energy Policy Act of 2005
• Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Get Into The Energy Conversation

So if you haven't had a chance to get in on the energy talk over at EnergyBabble, you might want to try it out. EnergyBabble is a new WhiteFence blog dedicated to giving you the scoop on energy and natural gas — and how that relates to you in your world. Definitely worth a place among your regularly visited websites.

EnergyBabble is often updated with new and exciting material. Just this morning Brett penned some thoughts about wind power and its place in the future of energy. Apparently, while wind power is growing in and around the country, significant changes need to take place in order to make it a more viable long term option for renewable energy. As of now, it only accounts for a small percentage of total energy. If you're interested in learning more about wind energy and would like to be a part of the energy conversation, be sure to read up on it at EnergyBabble.

Listening Green

Ever wonder if your home television or music entertainment system is helping or hurting the environment? Monica has posted an interesting find over at CommJunkie about a new speaker model from Klipsch. For those who are unaware, Klipsch is a maker of high quality audio products. Apparently they are doing some revamping with one of their speakers. Typically, "the line is made from zebrawood, an exotic type of wood which is often used in the production of high-end speaker cabinets".  Unfortunately, this type of wood is found in the Rainforest.

To make things better, Klipsch is changing its ways and moving to a veneer made from different trees from a controlled harvesting forest. For more information about these greener speaker cabinets, hit up CommJunkie, WhiteFence's new blog that helps you feed your home entertainment addiction.

The Upgraded WhiteFence Index

Want to find out what the people in your city are paying for their utilities? WhiteFence is proud to introduce the new-and-improved WhiteFence Index. If you aren't familiar with the WhiteFence Index, it's a tool to help you compare your monthly utility bills to the average that your neighbors pay. Whether you're switching, transferring home services or moving into a new home, the WhiteFence Index is a great resource to help budget your move and monthly utility bills.

The WhiteFence Index is currently available for 21 of the nation's top cities. The averages for telecommunications services are based on the orders that we see from our many websites, while the averages for electricity and natural gas are obtained differently. Due to our widespread relationships with service providers and our knowledge of the energy industry, WhiteFence has been able to get the actual price for each city published. If you'd like to read more about how these averages are compiled, feel free to read more at the WhiteFence Index methodology

A couple of features and improvements have been added to the newest version. One of the more notable upgrades is that each city now has its own city-specific page, so that you can compare between two different locations. This is especially useful for movers who are relocating and can really help you plan out a secure budget for your first few months in a new home or apartment. The other important addition to the WhiteFence Index is the ability to compare the average costs on individual home services. This means that you can compare what people in Houston paid for Internet service to what people in Atlanta paid for Internet service.

To discover more about what you could be saving on home utilities, head on over to the WhiteFence Index.

Texas Electricity Providers Give Help

With oil and natural gas prices climbing, it looks like we're all in for one hot Summer. Naturally, there are some consumers growing concerned with the way that costs are continuing to rise, especially as the price of cooling a house during the summer looms. Fortunately for Texas electricity users, companies like Reliant™ and TXU are stepping in to help seniors and low-income households during the Summer months.

Apparently, TXU said recently that for the months of July, August and September, it won't be turning off anyone's electricity. Rather, customers will work out a payment plan of some kind in order to continue receiving their power. Likewise, Reliant™ "says it's calling a moratorium on disconnecting power from July 1st through September for critical care, low income and senior citizens or low-income customers".

While offering deferred payment options can be common for some electricity providers, it's not every day that you'll see companies offer a moratorium for several months, along with some heavy discounts for low-income households. If you want to read more about the Reliant™ and TXU summer savings, you can do so at KTEN. To find out if you or someone you know is eligible for these kinds of savings, be sure to call your provider directly.