One great way to save money this year is to lower your water heating costs.  IDT Energy wants customers to benefit from energy savings.  For each 10 degrees that you reduce the water temperature,  you can have savings of between 3-5% in energy costs.

Many people think that their water heater thermostat needs to be set to 140 degree Fahrenheit.  This temperature actually poses a potential safety issue, since water at this temperature can be scalding.  When you reduce your water temperature to 120 degrees Fahrenheit, you will save money without even noticing the difference in the water temperature.  Now, if you have a dishwasher with a booster heater, you may need the water temperature to remain within the 130 degree Fahrenheit range for the best cleaning.

While we all want to be safe in the house, we don’t always know how to be.  This is particularly true when dealing with electricity and energy.  IDT Energy wants to make sure that you, and all children in the house, know how to keep yourselves safe.  Use this checklist to learn about energy safety and to check on your safety in the home.

First of all, there should always be a multipurpose fire extinguisher in the house.  Electric appliances that can get hot should always be kept away from things that might burn.  When leaving the home, small appliances should always be turned off, and unplugged when possible.

If small children live in the home, safety caps should be used and inserted into the outlets so that children can’t stick their fingers or objects into these outlets.  Finally, all extension cords, lights and appliances that are used outdoors should have labels on them that indicate that they are for outdoor use.

As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the White House has earmarked more than $80 billion for clean energy investments.  These investments include everything from making a smarter grid to move renewable energy from rural places to cities, to low-income home weatherization projects.

In addition, it includes $4.5 billion for federal building green initiatives and to cut the energy bill.  It also includes $600 million in green job training programs.  Another interesting initiative is the $2 billion that has been put aside in competitive grants to help companies to develop the next generation of batteries that will store energy better.