Prairie Energy Cooperative
December 2009
December 2009 Smart Choices Prairie Energy Cooperative Home |  Smart Choices Archive
 

[Seasonal Topics]
Give the Gift of Energy Savings

These products can help recipients save money and be greener, too.

[Ask Mr. Tight-Watt]
Ask Mr. Tight-Watt: Replace My Water Heater?

Should our Smart Choices reader replace a 14-year-old water heater?

[Energy Efficiency]
Energy-Efficient Holiday Entertaining

Save energy in the kitchen this holiday season.

[Co-op EnergyCast]
EnergyCast Webcasts planned for 2010

Area Touchstone Energy Cooperatives and energy efficiency experts to host free online “Co-op EnergyCast” Webcasts in early 2010.

[Seasonal Topics]
Consumer Tips for Holiday Shoppers

The Iowa Attorney General’s office offers safe holiday shopping advice.

[Agriculture]
Farm Energy Use

Do you know how much energy your farm uses? A new ISU Extension publication can help you analyze yours.
 

[Energy Efficiency]
Together We Save

Check out how to save energy with water heating on our Touchstone Energy Together We Save site.

[Your Efficient, Comfortable, Safe Home]
Remodeling Costs and Resale

Remodeling Magazine gives its annual cost and resale value update for various home upgrades.

[Seasonal Topics]
Tame Holiday Costs

The Alliance to Save Energy offers some ideas for holiday cheer, while also saving energy and money.

[Holidays]
Light Up the Holiday … Safely

Holiday lights are a bright and beautiful addition to the season. Follow our safety tips.

[Seasonal Topics]
Give the Gift of Energy Savings
Thursday, November 26, 2009

These products can help recipients save money and be greener, too.



Are you planning to give practical gifts this holiday season? If so, what is more useful than saving energy and money? Check out these options. Tech tools Money magazine says that using all three of these tools can help you slash your energy costs by 30%:     An infrared...




[Ask Mr. Tight-Watt]
Ask Mr. Tight-Watt: Replace My Water Heater?
Thursday, November 26, 2009

Should our Smart Choices reader replace a 14-year-old water heater?



Question: I have an electric water heater that is 14 years old. It seems to be working fine. Would it be economically advisable to replace it? – Burdette, a Smart Choices reader The answer to this question is not necessarily the same for everybody. Experts weigh in on water heater replacemen...




[Energy Efficiency]
Energy-Efficient Holiday Entertaining
Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Save energy in the kitchen this holiday season.



It’s the most wonderful time of the year—cheerful music, fresh-baked cookies, and friends and family gathering together in love and laughter. Your get-togethers will inevitably include a great deal of kitchen time: before, during and after your events. However, even if you enjoy cooking...




[Co-op EnergyCast]
EnergyCast Webcasts planned for 2010
Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Area Touchstone Energy Cooperatives and energy efficiency experts to host free online “Co-op EnergyCast” Webcasts in early 2010.



Area Touchstone Energy Cooperatives and energy efficiency experts will conduct a series of free online “Co-op EnergyCast” Webcasts in January, February and March 2010 in which participants may view experts and content slides live online. “We held a similar series in 2009 with gr...




[Seasonal Topics]
Consumer Tips for Holiday Shoppers
Wednesday, November 25, 2009

The Iowa Attorney General’s office offers safe holiday shopping advice.



The holiday shopping season is by far the busiest time of year for most shoppers and retail stores and the season also generates more than its share of consumer problems. Why? Most likely, it’s because of the sheer volume of purchases, because many consumers are in a rush, and because people w...




[Agriculture]
Farm Energy Use
Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Do you know how much energy your farm uses? A new ISU Extension publication can help you analyze yours.
 



Equipment used in modern agriculture reduces labor, but consumes fuel and energy. So how much energy are Iowa’s agricultural producers using? A new Iowa State University Extension publication answers that question. “Farm Energy: How Much Energy Is Being Used on Your Farm?” (PM 208...




[Energy Efficiency]
Together We Save
Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Check out how to save energy with water heating on our Touchstone Energy Together We Save site.



The Together We Save website is a combined effort of Touchstone Energy Cooperatives around the country. Your electric cooperative wants to help you find energy savings in your home. Remember that little savings add up! Each month for the next several months, we will feature one ...




[Your Efficient, Comfortable, Safe Home]
Remodeling Costs and Resale
Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Remodeling Magazine gives its annual cost and resale value update for various home upgrades.



Remodeling Magazine recently released its 22nd annual report on the relationship between remodeling costs and resale value. On this site, you can compare national and regional averages for 33 popular remodeling projects; you can also download a PDF with project data for any one of 80 U.S. cities. ...




[Seasonal Topics]
Tame Holiday Costs
Wednesday, November 25, 2009

The Alliance to Save Energy offers some ideas for holiday cheer, while also saving energy and money.



The difficult economy and concerns about home and vehicle energy costs need not dim your holiday cheer this winter. Frugal, fun and more energy-efficiency holiday tips from the Alliance to Save Energy can take the chill out of the holiday season by lowering home and vehicle energy bills as well as p...




[Holidays]
Light Up the Holiday … Safely
Sunday, November 15, 2009

Holiday lights are a bright and beautiful addition to the season. Follow our safety tips.



Safe Lighting   Whether you're putting the lights up outdoors or in, follow these safety precautions: Check out all light strings for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections. Discard damaged sets. Connect strings of lights into an extension cord befor...




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