Your Questions About How To Save Energy Around The House

How do you get an ‘A’ energy rating. What can I do?

And what are the best way to save money around the house?

Is climate change really a threat?

I keep seeing newsreports of how we need to change to “combat” climate change by being more energy efficient around the house and with transportation etc, as if we’re all doomed unless we change, and change FAST.

But the way I see it, if climate change is so much of an issue, why has it only in recent years come to surface among the worlds many problems? 10 years ago I don’t remember seeing anything about climate change.

5 years ago you could ask someone in the street, “Do you worry about climate change?” and get a “Lol what?” reply.

Now it’s more like, “Do you worry about climate change?” and get, “Oh very much so, I’ve been spending much less time on the roads and saving a lot of energy around the house.”

I’m just saying, the change in views to the climate has changed very suddenly, and it seems to be a very fearful topic.

But, is it really a threat? The Earths climate has always been changing, from the Ice Age to tropical climates of the dino era, to now.

And… who profits?

How can I tell if my cat is too cold?

During the winter I like to try to save energy and keep the heat for the house off and only use a space heater in the room I am in (usually the computer room during the day.) Most of the time I can coerce my 1 year old cat Spartacus to come with me, but sometimes he’d rather not. The room that is heated is nice and toasty, but the rest of the house is viciously frigid. After a few hours ill come out to see what he’s up to, and he’ll be curled in the smallest ball on my couch. Now I dont know if cats can shiver, but either way he doesn’t. My question is, should I force him to be with me, or is he okay?

The temp outside is around 10-15 and without heat most of the house is around 30-40. He’s been an indoor cat his entire life.

Im just worried about my little man, I dont know if I should respect his desire to do what he wants (be in the colder parts of the house) or if I should make the decision for him.

Why is it when I have put all my energy into teaching my children?

what I believe to be the true values in life they have turned out so horrible?

When I met my husband over 20 yeas ago we were both real ling from bad marriages.(We were single when we met). We both had partners that the only thing that seemed important to them was how things “looked”. You know, the nice house full of every thing shiny and new, flash car, debts up to you’re eye balls. You know what I mean. The veneer to cover up what is really going on. My husband was a social climber and so was my husbands wife. We were both miserable. This was not the life we wanted. My husband was a bore, he gave me “pocket money” and treated me like a half wit. My husbands wife was a serial adulterer and left him for his “best friend” and business partner and took everything he had, including his children.

We worked together, that’s how we met. We hit it off immediately, both of us going on and on about what we were really looking for,what would be nice, our hopes and dreams. We were singing from the same song sheet!!

Anyway, the thing is he asked me to move in with him, and then he asked me to marry him. We have just celebrated our 21st Anniversary and I think I probably love my husband more every day.

We vowed that we would not do the debt thing – no credit cards, no loans, no mortgages, no overdrafts. If we wanted something we would save up and buy it outright. We have stuck to it. Sometimes things have got really tough, especially when the children started to come along. But we did it.

We have taught our children that possession’s are not important and why should you have things that you haven’t earned. What you have around you should be as a result of what you have achieved, not a pretense of what you would like to be.

Our home is secure forever (we live in a council house) no bailiff is ever going to come to my door. My children have everything they could want. They have been on school trips to France, Italy, Barcelona, and quite a few day trips here there an everywhere. All paid for, no credit, no debt. We have two computers in the house – bought and paid for.

We have five children – yes I know probably a couple to many. Things happen and you go with it. My eldest is just about to turn 17 he is mean spirited and at times very cruel. The next is 15 and tells us regularly how grateful an appreciative of him we should be as he is doing so well at school, of which he is, but this is the reason why he should be given everything he wants and shouldn’t have to do anything to help around the house! My daughter who is 14 is just an unpleasant little cow, she comes and goes as she pleases, dresses like a little tramp, stays out all night without permission, smokes, drinks and gets up to god knows what with the boys. Tells me that I don’t ever listen to her, which is not true,we have spent many hours talking. She makes proclamations, admitting to all her wrongs, promises to be a good girl, I let her make the terms to try and win her round, then she still can’t stick to them.

My twins are just about to turn 10 and time will tell what happens to them. Hopefully we have learned a few lessons from the older ones.

We have taught them that people are important, looking after, and looking out for each other. Loving and caring, being honest, respectful of others and their beliefs/feelings. To do the right thing, to be a decent individual that is quite clear in their idea of right and wrong.

Yet none of this seems to have stuck and we have a unpleasant bunch of selfish brats.

Why is that?

I have spent the last couple of days still fighting back the tears from my eldest sons latest comment, I quote, “Anyone would think you were African, you breed like vermin and live in squalor.”

It saddens me to think that I don’t like my children, what will they become, I just hope it is just the “phase” they are going through, what do you think?

I have to say that they are all doing very well at school, and everybody who meets them says how bright, intelligent and articulate they are, and how polite and helpful they are. It’s just me and their dad that they are so unkind to. I love my children, they just make me unhappy.

My parents don’t want me to move out how do I get around their objection (kindly)?

Im 23, I have 3 older siblings and one younger (19). My older brother lives at home (26), myself, and the youngest all live at home with our parents. I absolutely dread being home! Don’t get me wrong, I really love my parents and appreciate them but I feel smothered and so much negative energy living in the house with them. My parents constantly complain about everything, they are controlling, manipulative and unappreciative. I dont just sit around and mooch off of them, I am a graduate student, I pay my mom’s bills (car note, phone bill, etc) and I buy groceries for the entire house ($300 +).

I realize that staying HOME is costing me more money, my parents borrow my car (after I put gas in it) so I have to buy more gas just to get to work, I try to save money by buying food and bringing it to work making my own lunch, but THEY EAT everything and I wind up having to buy food for lunch, and my mom runs up the phone bill. I dont even come out of my room because my older brother and I do NOT get along (long personal story) but lets just say its a valid reason for us NOT to be in the same room often.

Well, Ive been working really hard and recently I applied for this fantastic opportunity of a job that guarantee 50k a year. And I GOT hired for it!!! My main reason for even seeking this position was so that I could be able to sustain myself on this salary. Well, I tried to keep it a secret but I couldnt compose myself and told my parents about the job and my intentions on moving out.

My mother said “Well, I hope they fire you and you will suffer”, and “You finally get a good job and instead of paying us $900 for rent, you pay someone else?”! Of course this may sound shocking but this is the normal reaction both my parents give me whenever I bring up the idea of moving out.

Well nonetheless, I am still going to move out but I wont tell them anything else. What advice can you give me for with dealing with them up until I leave? Im dealing with huge objection, in fact she basically cursed my situation and I have a feeling they may try to manipulate me further. How can I get through this easily.

Is your dad ever fucking annoying?

Like with his behavior and shit he does? Its unbelievably irritating what he does around the house and im seriously getting gray hair because i cant stand it anymore!!.. Example.. I’ll be in the kitchen and making something so the light is on.. and ill step into my room for a second and come back to the kitchen and itll be completely fucking dark!!.. He turns the lights off whenever there isnt anyone in the room for like 5 seconds!! What the fuck is up with that?!?!! and my room too.. i was in my room and i was gonna go to bed.. so i went into the bathroom to brush my teeth.. so i finished and came back into my room and everything is fucking dark again!!!.. Im just so fed up with this shit.. it seems small but its been going for so long and with every little thing.. and so many situations.. why the FUCK IS HE SO FUCKING ANNOYING WITH HIS ENERGY SAVING BULLSHITT!!!!

I know how important it is to turn off the lights and fans and save the power but NOT EVERY 5 SECONDS..

Does your dad or do your parents do this??
Oh.. one more thing.. can i get answers from mature people instead of immature little kids like Lily.. thanks
Yea i am very grateful for all i have.. because i used to live in a village in a third world country when i was a kid, and ive come pretty far.. and i know the importance of saving energy and money on the power bill, but he turns shit off like every few seconds!!!.. if im out of the room to get water, when i come back, he turns it off.. if he doesnt, he asks stupid questions like “are you dont with that?”.. or “are you gona go back in there?”.. i just wanna be like.. wow shut the fuck up and wait a few more seconds!

Live Far From Shopping? How can you save gas and Money?

Let me share something that made my day-to-day life easier.

Living so far from town, I am always looking for anyway to save time and money. I get tired of driving over the mountains whenever we need things for the house or ourselves.

Since I live on the computer anyway, a friend told me about this site and now I am just so excited about it, I wanted to share with you!

I know you like spending time online, you’re on Yahoo! We saved gas and time by getting the ink for our printer and a case of paper from Office Depot shipped to the house, for less than it would cost if we drove 45 minutes and went to the store. I’ve been using the body wash and laundry detergent, they smell great, you use less and get more for the money! The energy drinks taste so much better than Red Bull and cost almost 50 cents less! I could go on about the products and savings..

This can be a business opportunity as well…you get paid to shop…this was my first month and just buying the normal things we use all the time (“Anyway Money”…money you would be spending anyway) I got a check direct deposited to my account….

I hope this helps you like it’s helping me. I don’t miss driving to Reno just to go to the store! Email me to get the code to register for free and go look around at the different products. Be sure to look at the Partner Stores & Services link on the left side and see how many of the stores you drive to now that are available to you from home, at discounted rates!

is there a way to override my thermostat?

I rent a house where my utilities are included in my rent. To save energy, my landlord has set a restriction on my thermostat that does not allow it to heat the house above 70 degrees F, and it does not cool the house to any temp below 76 degrees F. This does not make any sense to me, and my landlord is a huge douchebag. I am wondering if anyone here knows how to override this program which would allow me to set the temperature at whatever I want to. I live up in the mountains of Western Maryland and shouldn’t have to be this cold. I think it is bullshit that I cannot choose the temperature I want to live in. The brand of thermostat is Honeywell and the model is TH8320U1008. I don’t imagine Honeywell would make a product that only has a range of 70-76 degrees farenheit. That is why i think my landlord set this restriction. If anyone knows how to get around this problem, your help would be greatly, greatly, greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Gas & Electric costs – Cheaper than £25 per qtr – UK Energy June 2008?

A colleague at work told me today that he pays only £25 a quarter for his energy. He lives alone and likes a cool house and does not use much lighting. That works out at around £2 per week. I cannot believe it is possible? We have a 3-bed 1930′s end of terrace and with our 8month old son have just changed supplier to Southern who have estimated our lower pricing to be £42pcm (previously £48 with British Gas) for Gas and £22pcm (previously £27 with British Gas) for electricity. I am convienced when we move to our new home in December that British Gas had sold me their dual fuel package based on a £250 rebate at the end of the year. When checking last month they advised that it was in fact on a £15 saving. So how cheap is it for you and who do you trust! Oh & our first water meter bill for 118 days (usage 186litres per day) came in from Three Valleys @ £86