1. Do not use any appliances or other devices that might create a spark, such as light switches, phones, flashlights, including computers.
2. Never try to find the leak yourself. Have everyone immediately leave the house.
3. Go to a nearby phone to contact your natural gas provider. If you don’t know that number, dial 911 to report the leak.
4. Keep everyone away from the building until given the “all clear” from a gas company employee.

Other Natural Gas Safety Tips

• A gas flame should be a steady bright blue.
• Keep flammable or combustible items away from gas appliances and equipment.
• Always keep one or more fire extinguishers in your home.
• Have all gas appliances, furnaces, vents, flues, and chimneys inspected every year or two by qualified professionals.
• Do not let children play with or near natural gas appliances.
• Do not use your stove or oven for anything other than cooking.
• Do not install a gas appliance yourself, unless you are a a qualified contractor.

Want to make sure you’re getting the best price on natural gas utilities? Allconnect can help!

Most consumers are not fully aware of how satellite Internet works. Satellite Internet can be divided into two systems; one way satellite and two way satellite. The one way satellite system offers a faster speed than a dial up connection, but due to the fact that it uses some of the same technology as dial-up, phone access is restricted while surfing the Web. The two way satellite system is the type that most consumers are familiar with. The two way system uploads and downloads information by bouncing information between the satellite dish on the ground and the satellite in space. This technology allows users to access to the phone while accessing the internet.

Some more good news for people in rural areas looking for high speed internet is that in 2012  HughesNet, one of two major providers in the United States, will be launching a next-generation satellite. This new satellite, named Jupiter, will be able to transfer data faster than the company’s current satellite and will be the industry leader
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To help you save money on high-speed Internet, consult Allconnect.com. Allconnect is a free online resource to review and compare the costs and choices for essential home services, including home utilities, high speed Internet, phone, cable TV, satellite TV, and home security systems.

One of the first steps to saving money through winterizing your home is to check the insulation levels throughout your home, including walls, ceilings, attics and basements. Insulation is measured in R-levels and the U.S. Department of Energy’s ENERGY STAR has recommendations for the R-levels that would best suit your home depending on its geographical location.

After evaluating the insulation levels in your home, it’s important to check ductwork, attics and basements for air leaks – whether exterior or interior air. By sealing leaky ductwork, you can ensure that your heated air isn’t leaking outside and the cold exterior air isn’t sneaking in your home. ENERGY STAR offers a step-by-step do-it-yourself guide to sealing and insulating your home.

It’s also important to check for drafty doors, fireplaces and windows, which can easily release heat and let cool air into your home. Another often-overlooked area of heat loss is uncovered floors – whether tile, wood or other hard material. Carpeted floors, either fully carpeted or area rugs, helps to retain heat and warmth throughout the house.

Other quick tips for saving money on home utilities in the winter include rearranging furniture so air ducts and registers have free air flow, letting sunlight into the home by opening blinds, installing a programmable thermostat to easily adjust the temperatures when you’re home or away, and having your furnace professionally inspected to ensure proper operation.

For quick savings, according to Gas South, lowering your thermostat by one degree during a 24-hour can reduce your heating bill by 3 percent. For more energy saving tips, visit Gas South’s Energy Saving Tips.

Allconnect is a free online resource to review and compare the costs and choices for essential home services, including home utilities, high speed Internet, phone, cable TV, satellite TV, and home security systems.

• Cover all bare floors. Carpeting or rugs add to comfort and heat retention, especially if there is little or no floor insulation.
• Raise the temperature slowly to keep your bill lower. Quickly raising your heat pump’s temperature activates the heat strip, which uses tons of energy.
• Limit your use of portable heaters. They’re great for “spot” heating, but running a 1,500-watt heater 24/7 can be expensive

For more great tips on how to save money this winter, check out Progress Energy’s 100 Ways to Save Energy.

Save Money on Water Bills: Upgrade your Toilet

If you have an older toilet, you may be using two gallons per flush. The new dual-flush toilet uses only 1.6 or 1.1 gallons per flush. And, you may not have to replace the entire toilet. DIY converter kits, which are available at The Home Depot, turn most standard toilets into water-saving dual flush toilets. There are several models so compare installation requirements and customer reviews to ensure success.

Save Money on Water Bills: Update Showerheads and Faucets

If you haven’t replaced your showerheads in several years, you could save two gallons per minute or more. Multiply that by the length of your average shower and savings can add up quickly. Some models have a set gallon-per-minute (GPM), while others allow you to adjust the flow within a range.

Faucets labeled by the Environmental Protections Agency’s WaterSense program save more than 30% on water usage when compared to a standard faucet. They use no more than 1.5 GPM compared to the 2.2 GPM of regular faucets. If you don’t want to replace the faucet, consider installing a WaterSense-certified aerator that simply screws onto the end of the faucet. Inexpensive and easily installed, they will reduce the GPM to between 1.5 and 2.5 depending on the model.

Allconnect is a free online resource to review and compare the costs and choices for essential home services, including home utilities like water, high speed Internet, phone, cable TV, satellite TV, and home security systems.

The FBI reports that nearly 400,000 burglaries occur between November and December each year in the United States, but prevention is easy. The National Crime Prevention Council, MoneyPit and Security-Port offer great easy and commonsense recommendations to keep you and yours safe during the holiday season.

Dos and Don’ts for a Secure Holiday Home:

• Don’t hide spare keys under flowerpots, doormats or on door-frame ledges. Do give a spare key to a trusted neighbor.
• Do use a timer to turn household lights on and off even if you’re not home. Burglars watch for occupancy cues.
• Don’t display your Christmas tree and presents in front of easy-access windows. Burglars love easy in-and-out routes.
• Do keep your windows and doors, including sliding doors, locked and secure.
• Don’t display your family name on your mailbox – burglars can easily find out your phone number and call to see if you are home.
• Do make sure you’re home to accept any packages that are scheduled for delivery. If not, request that the packages are left with a trusted neighbor or at the nearest post office.
• Do request to suspend your mail and newspaper delivery if you’re going out of town.
• Don’t leave notes on your door announcing that you’re away from home.
• Don’t leave empty boxes from high-priced items outside your home for trash collection.
• Do ask a trusted neighbor to check up on your home if you’re out of town.
• Do install durable doors and windows, and even a home security system.

Most of the tips for keeping your home secure are easy to implement for you and your family. To ensure a secure home, it’s important to be diligent and alert during the holidays and not make your home tempting to burglars.

Use Allconnect.com to compare home security and monitoring systems in your area. Allconnect is a free online resource to review and compare the costs and choices for essential home services, including home security systems, electricity, high speed Internet, phone, cable TV, and  satellite TV.