TIP OF THE WEEK
Six summer home maintenance tips for comfort and energy savings
Things will soon be heating up all over the country. In fact, the average U.S. household will spend 3 percent more on electricity bills this summer than in 2017, due to rising retail electricity prices and higher usage, according to the U.S. Energy Administration’s estimation.
Jennifer Franz, an energy efficiency expert at Lennox, says the good news is that homeowners can spend just a few hours before the season starts to make some quick fixes and easy improvements that will help them save energy and make them more comfortable all summer long, including:
1 Mind the maintenance: Schedule an annual routine check-up for your heating and cooling equipment to keep the system running as efficiently as possible, and check the air filter each month to see if it needs to be replaced.
2 Keep it cool: Add extra insulation to the attic, which will help prevent your home’s heating and cooling system from having to work harder to regulate the indoor temperature during the hottest months of the year.
3 Control cracks: Seal cracks around windows and doors with caulk or weather stripping to prevent conditioned air from escaping.
4 Set it and forget it: Install a programmable thermostat to adjust the temperature at certain times of the day, automatically regulating the temperature when you’re away. In addition, always set your thermostat to the highest temperature you can stand to save the most money.
5 Make a clean sweep: Decrease dust and dirt in the home by cleaning with non-toxic, natural household cleaners, such as baking soda, cornstarch or white vinegar, and using a vacuum cleaner with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter, which will trap small particles like dust that others re-circulate back into the air.
6 Seal the deal: Examine the home’s pipes and connections, as well as all vents, and add caulking or sealant, if needed, to ensure they are air-tight.
— Brandpoint
TECH TALK
Instagram introduces new ‘bully’ filter
In an effort to expand its online anti-bullying initiative, Instagram has launched a “bully” filter for its 800 million users. The filter will be used to weed out comments meant to harass or bully users. The filter will help the popular social media site review accounts that have a large number of comments filtered out and if those accounts violate Instagram’s guidelines, the company said it will take action, including banning an abusive user. The filter will also hide comments attacking a person’s appearance or character.
NUMBER TO KNOW
$ 500 million: Legendary guitar-maker Gibson recently filed for bankruptcy protection, facing nearly $500 million in debt.
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