Sometimes, it’s the simplest fix that leads to the greatest savings when it comes to the cost of gas or electricity prices.

Sealing and insulating the ducts in your home is one of those simple fixes that could improve your heating and cooling system’s efficiency by 20 percent – or more!  Since up to half of your energy bill can be devoted to heating and cooling your home, the savings can really add up.

Think about it.  Air ducts are located in one of two places, your attic or your basement, and in some homes it’s both.  If your ducts are not properly sealed, you could be wasting a lot of money heating or cooling spaces in your home where you spend very little time.  But if you want to save some money you owe it to yourself to go into those spaces and inspect your home’s ducts… or have an HVAC specialist do it for you.

If you decide to inspect and repair your ducts yourself, make sure you use the proper materials.  Even though it’s called duct tape, it should not be used to repair leaky joints in your ducts.  Use specialized aluminum foil tape to make any repairs.  This is the same tape that is used to connect standard, foil-jacketed ducts by HVAC professionals and is the only type of tape that is acceptable to use.

While you are repairing your ducts, take a moment to note their surface temperature.  If your air-conditioning is running, and the duct is cold to the touch – or the heat is running, and it’s hot to the touch – you are still wasting energy and money.   Wrapping your ducts with insulation will help curb the amount of energy lost through the duct itself.  Cracks in the joints of your ducts are easy to spot and fix, but they aren’t the only ways that cool or heated air is lost.  Thermal transfer can be just as wasteful.

Spring is a great time to check your ducts and make sure there aren’t any problems.  The weather is cool, and the temperatures in your attic aren’t terribly uncomfortable.  Believe me, if you put it off until the dead of summer, you’ll wish you hadn’t.

By properly maintaining and insulating the heating and cooling ducts in your home, you can make some significant strides toward lowering the cost of staying comfortable, no matter what the season.  The cost of gas and electricity prices may fluctuate, but your home will remain energy efficient if you take the time to maintain it properly.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, lighting makes up 11% of your average electric bill.  Replacing old, inefficient incandescent bulbs with new Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFLs) is an easy way to cut your power usage without sacrificing light output.

To start saving, be sure that you buy Energy Star rated CFLs to maximize energy savings. Energy Star rated CFLs use up to 75% less electricity saving you as much as $30 over the life of the bulb.  CFLs also burn 75% cooler than incandescent bulbs, which means they save you money when it comes to cooling your home as well.

The savings don’t just stop at energy costs.  CFLs can last anywhere from six to twelve times as long as incandescent bulbs, so you’re saving a lot of money in replacement costs.  Let’s say you have to replace the incandescent bulbs in your family room every six months.  If you replace them with CFLs, you might only have to change them once every six years.  We all know that time is money, and CFLs mean less time maintaining, and more time enjoying your home.

Home Improvement stores like Home Depot and Lowe’s carry a wide variety of CFLs for pretty much any type of light fixture.  They even make CFLs to replace halogen bulbs in torchieres.  These CFLs use between 60 and 80 percent less electricity than halogen bulbs, and give off a lot less heat.  The difference in heat alone can have an effect on your average electric bill.  Halogen bulbs also require special care when handling.  Oils from human skin can have a dramatic effect on the life of the halogen bulb, but CFLs don’t require as much care.

Speaking of fixtures, Energy Star rated light fixtures are more efficient than standard fixtures as well.  They distribute light more evenly, and some indoor models have extra convenience features such as built in dimmers.  Energy Star fixtures are a great way to get the maximum amount of light out of the least amount of power.

By cutting energy usage as well as solid waste, CFLs are better for the environment than old fashioned incandescent bulbs.  Of course, CFLs cost a good bit more per unit than incandescent bulbs, but the savings in energy consumption and replacement costs make up for the initial investment… and then some.

CFLs just make good sense… and cents.

Homeowners are always on the lookout for ways to save money in the home.  With the focus on energy savings many have looked to more efficient appliances.  However, how many look at the real cost of using appliances for how to save money on utilities?

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, appliances consume 17% of the energy that your home uses.  Your refrigerator and washing machine are the main culprits when it comes to your rising electric bill.  Your dryer – depending on whether it uses electricity or your natural gas provider – is another major drain on your wallet.

If you are in the market for a new energy efficient appliance, pay close attention to both prices; the price to buy and the price to use.   Remember, a low sales price doesn’t always mean the lowest cost.

When shopping for a new energy efficient appliance, be sure to look for two things:

• The Energy Star label
• The EnergyGuide label

The Energy Star label is a no-brainer.  This ensures that the appliance exceeds government standards for energy efficiency, which is both good for the environment and your wallet.

The yellow EnergyGuide label can be found on all appliances.  The appliance’s annual energy usage and estimated annual cost to operate are prominently displayed on the label.  The label also shows how efficient – or inefficient – the appliance is in relation to similar models.  This helps you compare different brands easily so you can make sure that your new appliance doesn’t come with higher energy bills for years to come.

Knowing how much it will cost to operate an appliance is important, because you could be stuck with it for a long time.  Washing machines and dishwashers last about a decade.  The average refrigerator lasts for 14 years.  Going with a cheaper model could save you a little money now, but if that appliance costs more to operate than other models, it could cost you $350 more over the life of the unit.

Always buy the most energy efficient appliance you can afford.  The long term savings could be significant.  You don’t want to be saddled with high electric or natural gas bills every month for the next decade because you tried to save a few dollars up front.

Also, be sure to check for any government rebates.  If you buy an Energy Star appliance, there may be federal or state incentives that could get you a bigger tax deduction, or even put a little extra cash in your pocket.

It’s nice to see a helping hand from corporate America in time of tragedy.  Showing once again how important it is to care for your fellow man, Time Warner Cable offers free calls to Japan to help connect friends, families and coworkers.

In a press release issued by Time Warner Cable on Friday, Glenn Britt, Chairman and CEO, acknowledges a surge in the number of calls being made to Japan.  Britt says, “We have seen an increase in the number of calls made by our customers to family, friends and colleagues in Japan who have been touched by the events that occurred earlier today. They are all in our thoughts and we hope that this program removes a small measure of worry from our customers.”

As of now, the free calls through Time Warner Cable are scheduled to run through April 15, 2011.  The press release clarifies the program by saying, “Digital Phone Customers who are making calls to Japan during the eligible period do not need to make any changes to their accounts in order to take advantage of this program. This program will cover any Time Warner Cable Digital Phone and Time Warner Cable Business Class Phone subscriber making a direct call to Japan. Calls to operators or directory assistance will continue to be charged at the usual rate.”  Read the full release at Business Wire.

In our globally connected communities, local natural disaster is a tragedy felt around the world.  Time Warner Cable is doing its part to help keep people connected.

Spring is just around the corner, and that means that the mercury will be on the rise soon.  If your air conditioner struggles to maintain a comfortable temperature in the summer, your electric company may not be the problem.  The discomfort could be due to windows with a high solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC).  The higher the SHGC, the more electricity wasted.  Older, single pane windows without low-emissivity (low-e) coatings are the worst when it comes to SHGCs.

If your windows are this type, here are a couple of easy ways to increase their efficiency:

• Apply an adhesive, low-e coating, which reflects certain spectrums of light.
• Install white blinds which help reflect as much sunlight as possible, especially on south-facing windows.  Keep them closed during the day.

Window films can be installed professionally, or by the homeowner.  Home Depot sells 100 foot rolls of window film.  A roll that’s three feet wide is less than $200, while the four foot roll is a little over $200.  By doing these simple things, you can help reduce the amount of work that your air-conditioner has to do to cool your home, saving some money in the process.

If you do have money in the budget to install at least a few new windows, be sure to maximize your return on investment and install them on the side of the house that faces south and gets the most sunlight.  If your house faces south, but your front porch keeps the windows on the lower level shaded, then the upstairs window replacement will be money better spent.

When buying new windows, be sure to look for the ENERGY STAR label.  Also, pay attention to whole unit SHGC ratings, rather than just the center-of-glass (COG) ratings.  The whole unit ratings are more accurate because they take into account the overall construction of the window.

Whatever the situation, inefficient windows are the main cause for high temperatures outside that affect the temperature inside.  By taking whatever steps you can to increase the energy efficiency of the windows in your home, you can make a big difference in the amount of electricity that you use.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, replacing old, inefficient windows can reduce the cooling load of your home by ten to fifteen percent.  That could mean substantial savings when the temperatures really get high this summer.

A recent article from TV Week brought a home a realization, an epiphany, if you will.  The article discusses how the different channels airing the March Madness games are all but sold out of ad space.  March Madness is upon us.  College basketball team will soon be all over your TV.  so you’ve got to ask yourself, is your TV ready for March Madness?

Sure, the physical representation of your TV is in question.  Is your screen large enough to truly enjoy each and every game you can possibly catch over the next month?  Size does matter, but so does quality and that’s where we switch from your actual television to your provider.  Are you setup to catch every game?  Does your provider offer all the channels?  Do you currently subscribe to all those channels?  You better get on the ball.

According to TV Week, Mach Madness college basketball games will be shown on CBS, TBS, TNT, and TruTV.  TruTV?  Yes, college hoops will be shown on the network formerly known as Court TV.   It seems like the majority of those channels would be included in your basic cable channel lineup.  However, your digital switchover box may not tune into every channel.    That may be an error or a glitch in the box, but it  could also be your subscription, or lack thereof.  Either way, it makes sense to call up your provider to make sure you can access all the games no matter the channel.

For that matter, it may be a good time to make the jump from over the air digital signals to subscription based programming.  Depending on you area, you’ll have to decide which product is best for you:  cable TV providers, satellite TV providers or telco based products like AT&T U-Verse or Verizon FiOS.  Whatever you choose, do it soon.  Tipoff is just around the corner.

The days are getting longer and the weather’s getting warmer.  That means spring is just around the corner, when thoughts naturally turn to natural gas prices.  What?

Spring usually means looking forward to baseball and picnics and simply shaking off the chill of winter.  But if you take a look back at the cost of gas and what it meant to keep your home warm this past winter, you’ll want to find ways to cut that bill next winter.

The federal government requires furnace manufacturers to display how efficient they are so that consumers can easily compare models.  It’s known as annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE), which is basically the percentage of heating fuel that actually becomes heat in your home.  The minimum AFUE that the government allows in a new furnace is 78%, which means that 22% of the natural gas you are being billed for is being wasted.  When it comes to natural gas prices, that wasted gas is wasted money.  And, the AFUE only deals with the efficiency of the unit.  That doesn’t take into account how much heated air may be leaking out of duct work and poorly sealed doors and windows, but that’s a whole other ballgame.

The best way to cut natural gas prices is to install a high efficiency furnace.  If your home is just a few years old, chances are that your furnace is costing you a little money every month.  If it’s a decade or more old, it could be costing you a lot!  How much?  It could be nearly 50% of what you’re paying for natural gas!

The first step to saving money is understanding what kind of furnace you have, so here are a few tips on identifying how efficient – or inefficient – it is.  If your furnace has a continuous pilot light, its AFUE probably falls below 72%.  If your furnace has an electronic ignition, its AFUE is probably around 80%.  Now, keep in mind that these are ballpark figures, but the reality of the situation is that your AFUE could be much lower and that could lower your natural gas bill.

Based on government figures, if your furnace’s AFUE is 50%, replacing it with a new, high efficiency model with an AFUE of 95% would save you $47.36 per $100 spent on natural gas.  That means that if you spent an average of $300 a month this past winter, you could cut that to under $160 a month next winter.

Next winter may seem a long way off, but just like buying a swimsuit in the fall or a winter coat in the spring can save you money, updating your heating system in the “off-season” can be a financial “home-run”.

If several thousand dollars for a home automation system is out of the question, a programmable thermostat is definitely the way to go to save money 0n your electric bill.

A wide range of ENERGY STAR rated programmable thermostats are available at hardware stores and big-box home centers, and can be installed by homeowners on a Saturday afternoon.  There are three different programs to consider… 7 day, 5-1-1 day and 5-2 day.  It may seem confusing, but it’s really pretty simple.

A 7 day thermostat lets you program each day individually.  This type gives you the greatest amount of flexibility based on your normal schedule.  You simply program temperatures into the thermostat for maximum savings and comfort.  If no one is home between 8:00 AM and 6:00 PM on weekdays, set the thermostat to a temperature – high in the summer and low in the winter – so that the your heating/cooling system shuts itself off.  When the unit’s not running, you’re saving money.

The 5-1-1 day and 5-2 day thermostats work pretty much the same way… but they’re just a little less flexible.  The 5-1-1 day thermostat is designed to run the same program on weekdays and then allow each day of the weekend to be programmed based on how much time is spent at home.  If Saturdays are spent running to and from ballgames and ballet recitals, while Sundays are spent relaxing at home, you can program it for maximum savings and comfort.  The 5-2 day unit treats both Saturday and Sunday the same.

Of course, the 5-1-1 day and 5-2 day units are also a little (to a lot) less expensive than the 7 day units, so if flexibility isn’t an issue, you can save some money in up front costs, and save as much as $180.00 a year.  That’s $15.00 a month on your average electric bill!

Considering that the 7 day thermostats cost around $100.00, they’ll pay for themselves in about 7 months.  That’s a pretty good return on investment.  The 5-1-1 day and 5-2 day units will speed up that return on investment even more.  With the energy savings that they bring, a 5-1-1 day or 5-2 day unit could pay for itself in roughly three to five months.

Regardless of what level of programming you choose, a programmable thermostat is the best way to put money that would usually go to the electric company back in your pocket.