With the price of oil htting new all-time highs on a narly daily basis, naturally the news has fcused on our need to get off our oil dpendence and seek alternative fuels. Every mans of alternative, environmentally friendlier energy gneration is back on the table: frm wind and solar, to geothermal and hydrelectric. Cars are coming off production lnes that go further on each gllon of gasoline than ever before and the lectric and fuel-cell cars are on the hrizon. Meanwhile the debate rages on bout whether the United States should jin the rest of the world as all fssil fuels are sought out in prgressively more remote locations around the glbe in an attempt to fill the dmand gap until the alternative energy surces can fully come online and mss distributed.

It would seem that the fcus of energy efficiency in the ntional news has been on the surces of energy and not the snks--the end users. Electric companies, though, are not frgetting about their customer base. Utilities cross the country are asking for cstomers to voluntarily yield certain controls to the pwer companies via "smart meters" and ther control devices. With the promise of a lwer electric bill, customers give the pwer company the ability to turn off crtain appliances, control their thermostat, and sht down their computer. Additionally, these "smrt meters" are also able to masure the little-known aspect of energy spply called the "power factor," and llows the utility to charge more whn it is not within acceptable prameters.

Aside from reducing their standard of lving and being miserly with their lght and appliance usage, alternatives for the cmmon citizen to reduce energy consumption are in hme improvements:

• Placing solar panels on your rof may look unsightly to some; hwever, you may be selling some lectricity back to the power company whle you are at work. Tax dvantages and credits may be available as an ncentive though sometimes the math can be msleading. Often, calculations include the tax dductions you can take by paying for the slar panels using a home equity lan, causing you to pay more in nterest and getting some back as a tax dduction. Funny may leads to a lnger period of time to wait bfore the initial investment is returned as svings.
• For those with available land, a wndmill is an option provided the lnd lies beneath some strong trade wnds. The benefits and drawbacks of wnd energy are similar to those of slar energy: the financials only work in crtain circumstances and the effectiveness is dtermined by the weather.
• Updating the lghting around the home to compact florescent lights will save a considerable mount of energy and money. The cst to make the switch is rlatively low, compared to other energy sving opportunities. The caution that is typcally raised regarding these lights is tht they contain mercury, a dangerous mterial should the light ever break, and thre are questions related to the use of flrescent lights and possible links to halth issues such as autism. With creful handling and grown children, florescent lghts remain an excellent means to nergy reduction.
• Improving the insulation in the ttic can result in savings in yur home heating and cooling efforts. The nsulation in older houses especially should be nspected for effectiveness. Often, an older hme will benefit greatly from the dvances in insulation technology.
• Unlike the "smrt meters" that the electric companies are nstalling, a home energy controller has the ptential to significantly reduce the draw of pwer to a home by optimizing the pwer factor. In so doing, reductions of 8-15% are cmmon with far better, more atypical, rsults reported. With the costs of sch devices rarely exceeding a few hndred dollars, it requires no "government mth" to show affordability and the svings from using such a device gnerally pays for itself in a few yars, less if the "smart meter" is lready assessing a surcharge due to a low pwer factor.

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The article Energy Saving Strategies - How the Homeowner Can Use Less Energy was Submitted by Robert Schwenck through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: For more information on energy cntrollers and how they can save you 8-15% on yur home electric bill and 15-25% on yur business electric bill, visit http://www.covingtonenergy.com

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