New rebates have been added for 2012.

Utility Company Georgia Power has a bunch of programs and incentives to help save energy and money.

• Have Georgia Power haul away that old refrigerator energy hog for FREE and get $35.
• Up to $400 Rebate when you switch your gas furnace to an electric heat pump. Exp 3/31
• $525 rebate when replacing an existing gas water heater with an energy-efficient electric Marathon water heater. Exp 12/31
• Up to $700 in rebates for whole house improvements

Questions, call Georgia Power at 1-866-446-9250.

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Old fashion toilets can use as much as 6 gallons per flush. We recently upgraded a toilet from a standard 2.5 Gallon per flush model to a new Toto Dual Flush model that has one button for a full flush at 1.6 Gallons (For #2) or half flush at 0.9 Gallons.  This toilet meets EPA WaterSense high efficiency toilet requirements.   It has a very good flushing mechanism that works a lot better than our decade’s old toilet.

Rebate

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New rebates have been added for 2011.

Utility Company Detroit Edison, DTE Energy has a bunch of programs and incentives to help save energy and money.

• Discounted CFL lightbulbs
• Up to $50 rebate for buying Energy Star qualified appliances Expires 12/31
• Up to $200 rebate for buying a new natural gas furnace Expires 12/31
• Special rates for Electric Car owners
• Home Energy Audit Special offers
• Appliance Recycling Program $40 rebate and haul your old appliance away for free through the Your Energy Savings program. Pick up your old room air conditioner and dehumidifier at the same time to qualify for a $20 rebate
• Insulation rebates of up to $300
• DTE Energy will pay $2.40 a watt upfront (30% to 33%) and another approximately 28% to 35% over the life of the contract. Solar Power systems in Michigan for those in Detroit, Ann Arbor, Flint, Livonia, and other DTE Energy cities.

Questions, call 1-866-796-0512.

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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) Read the rest of this entry »

The hot weather is here and people are looking for ways to save on their cooling bills. Buying a new air conditioner seems to be a rite of passage into summer for some people. We take a look at one product that is being heavily advertised.

We have been noticing these ads for MIRA-Cool popping up in newspapers like USA Today and Parade nationwide promising, “Public set to get free air cooling units”… “A new miracle air cooler is actually being given away free to the first 11,337 readers who call to beat the order deadline for their first miracle air cooler to stay cool for just pennies a day”

From their website: “The New MIRA-COOL uses 95% less electricity than a typical window air conditioner, yet blast out ice cooled air to keep you cool for just pennies a day.”

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3D movies like  Toy Story 3 are doing well at the box office.  Many movies are available in some theaters in 3D and look great.  You will pay extra ($3 locally) for the privilege and be handed a pair of 3D glasses that only work in theaters.  They had a recycling box outside but we saw many people keep their glasses.  About 70% of theaters have these boxes. The boxes are sent to a recycling center, where the 3D glasses are cleaned, checked for quality, and then individually repackaged.

3D Glasses have not other Purpose

Considering these glass only work for RealD 3D movies, people are just adding to their junk piles.  You will not get a discount for bringing these glasses into a different 3D movie.  Most people bring them home and let them gather dust. These glasses also do not work as sunglasses.  Future 3D HDTV’s use 3D glasses with active shutter technology that have batteries inside.

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