Get Cozy With Home Energy Savings
If you’re a homeowner, you know there’s more to getting set for cold weather than digging out your coat, scarf, and favorite fuzzy boots; it’s time to make sure your home is winter-ready too. More than half the energy a typical home uses goes toward heating and cooling. The Federal Trade Commission has some energy saving tips to help you get the most from the energy you use and avoid a home-heating scam.
Remember that small energy savings add up. Think about lowering your thermostat, replacing air filters in the heating system, and closing fireplace dampers when you aren’t using the fireplace. A home energy assessment will show if your home is losing energy through air leaks, an under-insulated attic, or ducts. Your utility company may offer free or low-cost energy assessments, or it may recommend a local company or organization to do them. The Department of Energy has more resources at energysavers.gov.
Whether you take the DIY route or hire a professional, don’t look to radiant energy barriers to reduce your heating bills. That’s not what barriers are designed to do, despite sales talk you might hear. Radiant barriers can lower air-conditioning costs for some homes in locations like Miami or Austin, but they reduce heating costs by an amount ranging from zero to insignificant. Learn more about radiant barriers from the Department of Energy. For more ideas about energy efficiency and saving money, go to FTC.gov/green.
Comments
very informative and useful...thank you
THE ONLY WAY TO GET COMFORTABLE WITH HOME ENERGY SAVINGS IS BY UNDERSTANDING THE STEPS THAT EVOLVE AROUND USAGE OF ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENTS!
No ! That is a false statement.
I became suspicious when a phone caller asked to update my file so that I could continue in an electric bill discount program. Told caller I was too busy, to call back later. I called my utility company. Turned out my utility company had no record of anyone contacting me. Who knows? Given a bad day I might have told that caller plenty of personal info.
I thought that winter was over, but I woke up to the cold rain. Hopefully my wife will turn off the air conditioning to save energy. The weather has been so bizarre here lately.
I had an energy rep come to my home- my mom answered the door. I was waiting for rep to leave when my mom comes to tell me the rep is pregnant and needs to use the bathroom. I thought it might be a scam to walk through my house, but the "pregnancy" comment made me open the garage instead and have her use the bathroom there instead of walking through the whole house. Rep left after and I told my mom to not even answer the door. My co-worker also commented that one of the "energy savers" is equipment they attach to your air conditioner to regulate it but what it actually did was burn the condenser and end up costing more money.
A particular caller calls everyday and sometimes every few days about how I can save money by upgrading to Solar power in the house. The caller claims to be SDG&E. I work for SDG&E. We do not do this. I advise the caller about me working for SDG&E and sometimes they hang up or call back with a different caller. Thy ask me continuously and repeatedly how much my utility bill is. If they were SDG&E, they would already know this. But the caller states that "they do not see it on file right now". They keep asking to come over to the house because they are in the area and they wish to see if we qualify for free estimate and upgrade. Their number is: 619-656-0149, and: 619-423-0414. They do not stop calling. They keep changing their Solar 'supposed' company name every time. How can these calls be stopped?
Anyone else in the San Diego area experience this? I have the address and location but I feel the authorities should handle it instead. Please help.
Someone is hawking a "Magnetic Repulsion Motor" as a lifetime generator of free electricity. They are targeting homes, businesses and even small remote electric utilities. Is there any research and testing that supports their far-fetched claims or is this just another run-of-the-mill scams?
Of course it's a scam. Nothing is free, the laws of physics do not allow for it to happen.
There is a woman with an accent, I believe Philipino, I can usually recognize accents,who calls saying that she represents the electric something and wants me to call her, number is 6266711452. I went to check a page to do a reverse check on that phone and found out that she's called others, sometimes she speaks in a language they don't understang.
The Hero Program is finding out what a homeowners loan limit is and charging them outrageous amounts for a most minor jobs. Be careful "esigning" anything.
I got a call this morning- 12/17- from this number in Tampa,813-329-7265- from a woman who claims that "electric rates are going up, and we will do a free energy audit for you" SCAM ALERT!!!
National "C I T" in California.619-900-0005. Getting harassing phone calls in Florida is bad enough, but out-of-state calls is completely unacceptable!! Any scammers who get caught, put them on trial, find them guilty, and send them overseas to rot in jail.
Received a call stating that the department of energy was having the "energy awareness" company come to our area this week to do checks in the house to save you energy. I said before making any appointment I had to check with FPL first and they hung up immediately. Follow sai to place consumer alert if I suspected a scam
This phone number (800) 8016132 belongs to scammers. They called our company as an FPL epresentative and told me our service would be cut off by 1:30pm, which was a lie since FPL never calls to collect. Our service was paid on time for both our warehouses. When I called them back to investigate who they are a Mr. Contreras answered, also the same guy faking a women's voice and used Susan as his name. I told them to stop calling. He hanged up on me. I called a second time and the guy answered as Pizzeria Joe. These scammers might use this number for several other scams. Never fall for it. Report them. I decided to report this number as scammers and I truly hope no one falls for it. I hope someone caught them quick.
I have not seen a slow down it the telemarketing calls from Solar Companies. One, Lightpath solar LLC has refused to stop calling. They have a PO box as an address. No matter how many times you tell them you are on the DNC list or stop calling or that they are calling an unpublished unlisted number they continue to call. I have started filing complaints on line with FTC, Atty generls off in my state and BBB.
Got a call 9/11/17 from someone asking how much my monthly energy bill was. That I qualified if over $70. Said Federal/State program would pay for upgrades to house to conserve energy. I asked their web addr: www. energy. gov. No such address.
We have been besieged lately from Indian speakers telling us that they represent Comed, our electric company in Illinois. They have not called for about a month, but I now have ammunition. Thanks FTC. I may have put some of their numbers on my callblock. If s, I will send them along.
SEVERAL calls a day every day from an Enegery Saving company (888)269 7397. Never leaves a VM, so I called to see who/what it was, got a human lady once said not interest at the pitch don't call, called back twice a day for weeks I called back TAKE me off your list, they said takes 72 hours! I said three weeks of this I DON'T think so..ugh make it stop!
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