Archive for 'Green'
Decrease Your Speed, Decrease Your Fuel Consumption
Posted on 04. May, 2009 by Mark Coleman.
It is becoming a more and more painful experience to have to fuel up at the pump nowadays. Gas prices have continued to rise with no sign of letting up. It is sometimes hard to justify making extra trips or car rides, simply because you know that when you have to visit the gas station, it is going to seriously cost you. Luckily, there are easy ways, such as slowing down your speed, that you can control your fuel consumption. If you are willing to do such a simple thing as to ease off the gas pedal a bit, you can benefit with some seriously decreased fuel consumption. This will lead to less money spent at the pump, and more money kept in your wallet!
There are many products on the market today that claim to help increase your fuel efficiency. However, it makes little sense to spend money on a product that will supposedly save you money, right? Fortunately, there are several very easy ways that you can save money spent on gas without having to pay for extra products in the process. One of these ways is to simply ease up on the throttle a bit! Let us discuss further this concept.
Various studies have indicated that going faster than 55 miles per hour, which is the speed limit on many highways anyway, can really cost you in fuel efficiency. For instance, studies have shown that going 75 miles per hour can increase your fuel consumption by one-fifth, or even one-fourth, versus the amount of fuel you would consume by going twenty miles per hour slower. As you can see, there is a lot of money to be saved by keeping your speed down when you drive on highways or other roads with a high speed limit.
If it seems like a real pain to have to take your foot off the gas and drive 55 miles per hour, keep in mind that it is a much better alternative than continuing to fork out excess money at the gas station! It can be difficult to go at this speed, especially when people may be passing you left and right while going 10 or 20 miles per hour faster than you, but remember the fuel savings you will be experiencing! Most of the time, unless your trip will take you further than 60 miles away, you will only be costing yourself five or ten minutes of extra driving time. This is really a pretty small amount of extra time spent driving, when considering how much fuel you can save in the process.
If the idea of driving 55 miles per hour makes you feel as restless as Sammy Hagar, remember that you do not have to drive that slowly to realize the benefits of decreased fuel consumption. Even if you slow down only five or ten miles per hour from your normal speeds, you will experience at least some savings. If driving 55 miles per hour simply is not going to work for you, then simply try to drive as slowly as you can, and be mindful of the fuel consumption that excess speeds costs you.
Also, if you do frequently drive over 70 miles per hour in your car, you probably have had a few speeding tickets over the years to show for it. Another useful benefit of easing up on the gas pedal is that you will not only save on fuel consumption, but you will also attract less attention from the “boys in blue”. With speeding tickets being quite expensive themselves, it is important to note that you will save money in more than one area by driving a bit more slowly on the highway. As you can see, there are plenty of reasons, including safety as well, that you should slow down a bit when you get on a highway.
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Money matters in settling utility bills
Posted on 04. May, 2009 by Mark Coleman.
Utilities including water, electricity, gas, and telephone are the major items in a person’s budget. You should be very careful and diligent in making sure that these utilities aren’t forgotten in the monthly budget. Doing so is very costly. Services on these utilities are discontinued and this would require penalties to have the connections to these utilities re-installed. The question is, how much of your budget should be allotted to utility bills?
Here are some helpful ideas.
Know your income by heart. This serves as a guide for you to see your “budget behavior” when it comes to allotting money for your needs. This is the starting point of your budget.
Work out a budget. This can be done weekly or monthly, depending on how often you get your pay. Some people receive their pay bimonthly, and some once a month. This serves as guide to see how much you spend against how much you are actually earning. Make sure that you record all income and expenses in a notebook, or in a spreadsheet, regardless of how small.
You can also download budget planners on the Internet. There are even graphs to help you visualize where the majority of your income goes. Your budget keeps track of how often you buy the groceries, the average amount that you pay for your gas, and the spur of the moment purchases that you make. Ideally, majority (about sixty to seventy percent) of your income goes to utilities. Electricity is the most expensive, followed by gas, telephone, and water. The rest goes to savings, taxes, and emergency expenses.
Write the amounts immediately on your check. However, if you don’t have a checkbook, you should set aside the money in a safe place to avoid spending the amounts on unnecessary items. You should only get this when you are about to pay the bills. It is recommended that you place the money under lock and key.
Review the trend of your budget. In four to six months time, you will be able to review your budget and allot the necessary percentage of your income to your utilities.
Note that life changes as having a combined income, salary increases, and having a new job, are factors in increasing the percentage allocation of your utilities. Retrenchment and resignations are factors in decreasing the allocation of utilities.
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A kiddie solution in lowering your utility bills
Posted on 02. May, 2009 by Mark Coleman.
Maintaining a household has never been as difficult as before considering the escalating costs of many utilities. Not only do you have to worry about the food you need to serve everyday but you also have to plan a strategy to pay for the many costs generated by your family. Among them is the key cost of generating sources are utilities, which include, electricity and water.
Here are some ideas to get kids involved in lowering utility bills.
LIMIT USE OF ELECTRONIC GAMES IN THE HOUSE
It is no secret that kids love electronic games, as this is a great way to pass the time and is surely fun. If your house has a video game console or computer try to assign a time when the kids can play with it. As much as possible don’t let your kids play with their video games around the clock, as this will result in soaring electric bills. Remember that when playing video game consoles the kids will also use the television. That in itself shows that more than one electronic appliance is running at full tilt.
Assign a time for video games and never allow the kids to exceed. It is advisable to keep a limit of one to two hours of gameplay during weekdays and four hours during the weekend. Also make sure that your kids study first before they plug in their consoles or even computers. Another key method is asking your kids to unplug their electric gadgets when not in use, as these devices eat up electricity even when in stand-by mode. This practice also teaches them to be neat, as they would be forced to properly store their electronic toys.
PRESERVE USE OF WATER
Advise your kids to preserve their use of water. This can done by limiting the use of the shower or the bathtub. Try to use a medium-sized container for kiddie baths instead of the shower to help control consumption. Tell them to close the faucet in the middle of brushing and just fill up a small cup when gargling. While it is also fun to splash around in the bathtub, remember you need at list 25 gallons of water to fill up a stardard-sized tub. Limit use of the tub during weekends.
In order to help control you utility bills, the kids need to be involved is working towards efficiency. It is always helpful when a child becomes responsible at an early age, as he or she will carry this up to adulthood. Parents should also realize that maintaining a household is basically a team effort and all of the family members should do their part.
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The Electric Hybrid Car Revisited
Posted on 02. May, 2009 by Mark Coleman.
An electric hybrid car is a vehicle that runs relying on two system: the conventional one everyone knows using propulsion and the new technology one using energy that is stored and that can be recharged. The aim of such a vehicle is to be economical in terms of fuel consume. The energy storage of the electric hybrid car is superior because more energy can be generated and captured either through the regenerative braking system or through internal combustion and the electrical generator. The energy thus saved gets stored in the battery or is used by the electric motor when in motion. The motor of such a car is much smaller than that of a gas-fueled vehicle and thus, the car is more efficient.
Many users have started recommending the electric hybrid car along with its manufacturers as it is most efficient especially urban use when there are lots of stops and gos. The fuel consume is very much reduced if we were to compare this car with a regular model and this is due to three important systems that are activated. A first function or element in the system is responsible for the reduction of the waste. The second is the system based on which energy is captured through regenerative braking. The third aspect that makes the electric hybrid car more fuel efficient is that it relies on a smaller internal combustion engine while adding power from the electric motor in compensation.
A lower noise level is another major achievement of the electric hybrid car. The battery-powered motor is more silent than the internal combustion one which works great for both us and the environment. However some people do not like this aspect concerning noise reduction believing that it is responsible for more accidents especially among the visually impaired who rely on noise in order to cross a street.
Finally, the electric hybrid car models contribute to reducing gas emissions that pollute our air and our cities. The less pollution, the fewer the cases of lung disease. Going green is a major topic of conversation, but the car industry is far from maximizing its production potential in this respect. The electric hybrid car should be making the rules of our industry and should in time be outrun by superior technologies that eliminate the use of fuel and the release of gas emissions into our atmosphere. We should start considering the electric hybrid car as the more recent ancestor of what the near future holds in store for us.
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The Quest for Hydrogen Fuel
Posted on 02. May, 2009 by Mark Coleman.
Are you still one of those people who find hydrogen-powered cars unbelievable? Well, you’d better think again. One of the best automakers in the market today is on a quest to produce a vehicle that can run using hydrogen fuel. BMW says that this year, 2008, they will introduce the first hydrogen powered vehicle.
Germans are absolutely determined to manufacture a great number of hydrogen powered vehicles. Have you seen a BMW lately? Well perhaps in the coming months, you will see the magnificent creation of BMW.
General Motors declared way back in the year 2000 that they are going to build hydrogen powered cars but most people believed that it would take around 20 years before that goal can be achieved. Hydrogen technology sounds too unbelievable for them. It was only in 2004 that BMW made the same announcement and they promised the public that by 2008, hydrogen powered BMW cars will roam the streets.
Recent photographs of BMW cars are gaining so much attention especially in automotive blogs. BMW launched their 7 Series just recently and its alternate fuel is hydrogen. Many people spotted the test run of the said vehicle in Germany.
There are still several things to consider before the public accepts hydrogen powered vehicles. You see, the internal combustion engines are still the most popular and hydrogen fuel is just new in the market.
Among the factors to consider are the following:
1. Cost. Hydrogen fuel is quite costly. At present, fuel cells have prohibitive prices but because of technological advancements, the cost is slowly being lowered. Once the price of fuel cells drop to a certain level that is quite affordable for the public, only then can it be a viable substitute.
2. Production concerns. In order to develop the hydrogen cells, a great amount of fossil fuel is needed. The hydrogen infrastructure is also very expensive to implement. Billions of dollars is not even enough and according to some experts, the infrastructure alone can cost 1 trillion dollars.
3. Storage concerns. This is another possible problem associated with the production of hydrogen cells. The existing gas lines can’t be used to transmit hydrogen fuel because it reacts negatively with steel. Therefore, the government needs to create a distribution system that can be used exclusively for hydrogen fuel.
Despite the three major concerns, automakers like BMW and the federal government are still focusing in the use of hydrogen cells as an alternative to combustion engines. If ever a hydrogen infrastructure is made, the government and the people can benefit highly. One benefit is that the US and other rich countries will no longer depend on foreign oil. The best benefit that the entire mankind can benefit from is that the emissions of greenhouse gases will considerably drop.
The two possible benefits are enough so that the government and automakers continue with their goal in producing hydrogen powered vehicles and a hydrogen infrastructure. If the government does extend the much needed assistance, hydrogen technology will soon benefit everyone.
The quest for hydrogen fuel cannot be realized if only the automakers like General Motors and BMW push for it. They need help from the government and the support of the public. If man wants to save the planet, hydrogen fuel is the best answer rather than depending solely on combustion engines. Check out BMW hydrogen powered vehicles online now.
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The Reality of Hybrid Cars
Posted on 29. Apr, 2009 by Mark Coleman.
A hybrid car is a vehicle that uses two or even more distinct sources of power in order to get propelled. Among the power sources for a hybrid car there are gasoline or diesel fuel, on-board or out-board rechargeable energy storage systems (RESS), hydrogen, wind, compressed or liquid natural gas, solar, coal, wood or other solid combustibles, etc. The very concept of hybrid car designates electric vehicles that adapt the usage of an internal combustion engine to that of the electrical batteries.
As mentioned above, there are other hybrid vehicles beside the hybrid car we will mainly deal with here. Just think of mopeds and electric bicycles. These are the rather basic forms of hybrid vehicles. They combine the power from an internal combustion engine or electric motor with the power of the rider’s muscles. The heavy hybrids cover the industrial or supply vehicles such as ships, hydraulic machines, buses, locomotives and so on. Normally, the term hybrid car-vehicle is used to refer to hybrid electric vehicles. This range includes the following types of automotives: AHS2 (Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon, Chevrolet Silverado, Cadillac Escalade, Saturn Vue), Toyota Prius, Ford Escape Hybrid, Toyota Highlander Hybrid, Toyota Camry Hybrid, Honda Civic Hybrid, Honda Insight and many others. A gas-electric hybrid car usually takes its power from an internal combustion engine (gasoline or diesel engine) and an electric battery.
The origins of the hybrid car are to be found in the early 1900s when David Arthurs created the first hybrid ever. Besides the hybrid car as mentioned above, which uses two or more different propulsion devices, there are also vehicles which use distinct sources of energy or input types but only one engine. These are also considered by some people to be similar to the hybrid car. Actually the latter should be more appropriately called dual mode vehicles (electric trolleybuses, dual mode buses, flexible-fuel vehicles, etc).
A hybrid car presents a number of advantages from the environmental perspective and there are two sides to consider here. First of all, you get to do something for the environment and humankind, but you also save money on fuel. These two advantages and benefits brought about by the hybrid car are tributary to at least three elements in the design: the combination of gasoline and the electric motors, a battery with plenty of storage capacity and the possibility to re-capture important amounts of energy, which are normally wasted while braking.
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Cool Off Your Fuel Consumption
Posted on 29. Apr, 2009 by Mark Coleman.
If you are one of the many drivers who is looking anywhere for answers in relation to the extremely high gas prices, look no further. There are many simple ways for you to reduce the amount of gas you use without spending any additional money, or making difficult changes. It is really quite easy to maximize your car, van, truck or sport utility vehicle’s gas mileage, and as mentioned, you will not have to spend a fortune to do so!
It is important to know that you do not have to spend money on expensive products that claim to increase your gas mileage or decrease your fuel consumption. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has tested many such products, and has yet to find one that causes a dramatic increase in fuel efficiency for any vehicle. Therefore, it simply does not make sense to spend extra money (gas is expensive enough as it is) for a product that may only have a negligible effect on your gas mileage, if it has any effect at all. Many of the alternative methods for increasing fuel consumption are as easy as turning a knob or two!
For instance, you can save a lot of gas by not using the air conditioner in your car. If you have ever paid attention to how your car’s engine sounds when you drive, you have probably noticed before that when your car’s air conditioner is on, the engine is a lot louder. At the same time, your vehicle will not accelerate as readily when press down with your foot on the gas. These are all in result to the car’s air conditioner being on.
In addition to decreased engine performance, running your vehicle’s air conditioner also causes your vehicle to use more gas. That is why, unless it is absolutely necessary, you should try to leave your vehicle’s air conditioner off whenever possible. After all, if you are like so many other drivers today, you are probably not interested in using any more gas than you absolutely have to. More fuel consumption leads to buying more gas, which leads to you not having as much money as you would like!
There are alternatives to running the air conditioner in your car. For instance, you can try to avoid driving during the hottest parts of the day, and take trips whenever possible during the cooler hours of morning or evening. If you know that you have to go to the grocery store, for instance, try to wait until the sun goes down to do so. This way, you will be less tempted to turn on the car’s air conditioner, as it will be much cooler outside than it would be earlier in the day, when the sun is beating down on you.
You can also simply roll down the windows if you need to cool off a bit. This works particularly well on the highway, since the wind will be coming in your car very quickly. Not only does this save you on the gas you would spend to have the air conditioner on, but it also feels great to enjoy a nice breeze on a hot summer day! It is true that you may lose a little fuel efficiency by having the windows open, since this will create more “drag” on your car, causing the engine to work a bit harder. However, this is not nearly as big of a deal as having your air conditioner on is, and you can offset some of the drag by going a bit slower on the highway.
In the warmer months, everyone wants to cool down a bit. However, most of us would like to cool down on our fuel usage as well. While you may be a little warmer in your car than usual, avoiding the use of your car’s air conditioner will make you feel pretty “cool” when you can drive by the gas pump without having to stop!
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Uncertain savings from Daylight Savings Time
Posted on 29. Apr, 2009 by Mark Coleman.
Daylight Savings Time has always been a controversial topic among consumers and businesses with some even believing it is a necessary hindrance. This practice is supposedly an inconvenience considering that people are given an additional hour to sleep during October and an hour less during April. The skeptics are very wary about the habit of moving forward, falling back, losing one hour and gaining one hour. Many continually question the continuous changes done on the clock and weigh the benefits of Daylight Savings Time.
The use of the Daylight Savings Time has now spanned for a few decades but the concept behind its uses is rather simple.
In the hotter months, the sun is up for a longer part of the day. Obviously, people will lessen their use of electric lights, as the sun will be up more despite the time already heading towards the evening. Energy is conserved resulting from the decreased time in using electric lights. The economic benefits of Daylight Saving Time has always been highlighted by its supporters considering that businesses will be able to operate for a longer period resulting in added income that is also partly generated by lower costs on electricity.
Businesses that have normally benefitted from Daylight Savings Time include garden fitters, tennis clubs, golf courses and any establishment that can use the additional hours of sunlight. This also translates in decreased utility costs for consumers, as the house lights will likely not come on until it becomes obviously too dark.
However, many are against Daylight Savings Time, as it supposedly requires increased effort of human energy. In addition, there is no guarantee that Daylight Saving Time can result in lower energy consumption. Consumers are supposedly increasing their use of air conditioning during Daylight Savings Time and this becomes bad when a household uses an worn down air conditioner considering that such models aren’t as efficient as the new ones.
Some countries have reported adverse effects of Daylight Savings Time, with Australia reporting in 2000 that morning pick load had jumped, while energy consumption didn’t slip. In addition, Daylight Saving Time was minor driven in the 1% increase of gasoline consumption in March this year, as drivers were encouraged to more time on the roads to take advantage of more daylight.
To generate the most savings in utilities during Daylight Savings Time, try to determine the latest part of the day when the lights should be turned on. This will enable you to maximize the advantage of Daylight Saving Time without it being an inconvenience to your household.
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Save Money by Using a Hydrogen Fuel System
Posted on 28. Apr, 2009 by Mark Coleman.
For many years now, scientists and researchers are trying to find out an alternative source of fuel energy for cars. They have reached conclusive studies after many years. The fact is, cars won’t run without fuel. But through a hydrogen fuel system, you can raise gas mileage and at the same time cut down gasoline expenses.
Automotive companies and hundreds of researchers are offering a very effective solution hydrogen fuel system. What is the system all about?
If you own a car, this is the best time to use the hydrogen fuel system because it can save you a lot of money. You don’t have to purchase a new car. All you need to do is to make some changes and put some additional parts. After that, your car will have added power. Major oil companies will be the very first ones affected by this new system.
If you think the system costs a lot, you’re wrong because you will only need over a hundred dollars for a single fuel cell. Installation is also not a big problem because you can do it by yourself with ease. The system will not cost you over $180. If you want a more durable and smooth car engine, why not incorporate the said system in your car?
Your search for a cost-effective way to fuel your car has ended. The hydrogen fuel system can give you a lot of benefits. Firstly, your gasoline expenses will decrease. Secondly, you can help in improving the current status of the environment. You car will not emit a large amount of greenhouse gases thereby decreasing pollution.
Even if the hydrogen fuel system is advanced, it is easy to understand it works effectively. Instead of depending solely on gas, you will also be using water to power the car engine. Hydrogen from water will be extracted to provide the car with additional power to lessen the consumption of gas. You can easily install the system in your car.
You will have cleaner emissions because the byproducts of hydrogen fuel system are water and oxygen. But with an internal combustion engine, your car will give off carbon emissions and even carbon deposits. If you want to help in the current global warming problems, install a hydrogen fuel system as soon as possible.
Global warming and very high gas prices are quite alarming and these are the reasons why a lot of car owners today want to take advantage of the hydrogen fuel system. If you want to increase mileage by 87%, use the system; the same thing if you want 45-53% car efficiency.
Car owners who are now using hydrogen fuel systems are enjoying decreased gas costs. If you want to experience the same thing, why don’t you purchase a hydrogen fuel cell kit now? Simply follow the instructions included in the kit and put together the various parts properly.
After installation, you can now run your car using water or gasoline. You can’t get rid of gasoline entirely but the cost of running a car will definitely decrease by more or less 50%. Besides, hydrogen fueled cars run longer distances.
Hydrogen fuel systems are not new. If you want to know more about it, you can search the net for related information. By doing some research, you will discover that a lot of people are already making use of the said system.
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Six Ways to Cut Down on Watering Time
Posted on 28. Apr, 2009 by Mark Coleman.
As summer nears, many gardeners face the challenge of proper watering due to restrictions imposed by many municipalities. If you’re one of these gardeners, don’t fret. Cutting down on watering time doesn’t mean allowing your plants to wilt and dry up. It really is just a matter of creating a watering schedule that will not only work but also save you money. Here are some ways you can use:
Water sparingly.
When using a water can or hose, aim the water to the roots and not the leaves. Plants absorb water through their root system and many gardeners waste too much time and a lot of water allowing the moisture to fall someplace else.
Catch excess water.
If you have hanging plants or pots placed in elevated areas, it might be a good idea to place other plants directly underneath. Each time you water the plants above, those below can catch the excess water and use it instead, cutting down your watering time by at least half.
Choose plants to water.
Not every plant in your garden requires watering everyday. Cacti and other succulents, for example, can survive well with infrequent waterings. There is also no need for deep-watering well-established plants. In fact, plants with established roots will do well with just one inch of water. Infrequent watering will also encourage deeper rooting, producing plants that are healthier and stronger.
Avoid shallow watering.
Despite appearances, shallow watering actually wastes more water than deep watering. A light sprinkle of water, for example, will only last for a few hours, requiring you to water the plant all over again.
Another problem is that if the atmosphere is too hot, the water will evaporate before it has the time to reach the roots so you’ll have to water more frequently than you should. It’s not only ineffective, it is also wasteful. Go for deep waterings once or twice a week instead.
Schedule watering.
The best watering times for plants are early mornings, just before the sun reaches its peak and late afternoons when the sun isn’t too hot. The reason is simple: if you water during the hottest time of the day, water evaporates faster. That means you might have to water again late in the afternoon on the same day.
Use watering devices effectively.
Other than the sprinkler, there are also other watering devices that will help you cut down on watering time and save money. Soaker hoses, for example, ‘weep’ moisture during a specified length of time and are very effective with flowerbeds and vegetable plots. Root feeders, which are buried several inches below the ground surface, are great for shrubs and trees.