Are you an Energy Hog?

Source

Are you an energy hog? Take the IDT Energy test to find out!

1.  How much insulation do you have in your attic?
     a.  6 inches or less
     b.  7-11 inches
     c.  12 inches or more

2.  How often did you change the filters on your furnace last year?
     a.  Not at all
     b.  1-3 times
     b.  4+ times

3.  How many layers of glass do your windows have?
     a.  Single pane with no storm windows
     b.  Single pane with store windows or double pane
     c.  Double pane with reflective coating or gas-filled

4.  At what temperature do you set your thermostat in the winter when you are home and awake?
     a.  73 degrees or more
     b.  70-72 degrees or more
     c.  69 degrees or less

5.  At what temperature do you set your thermostat in the summer when you are home and awake?
     a.  74 degrees or less
     b.  75-77 degrees
     c.  78 degrees or more

6.  How often do you turn your lights off when you leave the room?
     a.  Almost never
     b.  Sometimes
     c.  Always

7.  Do you keep the lids on pots and pans when cooking?
     a.  Almost never
     b.  Sometimes
     c.  Always

8.  How many Energy Star appliances do you have?
     a.  None
     b.  1-2
     c.  3 or more

9.  At what temperature do you wash your clothes?
     a.  Mostly hot water
     b.  Mostly warm water
     c.  Mostly cold water

10.  How much time do you spend in the shower?
     a.  15 minutes or more
     b.  10 minutes
     c.  5 minutes


Now give your self:

• 2 points for each A
• 4 points for each B
• 6 points for each C

Add up all of your points and see how you scored:

45 - 60 points - Awesome! You are officially NOT an energy hog! Keep on keeping on and enjoy your low energy bills.

31 - 44 points - You are making the right moves but there are more steps to kicking the energy hog habit.  Look back on those As and Bs and see where you can improve.

20 - 31 points - Oink! Oink! You are an energy hog! But don't worry there are many easy steps to take to reduce your energy consumption and SAVE on your energy bills.  Go through our quiz and pick out a few simple things you can change.  Plus check out the IDT Energy energy saving tips on our web site.

If you are simply looking for ways to cut your utility bills, IDT Energy is here to help!

The above quiz was adapted from the scavenger hunt on www.EnergyHog.org check it out for more helpful tips.

Electric Supply - From Generator to Light Bulb

In the past we have discussed generating energy from wind, sun, water and even garbage , green slime and potatoes. But how does that energy travel into your house and light up a room?

IDT Energy supply is delivered through utility power lines

It's something that could come up in a rowdy game of "Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader" but perhaps not something you have pondered on a daily basis as you flip the light switch and turn on the TV remote.  Energy is harnessed from things like moving water and burning fossil fuels; which turn turbines and unbalance the charges in an atom (simple, right?). But then it must travel, sometimes hundreds of miles in order to be ready for you to utilize that electricity.

Electricity is made when electrons move between atoms. Transmitting wires are made of conductive materials like copper and insulators (like glass or rubber).  Conductive materials allow the transfer of electrons, while insulating material does not allow the electrons to move around.

Electric current is created when electrons move through the conductor.  Electrons need a circuit to move though and cannot move freely through the air. So electricity can flow from the power plant, through the wire, and into your home.  That light switch that magically provides light - a simple switch on the circuit that blocks the electric current from flowing to the light bulb.

Of course this is a simplified version. There are lots of little steps in between - like deciding where your electric supply comes from and making sure a current is always available for you to flip the switch.  Having a company like IDT Energy, doesn't determine the reliability of your supply - but it sure does help the pocketbook when it comes time to pay the bill!

IDT Energy Home Warranty Program

IDT Energy  has teamed with Complete Appliance Protection, one the top-rated home appliance warranty providers in the US, to offer an exclusive benefit to IDT Energy customers enrolling in an IDT Energy electric  and/or natural gas supply program in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland. For a limited time, IDT Energy will pay the premium to protect your clothes dryer for 6-months. The plan will warranty all parts within the sheet-metal skin of your clothes dryer, without any deductibles or exclusions for pre-existing conditions. The plan will also include coverage of related labor costs. PLUS, when you choose IDT Energy to supply your energy  you get the added convenience of no contracts, no up-front fees or deposits and no termination fees and your energy meters are automatically registered for an annual rebate. Get up to $150 or more back on the supply portion of your energy bill for as long as you remain a customer. Geoff Rochwarger, IDT Energy CEO commented that “in the wake of the barrage of east coast storms earlier this year, we wanted to offer our customers added-value services to help them protect their homes and belongings. It was important for us to offer an array of coverage options and special discounts for IDT Energy customers.” For more information, or to enroll your home’s meters in this special program, please call us at 866-383-5990.

Creative Ways to Save l Prancercise

Sometimes we need to be creative in the ways we save energy. And sometimes we just need to have a little fun when talking about saving energy.

You already upgraded to energy efficient light bulbs. You turn off the lights when you leave the room. But now it's time to stop exercising on a treadmill and get outside. Don't like just running up and down the street? Need to change up your exercise a little bit? Have you heard about the newest exercise craze? Or perhaps you have seen a neighbor looking a little silly as they danced/trotted/frolicked around the neighborhood and wondered what they were doing?

Check out these YouTube videos:

Prancercise tutorial

Prancercise to John Mayer

There are many more effective ways to save on energy this summer that we talked about before. But we here at IDT Energy are energy geeks. In a past blog post we also talked about how energy changes from one form to another. Maybe instead of supplying energy one step at a time we can use these devices to turn prancercising into usable energy.

What do you think about prancercising? Are you going to try it?

IDT Energy Now Offers Renewable (Green) in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Maryland

With energy deregulation comes choice and responsibility for our environment. In addition to who supplies your home’s electric, you can choose the type of supply you buy as well.  Renewable Energy is the way to go if you are concerned about your environment. IDT Energy is now able to serve its customers electricity generated from “renewable” sources. “Renewable”, also often referred to as Green energy is generated from sources such as running water, wind, solar or biomass. IDT Energy customers in Pennsylvania can rest assured that when they choose a renewable energy supply option, 100% of their electricity usage is matched with renewable energy certificates or renewable energy attributes. For just a few cents more per kilowatt hour than standard electricity, you can gain security in knowing that your dollars are helping the environment, our economy and national security. When you choose an IDT Energy renewable electric service you will be contributing to cleaner, healthier air, reduced dependency on foreign oil and nuclear power, and growth of more domestic job opportunities. Visit www.idtenergy.com/2free or call us at 888-474-2339 for more information and a special service offer. IDT Energy CEO, Geoff Rochwarger commented, “IDT Energy has more to offer than a suite of rebate programs and competitive rates on electric and natural gas supply. We live and work in the markets we serve. Conservation and protection of the environment is important to all of us. Now, IDTEnergy customers can choose not only who supplies energy to their homes, but the type of energy supplied as well

Compressed Natural Gas to the Rescue

Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) is a growing “green” solution to replace petroleum fuels.

What is Compressed Natural Gas? CNG is a substitute for fossil fuels like gasoline and diesel. It is comprised of natural gas (just like it comes into your house) compressed to less than 1% of the volume it would occupy at standard atmospheric pressure. 

Why CNG? This will lessen our dependence on foreign oil, as natural gas is produced abundantly within the United States. In addition, CNG is considered more environmentally friendly. It emits up to 90% fewer emissions than gasoline (according to CNGNow.com).  More importantly CNG has a positive impact on the bottom line. With diesel averaging $4.10 per gallon across the nation and CNG averaging $2.60 per gallon equivalent it’s easy to see the impact it could have on a business’s P&L.

Gone Global. Did you know that CNG already powers about 12 million vehicles? But only 250,000 of them are in the United States? IDT Energy’s new brand Evergreen Fleet Services is working to make a difference by converting more fleets to this money saving, environmentally friendly solution.

IDT Energy Supplies Energy to Illinois

IDT Energy  expands its serviceable area to include customers living in Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) territory in Illinois. IDT Energy offers variable, market-based rates on their electric supply programs and gives customers the power to choose Green electric options, with no contracts, no up-front fees or deposits and no early termination or cancellation fees. Customers living in Com Ed serviced areas may try IDTEnergy services risk free and if not completely satisfied, may cancel service at any time. Commonwealth Edison customers in Illinois can visit www.idtenergy.com/2free or call us at 888-474-2339 for more information and a special service offer.

With all of the rain coming down in the Northeast, it looks like Niagara Falls is right outside the window’s at IDT Energy.  Wouldn't it be great if someone harnessed all of this energy and transformed  it into electric supply?  Oh wait – someone has! In fact, if you live in NYS you can choose to have 100% of your electricity supplied from IDT Energy’s hydro power.

How does hydro power work?

Water power is generated from the energy of falling water and harnessed for usefully purposes. It can be derived from waterfalls and rivers.

Of course you could also be harvesting all of this water for your garden!

Energy Efficiency Road Trip Style

Did you go on a Memorial Day road trip? Have any exciting trips planned for the summer?

In addition to taking steps to make your home energy efficient, IDT Energy wants to help you make your car energy efficient. All these steps lead to real savings on energy bills!

1. Keep your tires inflated. Proper inflation can lead to a savings of around $61 a year!
2. Use the correct oil. Using the wrong product reduces efficiency and can waste up to $40 annually.
3. Get your junk out of the truck. Reducing the weight of your vehicle reduces efficiency  An extra 100 lbs  can add up to $40 a year.
4. Keep the speed limit. Going over 60 mph reduces your gas mileage and can add up to 31 cents per gallon. 
5. Put it on cruise control. Staying at a steady pace which helps save money.

Have fun on your road trip and save on your annual energy costs.

Of course, one easy way to save is to sign up with IDT Energy!

Is Your House Ready for the Summer? Make it Energy Efficient!

Right now is a perfect time to save on energy! The heat is off and the AC hasn't been turned on yet.

It's also a great time to start preparing for the summer - keeping your energy bills low by conserving energy.

Here are IDT Energy's top 5 energy efficiency tips to get ready for the summer:

1. Change the filters once a month.  Don't make your A/C work harder than it has to. Pushing air through a dirty filter takes more energy; plus, who doesn't want clean air!
2. Install a programmable thermostat.  You have heard this one time and time again. So why are you waiting? Your couch and favorite lazy chair don't need to stay cool while you are busy at work. And who has time to remember to adjust the temp when you are running out of the house barely remembering to put shoes on! Set the thermostat to automatically adjust.
3. Clean the condensation lines.  Keeping this clean of sludge and debris is important to maintain the efficiency of the AC unit.
4. Check that the condenser (unit outside) is level.  If the cement pad that the condenser sits on outside is not level the machine has to work harder.  That means you have to work harder to pay those energy bills!
5. Clean the condenser.  While you are outside making sure that the condenser is level, make sure it's free of any debris. Debris blocks air flow, making the unit work harder.

Looking for more energy saving tips? Check out IDT Energy's Facebook and IDT Energy's Pinterest.