Everyone wants to save money, and when we conserve resources and use them in the most efficient possible way, we not only save money, but we protect our environment. IDT Energy has a few easy, smart suggestions for ways to save on the energy that you use around your house.

1.    Consider linking your electrical outlets to wall switches. Many electronic devices such as cell phone chargers, televisions and computers continue to use electricity even when they are not turned on or in stand-by mode. This is called “phantom power” which uses a small amount of power, but over time can begin to add up. It is estimated that phantom power might actually compose up to 10% of an average electric bill. One way to really turn off these devices so that they are not drawing any power is to link them to the wall switch, and turn them off at the wall. You can achieve the same goal by plugging these devices into power strips with switches that you turn off when not in use.

2.    Install a programmable thermostat. For about $50 you can save upwards of $150 per year by having your heating and cooling systems turn on only when you are at home. The thermostat will also lower the power output when the heating/cooling system is not needed as much, such as when you are asleep, automatically.

3.    Switch to CFLs. Compact fluorescent light bulbs use around 75% less energy than standard incandescent bulbs, and can last up to 10 times longer. This converts to an estimated $30 saved in the cost of electricity over the lifetime of the bulb. Go visit the IDT Energy Store for a nice selection of CFLs for your home and office.

Originally scheduled to last from February 12, 2010 until February 21st, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority decided to extend the “Great Appliance Swap Out” program until the funding runs out. The program was endowed with $17 million in order to give rebates to consumers who purchase energy-efficient appliances including refrigerators, freezers, washing machines and dishwashers. So far the NYSERDA has distributed up to $555 rebate per purchase amounting to over $7.7 million in rebates so far. New Yorkers can continue benefiting from this unique program until all the funding is gone.

We’ve been discussing the first batteries which were developed and in use in the early and middle 19th century. Today, the beginning of the 21st century, we use batteries for an enormous number of products and conveniences, and the vast majority of those batteries are rechargeable.

Cell phones, laptops, MP3 players, digital cameras, portable power tool all require batteries, and rechargeable ones are the most convenient and cost effective.

The concept of a rechargeable battery was invented by the French physicist Gaston Plante in 1859, and was called the lead acid cell. This later became the world’s first rechargeable battery and is still in use today in the form of modern car batteries.

The concept behind rechargeable batteries is quite basic and simple. Electrical energy is applied to the battery causing the flow of electrons in the opposite direction from the way they flowed when the battery discharged, restoring the power to the battery. Electrical products and devices with built-in batteries need an adapter to re-charge them. The most common type of rechargeable batteries are nickel-cadmium  and nickel-metal hydride, used for many types of devices such as remote control devices, flashlights, digital cameras and a lot more.

IDT Energy has a large selection of rechargeable batteries for you to choose from. Head to the IDT Energy store and look around.

Electricity is such an indespensable part of our lives, IDT Energy believes people should know a little history and information about this ever-present force in our lives.

Alessandro Volta created the first battery in the year 1800. His design was as simple as it was brilliant. Known as a “voltaic pile,” Volta built a stack using alternating layers of zinc, blotting paper soaked in salt water, and silver. Care must be taken so that the top and bottom of the piles are different metals. A voltage can be measured from the pile, as well as a current, by attaching a wire to the top and bottom of the pile. The higher the pile created will produce a larger voltage, increasing by a fixed amount with each additional layer.

From the time of the voltaic pile’s invention until the development of electrical generators in the 1870s, a cousin of the voltaic pile, known as the Daniel cell, Crowfoot cell, Gravity cell and Wet cell, was used for operating telegraph machines and doorbells, and it was very common. The Daniel cell consists of two plates, one of them zinc and the other copper, inside a glass jar which has a solution of zinc sulfate on top and copper sulfate on the bottom.  This is a good experiment for a school project, and for stationary uses of electricity a Daniel cell is a good solution.

IDT Energy is a supplier of electricity and natural gas to customers in New York. But electricity does not only effect our lives through the outlets in our homes. Today we have become more and more dependent on our ability to take electricity with us everywhere.

Batteries are an amazing invention. They allow us to use electric devices while on the go, giving incredible freedom and power to the user. But have you ever thought about how batteries work? Or when they were first used? Interestingly, the first battery dates to the beginning of the 19th century, and was created by Alessandro Volta. Volta was an Italian physicist, born in 1745 in Como, and taught in public schools there. In 1774 Volta became a professor of physics at the Royal School in Como, and a professor of experimental physics at the the University of Pavia in 1779. Volta held this position for 25 years. Because of Volta’s experiments with electrical capacitance the unit of electrical potential has been named in his honor, which of course is known as the volt. Alessandro Volta is credited with creating the very first electrochemical cell, or battery. It was made from two electrodes; one made from the metal zinc, and the second from copper. Sulphuric acid was used as the electrolyte, or salt and water can also be substituted for the acid. This early, primitive battery is still used today as a way to demonstrate to students the principles of electricity. It is referred to as a Lemon Battery.

By making just a few alterations to your home, you can significantly change your energy expenses.  A programmable thermostat is one such alteration that can help with your bottom line. IDT Energy wants you to save on your energy bill.  A programmable thermostat can make a difference.

A programmable thermostat offers a number of pre-programmed settings that regulate the home temperature both during the heat I the summer and the cold in the winter.  You set the thermostat to create the optimal amount of savings without sacrificing your comfort.  Today’s average household spends more than $2,200 a year on energy bills.  Half of this, approximately, is due to heating and cooling costs. With a pre-programmed thermostat, homeowners can save each month without even noticing the difference in their own comfort.

This is one of the many energy tips that IDT Energy and others offer to help you to reduce your energy bills this winter!

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.

IDT Energy, and other energy service companies, offer a number of ways to heat the home.  More than 50% of people use natural gas for this process.  The process of heating and cooling the home actually uses more energy and drains more of your electric bill than does any other system in the home.  In general, 43% of the utility bill is from heating and cooling.  In addition, heating and cooling systems add to global climate change, with 150 million tons of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere each year in the United States.
With all of this said, there are sage ways to save on your energy bill and to help the environment at the same time.  Here, IDT Energy explores a number of important tips to help you to save on your bottom line.

1. Set the thermostat as low as you can handle it in the winter and as high as possible in the summer.  Purchase a programmable thermostat as well so that you’ll only be using energy at key times throughout the day.

2. Clean filters on furnaces once a month and clean warm-air registers, baseboard heaters and radiators as necessary.

3. Turn off exhaust fans in the kitchen, bath and other areas within 20 minutes after you’ve finished cooking or bathing.  If you need to replace exhaust fans, use high-efficiency, low-noise models.

4. Pay attention to your drapes and shades (or install some if you don’t already have them).  In the winter, keep drapes and shades on your south-facing windows open during the day for more sunlight and closed at night to reduce a chill from cold windows.  During the summer months, keep the windows closed during the day to prevent extra heat from the sun.