Nancy asks…
How do I stop an energy saving light bulb flashing when “off”?
I have just changed to energy saving light bulbs and one of them flashes approx every 3 mins – when the light switch is off. From another answer I understand that the wiring may be a problem. How can I tell the difference between the “live wire” and the “neutral wire” and why does it only matter with new energy saving bulbs?
If the wiring is not the problem could it be something to do with the fact that I live on the top floor of an apartment block and the roof above me is a spaghetti mess of electrical wires all powering airconditioning units?
FYI – I am based in Mexico
admin answers:
Is the lamp made of metal. If yes has it been earthed properly. The two wires going to the bulb are in easy terms the flow and return. When the light switch is on then one wire will be live. Use a neon screw driver tester to verify this. Touch it onto one wire and if it is live when the switch is on then the bulb will light. When the switch is off then both wires should be dead. Try swapping the connections around at the switch there should only be the two. This might cure the problem. Before doing all this change the bulb. Answer from the UK.
Happy Christmas.
Mary asks…
ideas on to save on my energy bill?
i want to know how to save on my energy bill. i live in an apartment (i rent) with single pain windows and it’s probably not even sealed right, so there not much i can do about appliances. i have low energy light bolds. i do what i can in those areas. i heard that cover windows with aluminum foil could help or any other ideas are welcome. thanks in advance
admin answers:
Don’t use alumninum foil. It causes condinsation. Get the winter window seal kits. It’s plastic you put over the window and traps air. It does the same thing as a dual pane window. Also get the new light bulbs. Florescent. A seven watt light does as much as a sixty or more would. Turn down your water heater (under one twenty). Don’t play with the heater. Set it and leave it. Make sure your doors aren’t drafty. If they are than get new seals. Also if you have a fireplace, make sure the flu is closed when your not useing it.
Robert asks…
constitutional right to privacy in an apartment?
We live in a apartment in the south bay of california. i am very sensitive to the light so I put an energy saving film in my apartment windows. it serves several purposes. 1. it keeps the light out. 2. it provides much needed privacy from the nosey tennants and 3. it saves a little energy.
i recently got a notice stating that the film was to be removed or I would be evicted. i am a strong beliver of constitutional rights and belive that I am entitled to keep my privacy film on the windows. I am not in a violation of city ordanance or fire ordanance. How can fight this?
im sorry but adding a film that pulls off is not altering anything. i know we as US citizens have a right to privacy…there must be someone out there who knows this.
and please, dont be a smart ass….mr…ex landlord
admin answers:
You are dealing with apartment policy. You could file a suit, and have a court review. You could start by filing a Demand Letter to apartment manager, threatening to sue.
Lizzie asks…
What can I do to stop global warming on an individual basis?
I rent an apartment, so I cannot make major changes. What changes can I make in my lifestyle and home to stop global warming? Does a Prius make a difference? Is there any way to save water or reuse grey water, even though I cannot divert drains? How about energy saving?
admin answers:
Here are some tips:
http://www.carbonfootprint.com/Minimise_cfp.html
http://carbonfund.org/site/pages/save_energy/category/Things%20You%20Can%20Do/
Susan asks…
How much energy is saved by recycling one plastic bottle?
I live in an apartment that does not have its own recycling program. In college, I had the same problem, but used a public recycling center which was behind a grocery store (I would have driven to the grocery store anyway, so I wasn’t wasting gas by going to this recycling center). I’m in a new town now, and the closest public recycling center is near nothing that I would drive to, so I am basically using energy (gas) in order to save energy. I am estimating, given my car’s gas mileage and the distance to the recycling center, I use about 0.2 gallons of gasoline per trip. So, I want to know if I save more energy by recycling than I waste by driving. References appreciated.
I know it takes less energy to make a plastic bottle from recycled materials than from raw materials, but I don’t know how much less.
According to this website (http://www.drf.umd.edu/Recycling/documents/3-Stillnotconvinced.pdf):
“A report on the production of plastic grocery carrier bags made from recycled rather than virgin polythene concluded that the use of recycled plastic resulted in the following: reduction of energy consumption by 67%”
So, as far as I know, making bottles from recycled plastic saves energy. I don’t know if that site is reliable, but so far, no one has cited any sources.
admin answers:
Lets say gas is 3.00 and bottle is .05 cents.
You say you use .2 a gallon of gas for the trip.
Thats .60 cents for the trip.
You get back .05 cents, spending .55 cents total.
So you would need to recycle 12 bottles at one time to make energy use even out, but recycle more then 12 bottles at one time and you will be saving energy. If you recycle less then 12 bottles at one time, your using more energy then saving. So save up the bottles and recycle more at a time to save energy. Hope I helped.
Maria asks…
what do you normally pay a month for electricity?
im moving into a small apartment, and I am new to this so i wanted to get a general idea of an electric bill, how i can save energy, etc. I live in Connecticut if that matters.
admin answers:
For our home, which is 2000 sq. Ft. I pay $300+ during the summer months. That is because of the pool and a/c.
During the winter, I pay about $120 per month.
It depends on what size apt. You have, electric heat, other electric items.
You can call the electric company and ask for previous renters average bills for that apt.
Carol asks…
how best can I use floor lamps to light living room and bedroom with no ceiling lamp?
I am moving into an older apartment and there are no ceiling lamps in the bedroom and living room. I bought a floor lamp from Walmart and 75W ‘daylight’ energy saving bulb from Home Depot. I find the lighting dull and not good enough to read with-I’m a student. This is really bothering me, how best can I light the rooms using lamps and have adequate light in them? I want them well illuminated and don’t want to ruin my eyes either.
admin answers:
I had the same problem with lighting.
I ended up putting a big floor lamp in one corner and little lamps in the other corners on my dresser and night table.
Sandy asks…
How to tell if I’m paying for electric outside my apartment?
I live above a business and discovered that some of the lights in the upstairs portion of the store are on the same fuse in my fuse box as my bedroom and my hallway. I live by myself and my electric bills have been rather high for one person (an environmentalist at that who uses energy saving light bulbs and turns off and unplugs things not in use) living alone. I also noticed that 3 fuses in my fuse box were not connected to anything in my apartment (I have since switched those to off).
I need to know one, if this is illegal. Two, who I would get in touch with (government agency, professional, etc.) to inspect my meter and the wiring of the building in order to prove that I am paying for utilities outside of my living unit. Three, if I’m entitled to withhold part of my rent from my landlord until this issue is properly resolved.
Any help anyone can provide would be greatly appreciated.
admin answers:
Whether or not it is illegal depends on where you live. Check with the wiring inspector in your city/town/county’s building office. In most places, a separately metered apartment can only provide electricity for the people in the apartment, and sometimes for outside lights (hallway, porch) that directly benefit them.
Check your lease to see if it is clear about what you pay for utilities. Also, the housing/wiring inspector should be able to give you advice for fair payment. When I was a manager of an electric company in Massachusetts, this type of violation meant the landlord had to pay for the tenant’s electricity until the problem was corrected, including previous already paid bills.
The easiest way to check if anything is connected to your meter yourself is to shut off the main circuit on the breaker box. If there isn’t one labelled “main”, look for the biggest one (it looks like a double switch), or shut off all of them. Then go to the business downstairs and see if anything shuts off on them. Also, go to your meter (your electric bill should show your meter number) and see if it is still spinning. If it is still spinning, and all of your circuits are off, then that means something else is tapped into your meter. If the meter is not spinning, and something in the business went off, then that means that plug/line/appliance is tapped into your electric service.
The solution for the landlord isn’t hard work (installing a new meter and service panel) but can be a little expensive – upwards of $1,000. So, if there are only a few lights involved, you might be better off negotiating a credit against your rent for the electricity involved.
There is also a good device you can buy for under $20 called a “kill a watt” meter that displays how much electricity various devices use.
Good luck.
Ken asks…
Lightbulbs? (something to do with saving our environment)?
I live in an apartment and well, the apartment managers won’t allow us to use the clothesline to dry our clothes in the sunny days. Isn’t that just kinda weird?? I also have a question about the light bulb. How does the curly one save more energy then the other ones?
admin answers:
It uses less energy to produce the equivalent of a regular bulb…45 watts of light from an 11 watt bulb for example. They also last a lot longer…you may have to replace a regular bulb 3 or more times before the compact flourescent burns out. Therefore you not only save on your own electricity useage but also the energy it takes to manufacture and ship the new bulbs because we buy less of them and thereby throw away less….saving energy and land fill.
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