Hang Dry Clothes for Big Savings!

Here is another green savings tip. Instead of powering up the drier you can hang dry your clothes. Now that summer has started those of you with back yards can set up a clothes line. If you don't have the luxury of a back yard you can always just set up a rack in a room with some windows. This is a great savings tip that only requires some patience.

Hang drying is also better for your clothes. Driers can be rough on clothes, subjecting them to intense heat and agitation. Hang drying will make your clothes last longer which is another cost saving advantage. In my building we have coin laundry and to use the drier takes $2. Hang drying is definitely the best alternative. I don't have a backyard so I just use a rack in the bedroom. It only takes a couple hours and they're dry. This can even be done indoors in the winter. Just don't leave your clothes out in the rain!

Save 30% on Your Home Cooling Bills with this Simple Tip!

The temperature is really heating up this summer. Those of us that a fortunate to have a central air system can stay comfortably indoors without breaking a sweat. However, blasting the AC all the time can have dramatic effects on our electricity bills. A quick tip that could save upwards of 30% on your AC electric bill is have a programmable thermostat installed. The larger your home the more significant your savings can be.

This is a very simple do it yourself project. The cost of a programmable thermostat ranges from $20-40, but the savings can be significant. The savings come by setting the temperature a few degrees warming when you're out of the house, say between the hours of 9 am-5 pm and while you're asleep say between 11 am to 7 am. This dramatically cuts down the time your AC is spent on and cooling a home that nobody is in. More expensive programmable thermostats allow you to set 4 day time cycles such as morning, afternoon, evening and night. Better ones also allow you to set for weekday and weekend modes.

There was a special incentive from Union Gas, when I installed mine. They took $20 off my gas bill with proof of purchase. Check your local utility providers for extra incentives. If you are a renter and pay your own utility bills you can ask your landlord to have one installed or install one yourself and just switch the thermostats back when you move out. This is not only a great way to save but an environmentally friendly initiative.