In the Kitchen: Energy Efficient Appliances

As a follow up to our last post, here are some more ideas to get the most out of your kitchen appliances, energy-wise.

Here are a few simple tips from IDT Energy to help you get started making your kitchen as energy efficient as possible:

• Measure the space you have set aside for your new appliance. Then measure the appliance to make sure it will fit and that there is enough space to open doors or lid, and that there is enough room for proper ventilation.

• It is not enough to only consider the price of the appliance. Check how much the appliance costs to run, and be sure to purchase the most energy efficient that you can.

• Check with the sales person if there are any special offers such as cash rebates, low-interest loans or other incentives to purchase a more energy efficient model.

• Be sure to read the Energy Guide, the black and yellow sticker that the FTC requires be placed on all new appliances, (with the exception of kitchen ranges, microwave ovens and dryers.) Reading this guide helps consumers to compare the different models and make the most informed choices about the energy they will be using and the money they will be spending when they bring the new appliance into their home.

Becoming an informed consumer will help you save money and save energy.

Energy Efficient Remodeling: Part 1 - Kitchen

Are you using this beautiful weather to fix up or remodel some areas of your home? Are you looking to update the cosmetics or perhaps lower your energy bills? There are a number of ways you can make your house work harder for you and spend less on your monthly bills.

The geeks at IDT Energy are always looking for ways to improve their own homes and as total energy geeks we look for ways to lower our energy bills. For the first part of this series we are looking at the kitchen - the heart and hub of many homes.

1. The first and the most obvious way to improve the efficiency in the kitchen is to replace and upgrade the appliances.  Older appliances tend to use a lot of energy, by upgrading to energy star rated appliances you will reduce energy usage and save money.
2. Lighting can account for 15% of your home's energy usage and because your kitchen is one of the busiest rooms in the house, it uses the majority of that 15%. If you are not replacing the lighting fixtures, simply change your light bulbs from the old style to CFL (compact florescent lights). If you are replacing the light fixtures themselves, upgrade to Energy Star light fixtures. These light fixtures can use 75% less energy, generate 75% less heat and last up to 10 times longer.
3. Increase the natural lighting in the room. By removing any unneeded walls, increasing the window or door size and even adding a light tube you can increase the natural light in the room.
4. Add insulation to both the walls and the pipes. Additional insulation around the pipes will prevent the heat escaping from the water. For the outside walls add blown-in insulation if you are not opening the walls and spray foam if you are. Spray foam can be expensive so if you are looking save money, batt and roll works as well. Make sure you have an R value of at least R-30 for outside walls, but the higher the R value the better. 
5. Change out your faucet for a low flow faucet that can reduce water usage by 60%.
6. Check for any air leaks around electrical outlets, windows, doors and recessed lighting An easy way to look for leaks - use a stick of incense, use it around any possible leaks, if the smoke moves or shift there is a leak. Seal or insulate any leaks that you find. 

Stay tuned as we explore different areas of the house!

IDT Energy Rewards FAQs

IDT Energy is proud to announce that our reward program is now live! Have questions? Here are a few FAQs to answer questions you may have about the program. Not finding an answer to your question? Leave a comment and we'll do our best to answer them for you - and add them to our FAQ list.

Who can earn Rewards?
Active IDT Energy customers that have registered for the rewards program.

How do I register for the IDT Energy® Rewards program?
It's easy! Just go to www.IDTEnergyRewards.com and have your utility bill handy. Select your utility and enter your account or POD ID #. Verify your basic information is correct, or make any necessary corrections (these corrections will not effect your IDT Energy or utility account, just your rewards information). And we will deposit 1,000 points just for registering.

How do I earn rewards?
After you register your account, we will give you 1,000 points. Then, earn more points every month based on your energy usage. We will also award you points when you hit certain benchmarks, like you 1 year anniversary with IDT Energy (who doesn't like anniversary presents?!).

How many points do I need until I can redeem something?
There are rewards for as low as 1,250 points.  The Rewards catalog has THOUSANDS of items to choose from, so as you earn more you will have a LOT of options.

Do I need a special code to sign up?
No specials codes needed. Just go to www.IDTEnergyRewards.com and have your utility information handy to register your accounts.

I have multiple accounts with IDT Energy, can I earn Rewards on all of them?Absolutely! You can earn rewards on both natural gas and electricity, if you receive your energy supply from IDT Energy. If you have multiple houses, you can earn rewards for each of them as well.

Will all of my points go into one pool if I have multiple accounts with IDT Energy? 
Once you register your first account, any accounts that are connected in our system will be registered. If you do not see all of your accounts, please select "Add/Link Accounts" and follow the steps.

I just signed up with IDT Energy, I am trying to register with Rewards and it is not allowing me to register for rewards - why?
If you just enrolled with IDT Energy we do not have your account information processed and in our system yet. Please check back at a later date. If you have any questions regarding your enrollment, please contact customer service at 877-887-6866.

I am not an active IDT Energy customer, how do I enroll?

Go to www.IDTEnergy.com or call 1-888-474-2339 to enroll your utility account.

Happy Independence Day America! 

TBT: Electric Insulators Re-Purposed

Glass insulators were first produced in the 1850's for use with telegraph lines. Technology developed and insulators were needed for more things like telephone lines, electric power lines, etc. Now, they are often collectors items. Here are a few neat examples of how people have re-purposed them. For more ideas, check out the IDT Energy Pinterest. 

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DIY Air Conditioner - Cool Your House with 5 Items

It's summer. It's hot. And your house doesn't have Air Conditioning. The fan just isn't cutting it anymore and you just want to cool down. It's time to make your own air conditioner and CHEAP!

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Materials List:

• 5 gallon Bucket
• Styrofoam bucket liner (You can purchase this from a store like Home Depot)
• PVC pipe - 3 pieces of 1.5" pipe 
• Small Fan
• Ice

How To:

1. Cut three circular holes in the 5 gallon bucket the size of the PVC pipe. We recommend using 2 1/4" hole saw.
2. Insert the liner into the bucket.
3. Use a 2 1/8" hole saw to cut holes in the liner where you previously cut holes in the bucket
4. Insert the PVC pipe into the holes
5. Cut a hole in both the lid of the buck and the liner slightly smaller than the fan.
6. Place ice in the bucket, place fan on top, and enjoy the cool air!

For the ice we recommend  freezing two 1 gallon jugs of water. Each jug should last 5-6 hours. Once one jug melts, re-freeze, and replace the "Air Conditioner" with the alternate.

If you would like a visual, check out this video: Homemade Air Conditioner

We have also pinned a few other ideas on how to make your own Air Conditioner, check out IDT Energy on Pinterest!

No Need to Break the Bank to Keep Cool this Summer

Here are a few easy-to-do tips to save some money on your electric bill this summer:

• Save money and energy on your electric bill by turning off the air conditioner when you leave the house for a long time. If you don’t want to turn the whole unit off,  at least raise the temperature on the thermostat. Also, clean the ac’s filter. When the filter is dirty it forces the ac to work harder, wasting precious energy. 
• Try not to leave the doors to your fridge open too long. All the cool air that escapes means just more cool air the refrigerator must create. Cool hot food down to room temperature before putting them in the fridge.
• Use a microwave to heat food whenever possible. This wonderful appliance is much more efficient at heating food than an oven, and it has the added benefit of not heating up your house along with your food. And if the air conditioner is on, it just means less work for that other wonderful appliance.
• Do up the windows with curtains. Keeping the sun’s rays out of your house can do a lot towards maintaining a bearable room temperature during the hot, summer months. If you can arrange it, plant some deciduous trees on the South and West sides of your abode. During the summer you get some beautiful, natural shade, and during the winter, when the leaves fall, the sun can shine in on your home. What a great, natural solution to keeping your home comfortable.
• Take advantage of the warm sun’s rays to dry your clothes outside all summer. The sun is completely free when you use its energy directly. Watch out for rainy days, though.

Keeping cool during the summer without spending a fortune is possible with just a little bit of thoughtful energy-saving practices.

Rainy Day Summer Projects

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Is the rain ruining your planned summer projects? Need something to keep the kids busy inside? IDT Energy has put together some fun projects!

Rain in a Jar

What better way to explain what is happening outside, then make it happen inside.

Supplies: Glass Jar, Hot Water, Plate, Ice Cubes and a Towel (clean up any accidental messes)
Time: 15 min

1. Heat the water until it's almost boiling - pour it into the glass jar.
2. Quick! Cover the jar with the plate.
3. Place the ice cubes on the plate.
4. Watch what happens!

The warm air from the hot water rises and mixes with the cool air created by the ice cubes. This causes condensation and then rain!

Crayon Rainbow

You're waiting for the rain to clear and the sun to come out, and a rainbow to appear. Make your own rainbow with crayons!

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Supplies: Newspaper, canvas, hot glue gun (and glue stick), heat gun and lots of crayons. 

Time: 1 hour

1. Lay the newspaper down to protect your craft space
2. Sort out the crayons by color (likely avoiding greys, browns, and black)
3. Line up the colors by shade next to the canvas. The crayons should fill the length of the canvas.
4. Hot glue the crayons to the canvas, point down. Glue a small amount at a time. 
5. Once all of the crayons are affixed, lean the canvas up against a support (with the newspaper underneath)
6. Hold the heat gun about 12 inches from the canvas as the crayons begin to melt.
7. Use the heat gun, as needed, to follow the melted crayon down the canvas to provide continuous lines. Work one section at a time. 
8. After all of the crayons have melted, pick up the canvas and scrape off the bottom where there is excess crayon. 
9. Hope a real rainbow comes out soon!

Check out more fun, energy related projects on IDT Energy's Pinterest. 

5 Tips to Keep Your Body Cool in the Hot Summer

It's hot out. You want to keep cool, but you don't want to crank on/up the Air Conditioning. There is no pool in sight, but you need to cool down.

Here are 5 energy efficient tips to cooling down in the hot summer:

1. Use cool water on  your pulse points (like your wrists). This can help bring your core temperature down as much as 3 degrees!
2. Your body sweats to cool your down as the water vapor evaporates. Take advantage of your perspiration - stand in front of a cool breeze or a fan and cool down faster. 
3. Go downstairs. It's simple - heat rises. If your home has a lower level or a basement the air will be less dense the further from the roof line.
4. Mint refreshes the skin and leaves a cooling sensation. Use peppermint lotion or peppermint soap, but avoid your face and eyes.
5. Take off your shoes and hat while indoors! Most of the body's heat is released through the palms of your hands, the scalp and the soles of the feet. If you have shoes or a hat on, there is no way for the heat to escape!

Check out IDT Energy for more ways to earn rewards and get cash back.

Beat the Humidity (On a Budget)

Spring is in the air and summer is almost here. Fun in the sun and outdoor activities are upon us. But with the heat comes the humidity.  Not everyone has air conditioning, or wants to spend the money of electric costs to keep it running. Here are a few tips on how to beat the humidity - on a budget.

1. Skip the drying cycle on the dishwasher. Simply open the door and let it air dry.
2. Wear light colored clothing with thinner fabrics - this will help sweat evaporate quickly, keeping you cooler. 
3. Eating spicy food can help cool you. It contains a chemical called capsaicin, which helps us perspire more readily, and when the sweat evaporates we experience a moment of cool. 
4. Drink water. Not only is it just plain good for you, it helps keep you cool. 
5. Turn off the lights!