The folks at HomeESP want to encourage you to change to energy efficient light bulbs.  You will begin to save energy and money immediately.  And you can add to your savings $20 that HomeESP will send in the form of a cash rebate.

Check out for yourself how much money you can save by replacing your old bulbs with CFL bulbs by using the GE Energy Smart CFL Savings Calculator. 

A two-story house with 3 bedrooms, 21/2 baths, a finished basement and attic that we recently worked on had nearly '30' 100 watt bulbs, '14' more 60 watt bulbs and '4' 90 watt bulbs in outside lights.  The owners will save over $450 this year and $2,485 over the lifetime of their new CFL bulbs. 

HomeESP will continue to plant trees in honor of its members and will continue until we reach our goal of 250,000 trees. HomeESP supports Trees for the Future, an agroforestry resource center, working with people to improve livelihoods and restore degraded lands to sustainable productivity through planting beneficial trees. 

Planting trees in agroforestry systems provides a myriad of benefits, such as food; forage for animals; sustainable fuel wood and construction materials; increased agricultural yields; improved water infiltration and aquifer recharge; and protection of soils from wind and water erosion. However, planting trees can be difficult when the canopy has disappeared, topsoil has been eroded, and the climate and growing conditions have changed. 

 Through our network of technicians, volunteers, and community leaders world-wide, our program reaches out and provides the knowledge and ability to rehabilitate their environment. Since 1988, Trees for the Future (http://www.plant-trees.org/main.htm) has planted nearly 65 million trees. We calculate that these trees remove over one and a half million tons of CO2 from the atmosphere each year. 

A recent decision from the federal government may put an end to one solar energy rebate this year, while another will end in less than five years, according to CNN. 

 The affected benefits, which include ending the 30 percent cash rebate for home energy projects from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, as well as the 30 percent federal tax credit, will both be discontinued. The former will end later this year, while the latter has until the end of 2016, the news source reported. These were cut due to shrinking federal budgets, and the 29 states that offered their own incentives may be cutting back as well. 

 "If we'd known that our cost was going to be $33,000 instead of $13,000, that would have been a fairly hard one to sell to ourselves just for the ecological, environmental warm and fuzzies," Michael Hoffman, a Florida resident who was not able to get a state home energy related rebate due to cuts, told the news source. 

June 2011

When HomeESP went looking to create a Savings Center for our members that would be seen as the best place for on and off-line discounts and big savings on shopping, dining and on everyday living, we looked to our partner Access who boasted America’s largest local discount network.

We prodded Access to gain access to great deals in all our members’ neighborhoods across the country and we are pleased to share the news that our partner has achieved this significant milestone.  The Access merchant network, the backbone for the HomeESP Savings Center, now reaches 100% of U.S. metropolitan areas AND 100% of micropolitan markets. 

Now all communities with 10,000 or more can save money in the Savings Center with Access and our Premier membership.  And the local brick and mortar deals are in the most rural areas as well.  99.6% of all consumers in the United States are now covered by the network.  This is an important achievement because consumers make 80% of purchases in-store within 20 miles of their home. 

Access vows to continue to find more relevant and terrific savings from popular merchants throughout America so they can remain the leading provider of discount programs in the nation.

Be sure to visit the Savings Center today to save big on everyday purchases.  If you are not a HomeESP Premier Member, JOIN NOW and start saving today.

It has been a long dreary cold winter and friends are coming out with the flowers.  And many of my friends have put off trips because of the cost.  But with summer vacation season upon us, people everywhere are starting to feel better and planning their annual get-aways.  With over 13,000 places to save on recreation and entertainment, there’s no better time than now for HomeESP Premier Members to visit the Savings Center.  Read on to check it out...

A great place to look to save energy and lower your utility bills is your kitchen, the most popular room in your home.  If I had a penny for every time one of my family members opened the refrigerator or freezer throughout the day, I would be a rich man.  On the contrary, the cost of running your most highly trafficked kitchen appliances may be draining your bank account more than it should.  There are many easy ways to make sure you use your refrigerator and freezer energy efficiently to keep your electric bills down. 

Of course, when purchasing a new refrigerator and/or freezer, you should choose an ENERGY STAR qualified model to be sure you are getting an energy efficient appliance.  Here are tips to save energy and money, regardless of whether your appliance is old or new:

1. Avoid locating your refrigerator in direct sunlight or near equipment that generates heat, such as a range or dishwasher.
2. Leave several inches of space behind and on the sides of your refrigerator so air can circulate

I had mixed feelings when my wife bought us the Keurig as a gift for the family.  

We had used a Keurig over Thanksgiving at her sister’s home and there were some terrific benefits to having all the selection.  With 5 adults, 1 teen and 2 children, there were many different tastes for strength and flavor of coffee or tea or hot chocolate.   It was a great looking appliance and easy to use.  My daughter actually made her OWN cup of tea.  Wow.

However, I pride myself on being conscious of the environment and the extra trash created by the non-recyclable K-cups bothered me. I also thought about the fact that I could make weeks and weeks worth of coffee with my under $10 pound of coffee bought at the supermarket while K-cups at best cost about 50 cents a pop.

My wife, sensing my despair, then bought me a reusable K-cup coffee filter exclusive to the Keurig Home Brewing System.  This reusable filter allows me to use my own gourmet ground coffee in a Keurig brewer.  I have been using my reusable filter for days now and I love it.

Some people have complained about the reusable filter because they don’t like to remove it for cleaning after every use.  I find it no different than cleaning any filter and worth it.  I would much rather spend the couple of seconds extra and get two big benefits.  

I feel guilty every time I throw out a used K-cup.  Although Green Mountain claims they are close to developing a recyclable and biodegradable package, they aren’t there yet.  From Green Mountain’s Website: “Reducing the environmental impact of our coffee packaging materials and brewing systems, including the K-Cup® portion packs used in our Keurig® Single-Cup Brewing Systems, is a top priority for us and we are dedicated to finding a solution.”  (Personally, I believe them.)

As a side note: Some people also worry about the type of plastics used in the manufacturing process and packaging.  Green Mountain assures us that all K-Cup portion packs and all water path components of Keurig home brewers are free of Bisphenol-A (BPA).
Then of course, there is the money-saving advantage of the reusable K-cup.  I calculate that I can save 30 cents a cup.  I am a three cup a day guy (I am not proud of that fact but there it is.) resulting in an annual savings of $328.50.

I found a reusable K-cup coffee filter on Amazon for only $21.67.  I also found some on eBay that were opening bids at $10 to $14.  (No matter where you find the item, be sure to check that the one being offered fits your specific brewer.)  This is well worth the purchase.  Now I save money on every cup of coffee and feel good about doing something for the environment, too.