Energy Archives - Other CMS

How to Pick A Personal Trainer

CENTRESTAGEFILMS — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 08:30:00 +0000

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Steps to Boost Your Energy at Any Age

CENTRESTAGEFILMS — Thu, 13 Feb 2025 08:30:00 +0000

Your body is your temple and should be treated as such, this exert will assist is changing your mindset to show you the benefits of eating healthy, moving your body and other healthy habits. You only have one life to live so lets make it count.

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Tips to Begin (and Keep On) Journaling

CENTRESTAGEFILMS — Thu, 06 Feb 2025 08:30:00 +0000

You started the year off strong journaling and bettering yourself inside and out, do not give up now. Journaling is therapeutic and has plenty of benefits, keep it up.

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Cooking Tips To Promote Weight Loss

CENTRESTAGEFILMS — Thu, 09 Jan 2025 08:30:00 +0000

Have you ever heard the saying " You are what you eat"? Eating healthy cooked meals can change you form the inside out. By simply changing around a couple ingrediencies in the kitchen you can shed that stubborn weight.

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How To Plan A Successful ‘Retirementmoon’

CENTRESTAGEFILMS — Thu, 02 Jan 2025 08:30:00 +0000

How To Plan A Successful ‘Retirementmoon’

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Tips to Help You Cope with Winter

CENTRESTAGEFILMS — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 08:30:00 +0000

As the weather changes, so will your hobbies, activities, and mood. All though the winter cold can seem to be a down time you have much beauty to intake with new activities and hobbies to embark on and a new outlook of the beauty winter brings.

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Tips to Keep Your Manufactured Home Cool This Summer

CENTRESTAGEFILMS — Fri, 28 Apr 2023 20:53:35 +0000

Tips to Keep Your Manufactured Home Cool This Summer

Parts of the western United States endured a markedly cold and wet winter this year, with some regions registering precipitation levels not seen in two decades. Ski seasons across the West have been extended into late spring-early summer and drought concerns have eased in California.

That said, everyone out West knows exactly what the coming months will bring – weeks of uninterrupted sunshine, light winds and daily highs running to 100 degrees and beyond. Those conditions traditionally pose challenges for owners of manufactured homes, as blazing summer days can turn even the most energy-efficient unit into an oppressive oven. Central air conditioning and window units can help ameliorate the problem but fortunately there also are simple steps you can take this summer to keep your living space and energy bills comfortable.

Avoid Generating Heat: Sometimes, keeping your manufactured home cool is about what you don’t do. When the temperature outside starts to rise, avoid running appliances that increase the temperature inside. Dishwashers, for example, use heat to dry their contents, as do clothes dryers. When it comes to dinner, skip the oven by opting for outdoor grilling or microwave cooking. Also bear in mind that incandescent light bulbs generate substantial heat; keep lights turned off when you can or switch to cooler CFL or LED bulbs.

Moving Air: In summer, it always feels cooler to get air moving across your skin, so make ready use of box and/or ceiling fans. Many ceiling fans spin both counterclockwise and clockwise depending on the season; you want counterclockwise for summer. Also, it makes sense to monitor air temperature inside and outside your home to determine when opening the windows will provide maximum relief.

Throwing Shade: A beautiful sunbeam pouring into a room looks cozy and cheery, but it also makes the room hot. To prevent unwanted heat from coming in through your windows, it’s best to cover them. You have plenty of options available, such as room-darkening curtains, exterior awnings over the windows or tinted window reflection film. This last is particularly effective in cooling your home, with data revealing film reflects away up to 70 percent of the sun’s heat.

Coat the Roof: Another strategy for keeping your manufactured home cool this summer is to apply a reflective roof coating to redirect the sun’s rays. Most homeowners opt for an aluminized asphalt roof coating because it is the easiest to apply and can block 60 percent of solar rays. Another other option is a white elastomeric roof coating that can reflect 70 to 85 percent of the sun’s rays. You can apply this coating to a metal roof directly but will need to prime an asphalt roof before installation. All coatings come with the caveat that they can make your unit colder in the winter. As a result, they are best reserved for those who live in mild climates year-round.

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At Harmony Communities, we feel strongly that each resident has a sense of home. That they come home from work and feel pride in their environment and in their place in the greater community. That families are comfortable raising children in our neighborhoods, and that couples and singles know that they belong to something bigger than their four walls. In other words, we seek to create harmony within each community, making our communities not just passable, but peaceful, safe, functional, and beautiful.

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How to Chose an Electric Vehicle

CENTRESTAGEFILMS — Fri, 16 Dec 2022 19:49:25 +0000

This year’s wildly fluctuating gas prices have helped make electric vehicles (EVs) more popular than ever and it’s not hard to see why. Besides saving you those thousands of dollars you spend at the pump each year, EVs have an important role to play in protecting the environment and slowing the rate of climate change. They’re also proven to be dependable and come in lots of sporty models.

That said, consumers should put some time into researching EVs before switching from gas-powered vehicles. The reality is that even with a greater number of them on the road each year, EVs still rank among the most expensive cars in America. In addition, ongoing supply-chain issues mean you rarely have the opportunity to simply walk on the lot and drive one home. Here are some important factors to consider if you’re thinking of making the jump to an EV.

Affordability: As noted, EVs are pricey, particularly when compared to similarly performing gasoline-powered vehicles. Give that, your first step is to come up with a realistic estimate of how large a car payment your monthly budget can handle. If those numbers indicate something less than top-of-the-line, take a look at Nissan Leaf (starting price $27,400), Chevrolet Bolt ($31,500) or Hyundai Kona ($34,000). Also be aware of the federal EV tax credit, an incentive worth up to $7,500. That can make a difference, although you will first need to buy the car before the IRS gets involved.

Consider a Hybrid: Potential EV purchasers have two other challenges to think about – can they install a car charger at home and do they have access to an adequate charging infrastructure. If the answers are no, it might be time to look at a hybrid, which are substantially less expensive but still offer improved mileage. Turns out the hybrid option – even with its part reliance on gasoline – might meet most or all of your EV needs. Going Places: Another factor to consider is how much range you need given your normal driving patterns. Longer-range vehicles are all well and good, but many require a mix of large batteries, lightweight materials and aerodynamic design, none of which come cheap. Figure out how far you want to travel between charges and make your purchase accordingly, bearing in mind that EV mile-range estimates are best-case scenarios that fluctuate based on how you drive. It’s also wise to invest in a little more range than you think you’ll need.

Leasing and the Used Market: With EVs, as with their gas-powered counterparts, remember there are always alternatives to buying a new model. Leasing, for example, eliminates most of the financial pressures of acquiring an EV, although the fact you don’t own the car outright means there are limitations to its use. Meanwhile, a used EV could save you money and enable you to avoid waiting for your car to arrive from the factory. The downside is that older cars may have some wear and tear.

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Three Reasons Why You Should Replace Your Light Bulbs with LEDs

CENTRESTAGEFILMS — Tue, 18 Feb 2020 10:21:17 +0000

The light-emitting diode (LED) is one of the most energy-efficient lighting technologies on the market today. Although LED bulbs cost more at the outset than traditional light bulbs, quality made LEDs last longer, are more durable, and offer the same quality of lighting as other types of lighting such as traditional incandescent light bulbs, while also reducing energy use. Innovation over the past decade has also eliminated many of the problems LEDs had when they first hit the market. So, should you replace the traditional light bulbs in your home with LEDs? Here are a few reasons you might want to consider making the switch.

#1 LEDs last longer, saving you cash.

While it might not look like it at first, LEDs are one way you can save big bucks on your utility bill every month. They are, currently, more expensive than incandescent light bulbs, but prices are consistently falling. Think of LEDs as a long-term investment. While the upfront cost may be higher, in the long run, you’ll save money via lower energy use and the longer life span of LEDs. The life span of LEDs can’t be understated. On average, LEDs last 15 times longer than incandescent light bulbs meaning you might not have to replace an LED for decades.

#2 LEDs use less energy.

LEDs emit the same brightness as incandescent light bulbs. However, they use far less energy; 70-90% less energy in fact. This energy savings means you’ll be saving a pretty penny on your electric bills every month too, especially if you replace all of the lights in your home with LEDs.

#3 They’re good for the environment.

Not only do LEDs last longer and help reduce your electric bill, they also help the planet. Thanks to their efficiency, you’ll be using less electricity. You’ll also be reducing your carbon footprint, since replacing bulbs less often means less waste and fewer light bulbs manufactured over time. LEDs are also safe to dispose of normally since they do not contain mercury like compact fluorescent lights (CFLs).

Making the Switch

Switching your home’s lights from incandescent or CFL to LEDs is a great investment. While you don’t need to go out to the store and buy lights for your entire home today, gradually replacing lights as they go out to LEDs will help save money and the environment one light at a time. And we know you’ll smile when you see the lower energy bill each month.

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Ten Ways to Save on Your Utility Bills This Summer

CENTRESTAGEFILMS — Wed, 17 Jul 2019 20:58:52 +0000

Peak cooling seasons can bring many families sticker shock. In an effort to keep their homes comfortable during a summer heat wave, and while accommodating summer guests who are showering, flushing, rinsing dishes, and adding to the laundry pile, families may be faced with unpleasantly high electrical bills at the end of the season.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the average American family spends $2,200 a year on utility bills. This includes the consumption of both water and electricity. But while the numbers are staggering, the good news is that there are simple ways to cut back on both energy and water usage in your home – even during the scorching summer months.

Conserving Energy

Crank up the thermostat. If you can stand to keep your home warmer, you will see substantial savings in your monthly electrical bill. To keep air flowing through your home, turn on your ceiling fans (or invest in a tower fan), and open windows for cross ventilation. You can even purchase a programmable thermostat that will auto-adjust to raise the temperature during certain times of the day – for instance, when you’re at work – so you aren’t paying to cool an empty house.
Maintain your HVAC system. Regularly maintaining your system will ensure it is working as efficiently as possible. If you own your home, contract with a company that can service your unit twice a year. Also, replace your filters regularly – ideally, every six months.
Seal your home. A well-insulated home is an energy-efficient home. Walk through your home to look for cracks, gaps, and drafts, and repair them. Add weather strips to drafty doors and windows to ensure your AC and heat don’t escape.
Turn down your hot water heater.The EPA estimates that a hot water heater set at 140 degrees or more can waste $36-$61 annually. Set your heater at 120 degrees – a temperature that will require less energy but still heat your water enough to kill dangerous pathogens.
Swap out your bulbs. Replace your incandescent bulbs with fluorescent or LED lights. This will save you about $30 throughout the life of the bulb.
Hang up your clothes. Instead of tossing everything in the dryer, consider hanging your clothes in your laundry room or on a clothesline instead.
Invest in energy-efficient appliances. When purchasing appliances, look for the “Energy Star” label, which is an assurance that the product will conserve energy. Swap out your old, outdated appliances for these high-efficiency ones for more savings on your monthly energy bill.
Turn up your refrigerator and freezer. Keeping your refrigerator at 37 degrees and your freezer around three degrees will keep your food cold – but not unnecessarily or excessively so.
Don’t light an empty room. The simplest way to conserve energy is to cut it off when it’s not needed. Unplug or turn off any appliances you aren’t using.
Monitor your usage. Each month, check the statements you receive from your energy company to identify areas that need improvement and vow to make changes. For instance, if your statements show that the bulk of your bill applies to cooling, turn up your thermostat three degrees next month to see how that impacts your bill.

Conserving Water

Shorten those showers. We all love a long, hot shower, but shaving off even two minutes from our shower time reduces our water usage by about ten gallons.
Look for leaks. Check to make sure your appliances aren’t leaking. Drippy faucets and pipes with hairline cracks can waste gallons of water over time.
Harvest your rainwater. Install a barrel in your yard to catch rainwater and runoff, and use it to water your indoor and outdoor plants. However, be sure to use the water instead of letting it sit – otherwise, it will become a mosquito breeding ground!
Install efficient fixtures. Your shower head or faucets may be releasing more water than they need to, resulting in waste. Look for showerheads and faucet attachments that release less water, and install low-flow toilets to reduce your overall water usage by up to 50%.
Don’t let the water run. Turn off your tap when washing your hands or brushing your teeth.
Cut it off. If there are parts of your home that you simply don’t use – like guest bathrooms – cut off the water supply to that part of your home.
Pad your plants. Adding mulch to your flowerbeds can help your plants stay moist, requiring less regular watering.
Skip the sprinkler. Sprinklers can waste water by spraying the sidewalk, gutters, and side of your house just as much (or more!) than the grass and plants themselves. Instead of running a sprinkler, consider watering your lawn by hand.
Put the hose away. The same goes for using a hose to clean off your sidewalks, porch, or driveway. Use a broom or blower instead of a hose to clean up your home’s exterior rather than blasting it with water.
Commit to full loads. Make sure your dishwasher and washing machine are full before running them to avoid wasting gallons of water.

Incorporate these small lifestyle changes one by one and you will likely see substantial savings this summer – allowing more room in the budget for that family vacation!

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