With an average energy bill set to climb to 1406 in 2009 (from 676 in 2005), the Government has given a commitment to help consumers improve household energy efficiency and permanently bring down energy bills.

As the nation waits for confirmation of where Government support will be given, many organisations are offering advice and guidance into where and how families can make changes that will cut their household energy costs.

Figures from the Energy Savings Trust suggest that if everyone undertook a number of simple measures including: Fitting energy saving light bulbs, double glazed windows, installing a condensing boiler, cavity wall and loft insulation and jackets for hot water tanks, UK households could reduce energy bills by over 270 a year and save over 1.9bn in fuel costs*.

Paul Kellett, Technical Director at Anglian Home Improvements, an Energy Savings Trust recommended supplier said: It is increasingly becoming apparent that current fuel price increases are set to have dramatic effects on many peoples household bills.

But making energy efficient changes, ahead of the winter months, could lead to savings of thousands of pound on future fuel bills – as well as adding to a houses value. If people are considering making improvements we would urge them to look at the most energy efficient options.

Installing double glazing for example, cuts heat lost through windows by half. At Anglian we fit B-rated energy saving double glazing as standard, which offers potential savings of over 110 per year per household.

Further estimations on savings to be gained from implementing energy efficiency measures in the home include*:
Around a third of all the heat lost in an un-insulated home is lost through the walls. Fitting cavity wall insulation could save up to 120 on an annual fuel bill
Insulating an uninsulated loft can save around 155 a year If everyone in the UK topped up their loft insulation to 270mm, around 560m would be saved each year. That’s enough money to pay the annual fuel bills of around 530,000 families.
An ultra efficient condensing boiler will be 20% more efficient and could save up to 130 on heating bills.
Fitting an insulating jacket to the hot water cylinder could save around 30 per year
Setting hot water cylinder thermostats to 60C/140F could save up to 10 over the year
Using low energy light bulbs to save 10 on electricity bills each year.
By installing draught proofing you could save around 25 a year on your heating bills

Financial help may be available if you’re planning to make energy saving improvements to your home

*Figures are from www.energysavingstrust.org.uk

Have you ever jumped in your RV for a weekend, or week long getaway, only to find that the batteries in your RV were dead, or close to it. That means no TV, no fan, no fridge, no lights all those necessities you take for granted at home, but can disappear in a heartbeat when your batteries arent charged. Or, of course, you could run out and buy new batteries every time you need them. But that doesnt help when you use up all of your power on the road and you need to recharge your batteries.

However, the Complete RV Wind Energy Kit from Silicon Solar can help keep your batteries charged and ready to go, even when you are miles away from the nearest electric outlet. This unique kit allows you to install a Wind Generator on your that is powerful enough to keep your batteries fresh and charged at all times, can be quickly hoisted up in the air when you are parked and lowered when you are heading out on to the road.

The Complete RV Wind Energy Kit includes all of the following; the major components you need to get your system installed and up and running in no time.

Kit includes Air X Land Wind Generator in either 12, 24 or 48V Configuration Also includes 15 ft Telescoping RV Tower Kit that attaches to your RV and quickly raises and lowers your wind generator

The Complete Wind Energy RV Kit is comes in one size, and provides enough power to charge the batteries of even the most heavily used RVs, and can easily be installed in a few hours getting you back on the road and ready to go in no time.

The Complete RV Wind Energy Kit is only available through Silicon Solar, and costs only $1500. Similar kits are sold by competitors for over $2000. You can more information on the Complete RV Wind Energy Kit, or buy your own today through Silicon Solar at www.siliconsolar.com and www.windenergydirect.org.

Most people dont realize this but the water that you use might not be good for you or your home. This is because most houses have what is called hard water. The minerals that make water hard are called calcium and magnesium. This is what causes lime scale to form in your house. Lime scale eventually clogs the inside your pipes and slowly destroys your water-based appliances. Dont worry though; you can get rid of those hard minerals by using a water softener. When you use a water softener youre trading the hard minerals ions with sodium ions. The end result is that your water turns into soft water. Some people would rather get a water conditioner in their home to avoid using salt but conditioners dont actually soften water. You can read water conditioner reviews to see what each one actually does.

What Hard Minerals Can Do To Your Home

Hard minerals in your water can actually cause lots of damage to your household. If you have ever took a shower or bath in someones house that has soft water, you probably felt much cleaner than you would at your own home. Now hard water doesnt only affect your home, but also affects you in many ways. The hard minerals cause your soap and detergents not to lather to their full potential. This can cause you to use two times as much, which over time ends up being a lot of money. Then every time you shower your skin and hair becomes dried out. If your hair seems to be working against you a lot this could be because of the hard water. Dont forget about the soap scum that appears on your shower or tub. The soap scum makes your house look rather dirty as well as feeling sticky. Anyone who likes a clean house should definitely look into getting a water softener.

Another negative effect of hard water is that the minerals calcium and magnesium sneak their way into the fabric of your clothes, towels, and sheets making them feel rough. Not only do your fabrics come out rough but your whites are less vivid. Both these problems can become very annoying, especially for people who are into fashion. If you are then I hope you like taking trips to the cleaners. You also have to worry about the water stains that show up on your dishes and many more surfaces.

How Does a Water Softener Operate?

You probably know the basics of how a softener works but let me go into detail. To start with, when water enters your home the first thing it does is go into your water softener. More specifically the water enters into your mineral tank by going through the control valve. Inside the mineral tank are countless amounts of resin beads that are covered with sodium. As the water flows through the beads of resin, the mineral ions which are negatively charged switch places with sodium ions that are positively charged. The salt is a stronger ion so it completely takes over the hard minerals. Not only does a softener remove hard minerals, but also removes other particles such as dirt, silt, and iron. Once it enters your home your water is much cleaner and is now known as soft water.

If you have decided to purchase a water softener or conditioner I recommend looking at different brands and their particular water softener reviews. With so many different options there is no need to be in a rush. Take time to find the one you like best as it can save you money and time in the long run.