Water For Fuel - Saving Energy in Your Home

Fuel and other energy costs continue to escalate and we may not be able to do anything about increasing fuel prices, but we can try to use less fuel by making our homes more energy efficient. Here a a number of tips you should use to keep your home heating bills down. Make sure you windows are properly insulated. Make sure they are well sealed and you feel no drafts coming in. You can get window insulation kits at a hardware or home improvement store. Install ceiling fans. Heat rises, so keep the heat down in the room with a ceiling fan. They keep a room cooler in the summer when you use the reversible switch. Ceiling fans are relatively inexpensive and can save a lot in energy costs. Close all of the doors in rooms that are not being used. Once everyone is out of the bedrooms, for example, close the doors so your furnace only has to send heat to the main part of the house. Keep curtains and blinds drawn. You can keep them open during a sunny day to take advantage of the radiant heat and then trap it in at night to keep your home warmer by closing curtains and shades. Install weather proofing on your doors, and put additional caulking on your windows. If you feel air coming in along the bottom of the doors, attach weather stripping. Putting caulk around the windows will stop small drafts from seeping in. Make sure your doors are properly aligned. If your doors have shifted or sagged over time, they may be creating air spaces that will let the cold weather into your home. A snug fit will save fuel. Get a furnace check up. Have an HVAC expert make sure your furnace is running at top efficiency. Besides the money saved on fuel, you will be happy to know that your family is safer with a clean, efficient furnace. Change air filters. Keeping your air filters clear to make sure your heating system is giving you maximum efficiency. Clogged air filters can also be a fire hazard, so this is an important step to take. Close the vents. In the winter you want to keep cold air out, so make sure you close the circulation vents in your home once the cold weather arrives. Make sure your attic is sufficiently insulated. Since heat rises, you want to make sure the attic is not sucking up all of your heat, but rather that the insulation is holding it and pushing it back into the home. Just these few tips will make a difference in your home heating bills. You can learn about more tips if you go online or talk to your energy provider. Many of them provide books with fuel conservation tips, or will even do an energy audit of your home. So if you feel that you need to lower your energy bill then make a n effort, get some power tools and hand tools and get to work right away to get the job done. Being specifically interested in hand tools, Vince Paxton authored quite some informative papers in this specific area. You can learn about his work on rigid power tools and hand tools at http://www.insidewoodworking.com Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Vince_L._Paxton

Water For Fuel - The Cost of Driving Your Vehicle

Owning a car is a comfort that many of us can afford. The car has become such an critical part of our life, that at times it can be very hard to live without one. Owning a car is a big responsibility for many people, it is usually one of the larger investments individuals make in their lifetime, aside from a house]. This dependence and importance makes the car ownership a necessity. There is more to owning a car than just buying it and driving it off the lot. We will focus on the different costs associated with owning your own vehicle. Aside from paying the car dealer or individual for the car, the next thing the car will need is fuel. fuel enables the motor vehicle to be driven from point A to point B, without it the car could not operate. In today's society the price of fuel has jumped. Just a few years ago it cost people on average $40 a month to fill their car. In the present the price to fill up a relatively small car for the month is between $120 and $160. Add that number by the amount of weeks in the year and one can understand that it requires a large amount of [dollars to keep your car moving. This is one cost that adds on the vehicles owner. Vehicle's are machines and like all machines over their lifespan they subject to wear and tear and eventual break down. Maintenance and repair of your car is another dollar value associated with the ownership of your car. New or relatively new motor cars require very little work as they are built to drive and last longer before any serious repairs are needed. This does not mean that anything could not happen as the world is unpredictable. You could be driving and a stone breaks your axel or something out of the ordinary. Maintenance and repair costs can be anywhere from a few hundred dollars up to the thousands. The cost and eventuality of this has to be factored into the price of owning your car. Almost all States in The USA require motor vehicle drivers to have car insurance. motor vehicle insurance is usually a contract in which the insurance company agrees to reimburse for the individual's financial loss resulting from a specified event. This enables you to receive financial compensation in the event you meet or are involved in an accident. The premiums for insurance depend on different factors and it also depends on the type of insurance you choose to get. The premium will also depend on the model and type of car that you drive. A driver can be prepared to spend a couple hundred a month. As mentioned, owning your car is more than paying for it. You have many costs that add on to the total ownership of your vehicle. These costs will come from fuel costs, repair and maintenance and lastly car insurance . The car owner should take all of this into consideration when they make the decisi {The author James Dalton|James Dalton} writes on various topics from Birmingham Insurance to Scottsdale Insurance, For more information on a wide range of topics please visit his website at motor vehicle insurance Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Daltons

Water For Fuel - The Expanding E85 Fleet of General Motors

The E85 movement, which is based on an alternate fuel consisting of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline, is getting an additional boost thanks to a recent decision by General Motors to expand its existing line up from 9 models to 14. This increase will mean that General Motors, which already has nearly 2 million E85 vehicles on the road, will be able to produce as many as 400,000 E85 vehicles per year. For proponents of alternate fuel sources, the decision by General Motors is certainly a welcome one. Let's take a look at GM's expanding E85 fleet and what this could mean for you, the fuel conscious motorist. E85 has been around for well over a decade now, but has only recently has it been the focus of such widespread attention. Credit gas prices exceeding $3 per gallon for interest in E85 and you can see why General Motors is continuing to expand its line up to meet the demand for alternate fuel sources. The Current Line Up GM's current fleet of E85 vehicles now numbers nine. GM's Silverado, Tahoe, Impala, Monte Carlo, Avalanche, Sierra, Suburban, Yukon, and Yukon XL currently make up the entire fleet of E85 capable vehicles produced by the automaker. The bulk of GM's E85 sales have come since 2000, however the automaker had been building E85 capable vehicles for many years prior to the turn of the millennium. DaimlerChrysler and Ford also build tens of thousands of E85 vehicles per year. Expanding on the Theme General Motors is planning to add five new models for 2007 including the Chevrolet Uplander, its crossover van offering. Other models have yet to be named, but they will likely include similar sized vehicles. Shortages Persist/Limited Availability While E85's appeal remains strong, limited pump availability and fuel shortages have put a strain on the market. Most of the ethanol currently used is derived from corn a readily available food and fuel source in the U.S. However, refineries and pump availability is limited outside of the Midwest, making E85 totally unavailable in some areas. With GM's help, new stations and increased capacity are coming online. Fortunately, if E85 is not available in a particular area, each vehicle can still run on straight gasoline. Fuel Economy and Performance Another area that must be acknowledged is overall fuel economy. While ethanol does produce a nice boost in overall performance, it does impact fuel mileage reducing it by 25-30% on some models. When E85 prices are 50 or 60 cents lower than gasoline, this is not a problem. However, with E85 demand being high, prices are only 5 or 10 cents lower in most areas. Certainly, consumers could find themselves paying even more overall for fuel by electing to go with E85 at various times. A Cleaner Environment Beyond price and fuel economy, there is one huge benefit to using E85: harmful pollutants are greatly reduced. With only a small percentage of gasoline consumed compared to straight gasoline or diesel fuel, greenhouse gas emissions drop significantly which is clearly better for the environment. A Temporary Fix or a Wave to be Ridden? Finally, E85 may be considered only a temporary fix especially if other forms of fuel efficient vehicles catch on. Hybrids remain an attractive alternative for some, biodiesel is growing in strength, and hydrogen powered cars are only a few years away. Still, E85 is more then a fad, but it does need some government intervention in order to succeed. Whether the federal government does intervene remains to be seen, but if consumer sentiment continues to rise, that may all become a moot point. Copyright 2006 - Matt Keegan is a freelance automotive writer covering the classics, new models, and industry trends. Your alternate fuel powered vehicle could benefit from the inclusion of superior aftermarket products made by great manufacturers including Banks, NOS, and Accel. Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matthew_Keegan

Water For Fuel - Are We Serious About Fuel Alternatives?

As you can see from some of our previous articles, government agencies predict about 40 years of petroleum still remains. As usage climbs, the amount of time remaining may shrink even more. New reserves will be found, but developing countries, such as we're seeing in China with their industrial revolution taking place, will demand greater volumes of petroleum to supply energy needs. People under 50 years of age should be considering this phenomenon as a potentially life-changing circumstance. For most of us, there is little we can do except watch events play out, and perhaps vote when the opportunity arises. Our industries must step up to the plate to meet the task at hand. Since the first petroleum shortages of the 70's, some groups have come to the forefront to inform others about the dangers and difficulties we will face. Few took them seriously. Radical groups made drastic lifestyle changes to reduce their own fuel consumption, and hoped that others would follow suit. Not likely. However, these groups are and have been dedicated to spreading the word to the public that we are running out of fuel as we know it. It won't be today, nor next week, nor even 10 years from now. Maybe it's 80 years from now, but all signs and reports indicate we are running out. Social Security also has 40 years of successful operation, but the Bush Administration has clearly taken on the task of "fixing social security", because in about 40 years it's going to crash too, according to administrative estimates. We suggest that fuel alternatives are even more important than social security. Without fuel----and MASSIVE quantities of it--- this nation will dry up like a sand dune. Operations of most business will cease, and we'll be returned to the pre-industrial age. Keep vaccinating the horse population for West Nile Virus.....we may need them for transportation. It is our belief, although we have no solid evidence, that fuel companies are squarely behind the petroleum pumps, and the scare is played very low-key. Huge profits exist where a product can simply be drawn from the ground, and with one refining process, produce gasoline, diesel fuel, propane, methane, etc. from the run. It is by far, the cheapest present alternative for large companies. All corporate companies are dollar driven, and so it makes perfect sense for them to continue using petroleum. Our government has committed more resources than we can ever afford, to secure and protect our overseas interests where petroleum is abundant. If new massive volumes of petroleum are located, it will alleviate some of the crisis for the time being. But this looming crisis will never go away. It is imperative that government begin providing the means for business of all sizes to develop alternative fuel strategies. Government does at present provide some incentives, in tax breaks, informational support, and even grants, but more can be done. Investing large quantities of time and money into the research and development of alternatives is crucial. As supplies dwindle, this ever-growing concern will do just that. It will grow. Oil companies will continue to lobby Congress, and place propaganda in the public eye to insure them that everything is OK......just buy oil. But at the same time, the concern about dwindling supplies, and the subsequent raise in prices for petroleum fuels will begin to catch the attention of the general public. At present, the best bet for alternative, renewable fuels appears to exist with ethanol, biodiesel, and the newest addition to the list, hydrogen fuel cells. But full compatibility with regard to motors and machinery will require some changes in manufacturing. Since most new vehicles are now monitored by computerized equipment, governments need to encourage engine manufacturers to engineer and develop computerized motors that can determine a fuel mix, ethanol, gasoline, biodiesel, etc. and make adjustments to the fuel burning mix at the injection point. Few changes would be needed on the pistons or block. Piston technology is, in its primitive sense, the same design for the last 100 years when steam coursed through the cylinders instead of fuel explosion force. Air-fuel ratios are the biggest hurdle in engine conversions, and computerized sensors would allow a slow changeover without interruptions. By being able to sense what fuel is being used, engines could run on ethanol/gasoline for gas engines, or diesel/biodiesel for diesel engines, with any proportions, and switch back and forth. While some may envision a whiskey still in everyone's backyard, that is far from realistic. Americans enjoy their plush way of life, and expect to pull up to a fuel pump anywhere in their travels and fill up their tank. Only the fuel mega-companies are up to the task of maintaining such presence. So with all likelihood, the future of alternative fuel manufacturing still lies with major petro-producers. Some experts have said that alternative fuels are "unfeasible". Perhaps a true statement when looking at the bottom line profit, but as petroleum prices rise, this gap closes, and may reach a point where feasibility is achieved. Corporations will make the jump when this gap is closed.....it's a simple buck to them. It will be important that the American community at large supports such conversions with their capital stock investments, and with their patronage. In other words, be willing to burn an alternative fuel. Along the lines of feasibility, how about making it feasible for farmers to produce high-oil crops, or crops for fuel? Millions of acres in the Midwest lay idle, because the government programs that pay farmers NOT to grow crops are more lucrative than the potential profit of growing them. For the farmer, it is also a simple buck. So if the government is going to invest tax dollars in these operations, how about paying a farmer TO GROW a crop used for fuel? At least this would allow such acreage payments to be a benefit to the country......perhaps the world, by moving slowly toward independence with regard to fuel production. Electrical power generation is another large consumer of energy. Nuclear, coal, and hydroelectric make up the bulk of this grid, but wind power is beginning to make significant additions as well. In the last website we reviewed, electricity from wind power is at about 6%. There is tremendous opportunity to increase the contributions of electrical power via wind and hydro. Because the amounts of power needed are so great, wind farms and hydroelectric dams are huge development projects, which can have a great impact on the landscape and surrounding environment. Environmentalists that reject such proposals need to give themselves a reality check, and come to grips with the size of the problems America faces. Yes, hydro and wind will impact the environment. Yes, we'll kill some birds. And yes, some fish (lots of fish) will be re-navigated because of hydroelectric dams. But no American......not even an environmentalist.....is willing to give up their computer, their hair dryer, their car, their massive amounts of printer paper, their telephones, their cell phones, their lovely homes.....well, you get the idea. So the impact to the planet if we do NOT develop these technologies is significantly worse. No one will willingly return to the stone age, so any and every fossil fuel will be seized, stolen, or warred after to make the power.....at far greater environmental harm. It is more likely that America would bomb itself back into the stone age over the last drop of oil rather than "conserve" or adapt the livestyle of Laura Ingalls Wilder. We believe that true energy freedom will not be acquired until our energy is produced from renewables within our borders. Mega-consolidators will still hold the reins to alternative energies. They'll still have their lobbyists, and a lot of money in their coffers. However, the American Dream will still live on. Our way of life depends upon the procurement and distribution of affordable energy. Only with public support and the encouragement of Congress can businesses develop the systems needed to make it happen. ---Tom Clouser, Madisonburg, PA Tom Clouser is a 38 year old farmer in Pennsylvania. In addition to farming, he and his father publish a monthly 16-page newspaper called "Trees 'n' Turf", which targets subjects of interest to those in land use industries and activities. View their website at http://www.clouserfarm.net Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Thomas_Clouser