A few days before your actual move, you’ll need to contact your current water source, electrical company, and natural gas provider to stop service. Of course, you’ll also want to contact your new utilities providers to make sure your new home is fully functional when you arrive.

Each provider will vary, but a good rule of thumb is to notify your existing utility companies of your move 3-4 weeks in advance. You may need to call back closer to the cancellation date, but it wouldn’t hurt to make a call as soon as you know you’re moving. Make sure you inquire about reclaiming any deposits you may have been required to make when service was initially established.

There’s also the matter of connecting those essential home services at your new home. Again, it’s a good idea to set up an installation or service start date as soon as possible. An empty house is one thing. An empty house without lights, hot water, and television is something all together different.

To find which companies provide natural gas or electricity to your new home, simply enter your new address in the “Savings Widget”  above. It’s also a good time to look into connecting a phone, TV and Internet bundle through your local cable provider or telephone company.

Moving day can be stressful. However, with a little planning you can make moving a lot easier on yourself and everyone involved. You may not be the planning type, but you certainly don’t want to procrastinate when it comes to moving. When the day comes, even if you hire movers, you can still plan on a long day of strategizing and directing. To be clear, moving is tiring even if you don’t lift a thing. That’s why you should never wait until the last minute to pack. Having everything boxed up and ready to go makes the whole day faster and less stressful for everyone.

One of the time tested and mother approved packing methods has been the “Room by Room” approach. As the name implies, you pack up each room in turn. Starting with the least used room, which oddly enough is often the living room, begin sorting and packing. By starting with the least used room and working your way forward you’re less likely to find yourself rummaging through boxes looking for that item you actually still need in the days before your move.

It’s also a good idea to sort while you pack. If you spend a little extra time organizing as you pack, you’re unpacking will be that much easier in your new home. And don’t forget to wrap! Wrapping breakables in bubble wrap, newspaper, or even paper towels is much better than boxing them up on their own. Even the slim padding of a paper towel could be the difference between eating off paper or dishes the day you move.

Now, since you started packing early, you’ll have everything ready to go the day the movers show up to cart everything off. You’ll always have a few personal items and toiletries to pack up on moving day, but that’s nothing compared to packing entire rooms as the movers watch over your shoulder!

There are several essential tools in the mover’s arsenal. Boxes, bubble wrap, and tape are certainly necessities, but you also can’t forget to buy a couple of big black markers. The importance of boldly labeling all those brown boxes might be easy to overlook, but you’ll kick yourself later. Imagine trying to find something in a pile of boxes labeled with an all but invisible ballpoint pen!

Of course, your big black marker could be any color you like. It just has to be noticeable. The labels you write won’t help you if the ink isn’t clearly visible on the boxes. That means you should also label the boxes on the top as well as the sides for easy identification.

Moving is a hectic time filled with quick fixes and “get it done” answers. But a few well thought out ideas can help relieve a lot of the stress and confusion of your moving day. The big black marker could be the end of turning your boxes around and around looking for that all but hidden “Kitchen” tag.

Today, heating and cooling your home will make up the majority of your utility bills each month. Combined, these two sources use more energy, and also drain more energy, than all other systems in a home. According to the Department of Energy, on average, 43% of a utility bill is for heating and cooling. It doesn’t matter what kind of ventilation, air-conditioning system or heating is in your home, you can still save money heating and cooling your home by properly maintaining your equipment and your house.

It’s important to remember, that an energy efficient system by itself won’t make a significant change in your energy bills. To see a noticeable savings on your energy bill, you need to adopt the “whole-house approach”. If you combine maintenance and upgrades with the right kind of air sealing, insulation and thermostat settings, you’ll be able to reduce your total energy use and save money on heating and cooling costs.

How to save money heating and cooling your home long term:

• Choose energy-efficient products when purchasing heating and cooling equipment. ‘Energy Star’ is one popular brand that is best for energy-efficiency.
• For an air conditioner, look for a high SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio). The minimum today is 13, but more energy efficient products are 14 or more.
• Attic insulation of R-19 or more is considered the best protection against unnecessarily high cooling and heating costs.
• Try free heating and cooling by using windows and curtains to block or add heat/cool to a home. Allow the sun to enter windows and keep blinds closed to keep the sun out (Blackout curtains also reduce thermal waste). Open windows to allow a cool breeze in the Spring and Fall.

How to saving money heating and cooling your home every day:

• Weather-strip windows and doors. Replace window screens with solar screens.
• Use thermal drapes (Blackout curtains) to insulate windows.
• Wrap insulating around heating and cooling ductwork and then secure it with duct tape.
• Use fans (room or ceiling) to circulate air.
• Keep exterior doors closed while the heat or air conditioning is on.
• Cook and bake early in the day.
• Change air filters every 30 days.
• Use Energy Star appliances.
• Lower the temperature of your hot water.
• Plant tall shrubs or deciduous trees around your home to provide shade.
• Make sure you are getting the best price plan available with your utility companies.
• When not at home, raise the temperature in your home by at least 5 degrees or install a programmable thermostat to moderate temperatures throughout the day.

Between the packing materials and the fuel usage, moving in an environmentally friendly way can be a challenge. With a little planning, however, there are ways to lesson the impact on the environment.

• Reduce the amount of packing materials and the total weight of your belongings by not moving unwanted items. Moving tips always suggest donating, selling or throwing away items before you move. This not only saves you time and expense, but it is also a significant way to reduce the environmental impact of your move.
• That being said, sort through your belongings early. This will allow you to estimate more accurately the number of boxes you will need. Don’t wait until you’re packing.
• Start saving bubble wrap, cardboard boxes, padded envelopes, newspaper and other packing materials to reuse as packing materials. Use towels, bedding and pillows to cushion breakable items.
• Call retail stores and ask if you can pick up boxes they would otherwise discard. Call first, both to avoid driving around looking for boxes and to ask if the lids are still attached. Retailers often cut the tops off boxes to expedite unpacking. Also, ask if they have packing material you can reuse. Companies that sell new boxes also realize the importance of reuse and many accept and redistribute used boxes for free.
• Look into renting plastic moving crates. Depending on where you live and how far you’re moving, that may be an option.
• Once you’ve unpacked, dispose of boxes responsibly. Post them online at Craig’s List or Freecycle for pick-up and reuse. Your moving company may pick them up for recycling as part of their service. Find a U-Haul location that accepts used boxes for re-use.
• Reduce your electricity usage going forward. Don’t pack your old light bulbs unless they are energy-efficient. If you haven’t done it already, now is the time to make the switch.
• Moving also means house cleaning. Use nontoxic, biodegradable cleaners.
• As furniture is being loaded and your doors are open, turn off your AC or heating unit to avoid wasting electricity and natural gas.
• As you notify companies of your new address, take the time to remove yourself from unwanted catalog mailing lists.
• When you’re transferring or setting up household services such as high-speed internet, cable TV or satellite TV, phone service, natural gas, electricity and waste, sign up for e-billing.
• Depending on where you live, there may be moving companies that use low-emission, fuel-efficient trucks powered by bio-diesel. Regardless, consider the size and type of truck or trailer necessary for your move and its fuel-efficiency.

One of the easiest steps you can take to reduce energy consumption in your home starts with your lights. Think about how many individual light bulbs are in your house. Now, think about how often those lights are actually used on a daily basis. Reducing global warming won’t happen over night, but reducing your energy bill is a great place to start.

Traditional incandescent light bulbs use heat to produce light. If you’ve ever changed a recently burnt out bulb, you’ve probably felt the heat that one bulb produces. It’s hot to the touch! Not only does the incandescent bulb use large amounts of electricity, but it also produces large amounts of heat. That’s a double whammy to your energy bill and the planet.

Compact fluorescent bulbs, on the other hand, generally use 75% less energy than traditional light bulbs. A fairly recent trend, compact fluorescents are easily recognizable by their swirl of white tubes. Once thought to be too obtrusive for traditional light fixtures, manufacturers have adopted a more traditional “light bulb” shape. Still using the swirled tubes, compact fluorescents now look and feel like your energy hogging incandescent bulbs. However, they use far less energy and produce almost no heat.

According to ENERGY STAR, a joint venture between the EPA and Department of Energy, “If every American home replaced just one light bulb with an ENERGY STAR qualified bulb, we would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year, more than $600 million in annual energy costs, and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more than 800,000 cars.”

Now, not every fixture in your home will be able to use compact fluorescent bulbs. That’s likely to be your track lighting or chandeliers. However, if you changed all of your overhead fixtures, lamps, and ceiling fan bulbs to compact fluorescents . . .

When it comes to energy efficiency, many of the ideas and programs from our energy companies are in their infancy. However, the ability to remain flexible and adapt at home will help lead us to energy independence and efficient use of our current technologies. Today’s energy companies recognize we’re ready to help and are working to bring new products to every market. We’re all in this together and together we can make a difference. It’s up to us to make the small changes now, so we can make a big impact later.

There are several easy things you can do to make your home more energy efficient.

• Use caulk and weather stripping to properly seal windows and doors. This will reduce drafts, heat loss, and over air conditioning.
• Use ceiling fans in the summer and winter. A counter clockwise rotation will provide a breeze in the summer, while a slow, clockwise rotation will push heat down in the winter.
• Regularly replace your furnace air filters. A clogged air filter makes your furnace and air conditioner work extra hard to deliver hot or cool air to the rooms of your house. Routinely replacing your furnace air filter removes the blockage, letting the air flow through more easily.
• Replace energy wasting incandescent light bulbs with energy saving compact fluorescents. Compact fluorescents typically use 75% less energy and produce far less heat than traditional bulbs.

It all starts in the home. It all starts with you. The energy companies are the driving force behind the research to make a better future, but it’s up to us to embrace energy efficiency right now. It might not seem like we’re doing much, but if everyone completed the four easy steps above we’d be in a much better place than we are today.

If you use your cell phone for all calls, you may be wondering what the options are for Internet service without a phone line. Here are some solutions to consider if you’re thinking about dropping your phone line.

1. Use cable Internet (available through most cable TV providers). The Internet signal will run through a cable hook up to your home, and will require a modem, usually supplied by the cable company, to connect the cable to your computer or the wireless router. The “Savings Widget” above will not only summarize the cable Internet providers available at your address, but can also compare promotions and bundle options that are available.
2. Order satellite Internet. While the technology is similar to satellite TV, the two services can not share a dish. The dish also has to be installed with an unobstructed view facing south.
3. Try mobile broadband (aka, an Air card).  Mobile broadband allows you to have Internet access without a phone using the wireless network. These USB modems and PC cards, which plug into your computer, connect to the standard cellular network (3G or 4G for optimum speed). However, they have the same limitations as other cell devices regarding inconsistent coverage in enclosed, underground or remote locations. Wireless carriers offer numerous plans and pricing ranging from monthly fees to daily pre-paid access. Also take into consideration the carrier’s coverage as it relates to where you’ll be accessing the Internet with the card. If you have spotty cell phone coverage at your house, you’ll also have spotty Internet access with mobile broadband.

If you decide to go this route, and you have several wireless devices, look into an Intelligent Mobile Hotspot that taps into the cellular network and allows several wi-fi enabled devices to connect at one time.

4. Try stand-alone DSL.  Some ISPs have created a service known as “dry loop”, also known as “naked DSL” or “stand-alone DSL”, to allow consumers access to high speed Internet without a phone line. This technology runs through your existing phones wires, but you don’t need a home phone to use it. However, not all DSL providers offer stand-alone DSL and pricing varies depending on speed and current promotions. This option for Internet without a phone is evolving, so check plans and pricing using the “Savings Widget” above.
5. Visit Wi-fi hotspots. Grab your laptop and log-in at the thousands of wireless hotspots. Many are free, though some have policies as to how long you can remain online. Websites that allow you to enter your zip code for a list of nearby wi-fi locations include wi-fihotspotlist.com, hotspothaven.com, wi-fifreespot.com, and openwifispots.com.

Satellite TV and Satellite Internet companies provide dish installation as part of their service. However, prior to the installer’s arrival, think about these aspects of locating your satellite dish and contact the company with your questions ahead of time.

1. Know the zoning ordinances and neighborhood covenants regarding satellite dish installation.
2. The installer will recommend the best place to install the dish using dish-pointing tools that will pin-point the position of the satellite. The dish will need to face south and be completely unobstructed. Beforehand, look at houses in your neighborhood with satellite dishes and notice which way each dish is pointed, as well as where the dish is on the house. A similar location will probably the best place for locating your satellite dish.
3. Think about future tree growth, landscaping plans, additions to your house or a neighbor’s, and anything else that could interfere with the satellite’s line of sight. Tree leaves will block reception. While the initial dish installation may be free, relocating will usually incur a charge.
4. Locate a secure place on your house to install the dish or find a spot in your yard that will support a metal pole heavy enough to hold a satellite dish. Ask the company what basic installation includes with regard to locating your satellite dish. Policies regarding roof installations vary.
5. Ground posts should be a metal pole in a concrete base. Wood poles and poles pounded in the ground are more likely to shift over time, impacting signal quality.
6. To receive both Satellite TV and Internet satellite, you will have to install separate dishes and, for best reception, the location of each, will most likely be side-by-side. Take this into consideration if this is your scenario.
7. Think about the best way to run the cable that will be connecting the receiver to the electronic devices the dish will be serving. Again, your installer will have recommendations, but if you know cable has to go through an attic, crawl space or other area that needs to be cleared for convenient access, clean it prior to your satellite dish installation appointment.

One of the most important components in establishing satellite TV is installing and connecting the system: the dish, the lines, the receivers, the televisions and the phone line. Most of the time, when you sign up for new service, you receive free standard installation.

However, if your situation requires an installation that’s not considered standard or if you need to relocate the dish, you will probably incur additional fees from the satellite TV provider. In that case, you may wonder if you can save money on satellite installation by doing it yourself.

First, research the rates of professional satellite installation. The major satellite TV providers can provide an estimate for custom rates over the phone, or check their websites for a list of fees. Also consider getting an estimate from a professional who is not associated with the satellite TV provider. Make sure you check the references and work guarantees of any independent installers so you’ll know the process if problems arise.

Of course, depending on your confidence in executing projects that require some electrical and construction experience, you may be considering a DIY satellite installation. Thorough instructions and support for you to install equipment are available from the satellite TV providers. DIRECTV has their equipment manuals and setup guides available online, which may help with your decision. The process is fairly straightforward with the positioning of the dish being the crucial factor. You will have to attach the dish to either a pole or the side of your house and run lines through an exterior wall. These  tips for satellite installation have additional information to consider.

If you go the DIY satellite installation route and there are technical difficulties, you can always call in a professional. Again, get an estimate from both the provider as well as the independent installer. Ask neighbors who have the same provider for their recommendation since their dish set up experience may be similar to yours.

To learn more about satellite TV providers or transfer your existing service, enter your address in the “Savings Widget” above.  All upfront fees, including installation, will be shown as you compare plan options.