The Federal Tax Credit for Energy Efficiency – Heating, Furnaces, and Boilers expired in 2011. The President chose not too extend this tax credit. Local energy utility companies like PG&E have their own energy efficiency rebates. To find out if rebates or other incentives are available in your area, visit the ENERGY STAR Rebate Finder.

Be sure to read our article on ways to save money and energy on your energy bill.

For 2011, the Federal Tax Credit for energy efficiency drops to 10%, up to a $500 maximum. (2010 Federal Tax Credit information)

• Oil and gas furnace and boiler incentives are $150
• Additional $50 for efficient furnace fans
• Oil furnaces, boilers, and gas boilers must be 95% efficient. (It was 90% in 2010)
• $300 cap for air conditioners
• Existing home and principal residence.   New construction and rentals do not qualify.
• Expires December 31, 2011 – Consult the What other rebates are available? below for other possible rebates.

The 2011 tax credit reverted to  2005-2008 levels. Anyone who previously took advantage of the program can’t apply for incentives that exceed $500.  IE If you claimed $500 between 2005 – 2008 on a previous energy efficiency project, or at least $500 tax credit from 2009 – 2010, you are ineligible for the 2011 energy efficiency tax credit.

If you used say $200 of the $500 energy efficiency tax credit from 2005 – 2008, and did not utilize the 2009 – 2010 energy efficiency tax credit, you would still have a $300 credit available.

If you have been thinking about replacing these items, you might as well upgrade now and save some money. Furnaces 15 years old or older can be replaced with much more efficient units. New models with electric ignition are the most efficient models.

Natural Gas or Propane Furnaces must have Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency or
AFUE >= 95% to qualify for the tax credit. Oil Furnaces and as, Propane, or Oil Hot Water Boiler must have AFUE >= 95%. Not all ENERGY STAR products will qualify for the tax credit.

Gas fired furnace list. Here is a list of qualifying oil furnaces and oil boilers that may qualify. Also consider installing radiant floor heating instead of using a furnace.

Recology, formerly known as Norcal Waste Systems, has set up shop in the San Francisco Bay Area and expanded its coverage areas. They are the new garbage company with a focus on recycling as much as possible. We finally have a service that handles composting of food waste! We no longer have to perform time-consuming and messy composting ourselves.  This service opens the door to recycling so much more material to the mainstream masses. If your local trash firm does not too composting, contact them and ask for it.

If you look at the size of the bins, you will notice that the black trash bin is a lot smaller than the blue recycling bin, and the green composting bin. One sign of a non-eco-friendly household is the presence of an upgraded larger black trash bin!

Trash has become big business, with recyclables and compost generating revenue for these companies. As we mentioned in our Recycling article, trash firms now can turn waste into energy.

Recology has even provided small food waste holders that you use in the kitchen to shuttle waste to your outside green composting bin. They allow you to line the pale with a biodegradable plastic liner, which is available at local grocery stores including Costco, Safeway, and Whole foods. A liner lets you capture all those liquids to prevent a massive mass. Hats off to a modern recycling company.

• Compost food scraps, vegetable scraps, dirty takeout boxes, napkins
• Compostable forks and knives, leftovers, flowers and more

Be sure to check out our article on Recycling Tips

Some easy energy savers. Per the FDA – Set your refrigerator’s thermostat to 40°F degrees , this might be a little high though. Our local Utility company PG&E suggests from 35 to 38°F. Set the freezer to 0 to 5 degrees.  Use an inexpensive refrigerator thermometer to measure the actual temperature.  I have found 38 °F works better for us.

• Do not overfill your frig as cool air needs to circulate freely to keep everything cool.  Glass keeps food colder longer, so try to use more glass.
• Wipe up spills immediately to prevent bacteria from growing
• Keep refrigerated items in covered containers or sealed storage bags
• Check expiration dates on food, when in doubt, throw it out
• Do not forget about cleaning the coils on your fridge every 6 months. Do this religiously if you have pets.
• Never allow raw meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, or produce that requires refrigeration to sit at room temperature for more than two hours. The limit is one hour if the air temperature is above 90°F. Cars can become really hot.
• Leftovers need to be refrigerated or frozen within two hours. Putting hot food in the refrigerator does not harm the appliance. Make sure you zap left overs until the internal temperature is at least 165°F.
• Keep food in the refrigerator while it’s been marinated, otherwise act. Could grow at room temperature
• Remove items placed on top of your refrigerator.  They may be causing it to work harder than normal.
• Move your refrigerator if it is located near a window, oven, or any place there is heat.
• Unplug and recycle your second refrigerator and/or freezer.  It costs a lot money to run and most utility companies will pay you money and remove it for free.
• More tips on refrigerator safety from the FDA
• Ask Karen is a USDA site that answers food safety questions
• USDA has a meat and poultry hotline, (888) 674-6854

If your refrigerator was made before 1993, a new Energy Star Qualified model will use half the energy.  Recycle your old Fridge and take advantage of any Energy rebates available.

Sell by and Expiration Dates on Food

Manufacturers give stores and consumers a guideline on when an item is fresh with these dates.  These Expiration Dates are not a safety gauge. Only infant formula expiration dates are a safety mark.

Fresh seafood and Sushi are available all over the US. We all want to do the right thing when it comes to eating seafood. Environmentally conscious folks do not want to support overfishing or destructive seafood harvesting.

It is ironic that over 2500 sushi restaurants in the United States serve Hamachi even though it doesn’t exist in the Western Hemisphere.

Monterey Bay Aquarium has a new sustainable seafood guide. Notable items to avoid are:

• Ebi/Shrimp (Imported)
• Unagi/Eel
• Hamachi/Yellowtail (Australia, Japan farmed)
• Atlantic cod
• Ahi tuna
• Blue fin tuna
• Chilean Sea bass
• Dayboat scallops
• Monkfish And Monkfish Liver
• Octopus
• Salmon (most farmed, including Atlantic)
• Swordfish

Sustainable fish are those that are either fish or farmed using methods that encourage stocks to remain healthy and replenished over time.

Acceptable fish include:

• Abalone (farmed)
• Albacore Tuna (Pacific Ocean, troll caught)
• Arctic char (farmed in recirculating systems)
• Atlantic and Spanish mackerel
• Alaskan halibut
• Alaskan troll caught salmon
• Alaskan true cod
• California anchovies
• California squid
• California sardines
• Dungeness crab
• Farmed shellfish
• Geo duck clam
• Mackerel (rod and reel only)
• Mussels
• Oysters
• Sablefish (black cod)
• Sea Urchin (British Columbia)
• Shrimp (US farmed)

A representative of the Environmental Defense Fund recommended that consumers eat for small fish, and a wider variety of them, including mackerel, sardines, and oysters. Mixing it up reduces the chance of getting too much of a single contaminant. Variety of smaller fish lessens the impact that larger fish would have. The population of unagi or freshwater eel has declined 90% over the last 20 years.

Harvesting fish responsibly is difficult to do, the best methods are rod and reel or Scottish seine. Other methods such as bottom trawler or long line can bring up huge amounts of by catch in re-devastation to the seafloor as they move. Fish farms that pack fish into cages, with nets in natural bodies of water, can destroy delicate habitats, generate waste and cause harmful nitrogen levels.

A recent San Francisco magazine article describes the best methods of catching seafood and also found that many restaurants are not as sustainable as they think they are.

Printable Monterey Bay Aquarium Pocket Seafood Guide – iPhone App

Clean Fish is an organization dedicated to sustainable seafood harvesting and has additional information on sustainable seafood.

Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is an eco-label that shows the company supports sustainable fisheries biodiversity. Look for it on responsible seafood.

Mercury in Fish

Be careful with eating too much fish especially if you are pregnant. Understand the possible mercury levels in fish, especially for high mercury fish – swordfish, king mackerel, shark, and tile fish. Also limit consumption of canned white, albacore tuna. Long-term mercury exposure can impair vision, hearing, damage motor skills, and balance. A recent study of store-bought fish and restaurant sushi found some fairly high levels of mercury.

Country of Origin

This is another helpful label from the USDA. It indicates where the seafood came from and whether it was farm raised or caught in the wild. Unfortunately not all fish markets and restaurants use this label.

Mislabeled Fish

There have been several articles in magazines and newspapers regarding mislabeled seafood that was purchased from supermarkets and restaurants. Several investigations utilized outside labs to DNA test purchased fish to verify its genetic makeup.

A recent Consumer Reports December 2011 article found that only 4 out of 14 types of fish were always identified correctly. 18% of samples did not match the labels or menu entry.

Why does this happen?

• Mistakes on boats or processing plants
• Intentionally mislabeling for profit
• Inexperienced inspectors
• Minimal inspections by authorities

When purchasing fresh fish, try to examine the list above and only purchase in season, sustainably-harvested seafood. Make sure the fish does not smell fishy and that there’s no discoloration.

Also be sure to avoid the endangered Blue fin tuna.

Keeping Fish and other Seafood Local and Fresh

Institute for Fisheries Resources has web pages that list California Fishermen who sell directly to the public as well as restaurants that buy straight off the dock. Keep your seafood local and it’ll be fresher too. Have some fun seeing local seafood being sold off the boat. Eliminate the middle man and save money.

Winter is the time of the year to help protect the value of your home and save energy by making several adjustments.  Now is not the time to remodel or repaint your home, but a time to fine tune the operation of your home. You’re basically dialing in any changes you may for Fall, and should move major fixes to springtime.

The number one concern during winter is usually your heating bill. With temperatures plunging, we need to do everything we can to maintain their comfort and lower your bills.

• Install or adjust your programmable thermostat
• Turn off your sprinkler system
• Caulk and Seal air leaks
• Fix fireplace air leaks
• Replace leaky ductwork
• Insulate your home
• Buy window treatments or curtains
• Clean your furnace filter
• Buying an energy-efficient furnace

Home Safety is another concern for the winter season. With heaters running, trees all lit up, and lots of indoor time, it is important we check on your safety equipment.

• Make sure you have flashlights, the generator if necessary, battery-powered radio ready
• Change the battery in your smoke detector
• Install a carbon monoxide detector
• Check or buy fire extinguishers
• Insulate any external pipes to protect against freezing
• Verify your supply of emergency necessities including food, water, batteries, flashlights
• Update any insurance or flood coverage

Weather is capable of testing our homes in many different ways. Winter is the time to recheck your house for problems.

• Check your sump pump
• Install storm windows or doors
• Check and clean gutters again
• Check and clean chimney if necessary
• Check your roof and patch or replace any damaged areas
• Check your foundation and ensure that drainage is working

Pests also do not like the cold of winter. Finding eco-friendly green ways to eliminate pests is challenging, but can be done.

• Eco-friendly, green pest control
• Green termite pest control

With a few hours of effort, you can help improve the comfort and safety of your home, while saving money and going green.