How to save money and make money with electricity and natural gas deregulation

You know the scenario: you move into a new house or apartment and the first thing you have to do is call the electric company and have service switched over to your name. Easy enough. Then you need long distance service so you can call all your far away friends and family. Now you have some decisions to make. There are many different long distant companies out there fighting for your business, offering lower rates than the next company or offering better or more services. After you do your homework you chose a company that best fits your needs and your check book.

Wouldn't it be nice if it were the same thing with energy and natural gas? Wouldn't it be great if electric companies were actually competing for you instead of one company being able to charge you whatever they feel like and leaving you feel helpless while they raise your rates?

Well, that time is coming, and has already come in several states including Texas and New York which have already become deregulated and Illinois which is joining the wave in the next few months.

If you live in one of the above states you have a choice (here's the part where you save money). Find out what your options are. In Texas, depending on which city you live in, you could have more than 10 different companies to choose from. Power to Choose details all the choices available. And some of them not only offer lower rates, they also give you travel and other rewards. Ambit Energy is one such company that offers cheap electricity and a rewards program (free trip just for signing up).

Now for the part where you could make money. Many of the electric companies in Texas and New York (and soon to be Illinois and all over the US) let you sign up to be an energy consultant which means that you get to essentially sell the energy for them and they pay you bonuses once you reach certain levels. The more consultants and customers you sign up, the more you get paid. Why would they pay you for that? Because ultimately you become their marketing tool. You are getting the word out for them. What makes this so easy is that you can do this in your underwear in front of your computer by setting up a website and letting people come to you or by getting out in the world (please get dressed first) and handing out business cards and talking to your friends and family.

Every one likes to have a choice and now that time is coming with the deregulation of electricity and natural gas. Choose wisely, save money, and maybe even make some for yourself!

Pro's (we'll start out on a postitive note)
* Unlimited amount of fuel (as long as it's sunny)
* Most systems come with a 25 year warranty.
* Some states have solar rebate programs or tax
credits.
* If you produce more electricity than you need
you can sell it back to your utility company.
* You wont have any of those nasty emissions that are
bad for the environment.

Cons (yep, here it comes)
* Price. Turning your home into a solar powered
one is not cheap. After talking to several companies
it would cost me as low as $20,000
and as high as $200,000 to have a system
installed. Plus you have to make sure you have a
nice south facing part of your home that doesn't
have any shading from trees or other buildings.

If you dont mind the price then going solar could be right for you. However if you're like me and can't afford to spend $200,000 or even $20,000 right now check out my list of things you can do to cut back on your energy bill.

With all the talk about global warming these days the term "Green Power" keeps coming up. But what is green power? Green power is energy from wind, solar and even pig manure! It also includes corn stalks and combustible gases from landfills. Some electric companies will let you select a plan that includes getting your energy from one of these sources. Usually the rate is a little higher but if it makes you feel a little less guilty while using your hair dryer then it's worth it.

Fluorescent light bulbs can save you money on your energy bill and last much longer than a regular light bulb. But do you know what to do with them when one finally does burn out? If you're like me you probably just threw them away. Well, guess what, we've got it all wrong. We should be recycling them, and probably not for the reason you are thinking.

Did you know that fluorescent bulbs contain mercury? Although there aren't any known health hazards to people using intact bulbs the mercury can contaminate the environment.

It is estimated that 800 million fluorescent bulbs are produced each year. When those 800 million bulbs burn out and are disposed of there will be enough mercury in those bulbs to contaminate 20 million acres of water. That's scary.

So why do we use these bulbs if it creates this kind of problem? Because the alternative is much worse. Fluorescent bulbs reduce energy consumption which not only saves you money but also cuts down (way down) on power plant emissions. These emissions contain mercury and that mercury gets into our atmosphere. It is then rained down into lakes, rivers and the ocean where it not only contaminates the water but also the fish who live in them. The contamination from the bulbs is lower than the contamination from emissions.

One more interesting piece of information about fluorescent bulbs. Do you have any idea what to do if you accidentally break one? First never use a regular household vacuum cleaner. Only use a vacuum that is designed for hazardous waste. Put on a pair of latex gloves and pick up all the pieces. Then, with a damp paper towel, remove all smaller pieces of glass and mercury. Make sure you keep all people and pets away from the area so they dont accidentally track any mercury into other parts of your house. Finally, open windows to ventilate the area. There are several government websites out there to give you more indepth information on what to do if you break a fluorescent bulb. If you do decide to put them in your home please do your home work and found out what to do to keep your family safe.

The first documented discovery of static electricity involves a man named Thales. Thales was born in Greece and was one of the 7 Sages of Greece (the 7 Sages was a title given to 7 wise philosophers, law givers and statesman). Around 600 B.C. Thales took a piece of amber (a gem made from extremely old tree sap) and rubbed it with animal fur. All that rubbing attracted light materials nearby like dust, hair, lint, feathers and straw and made it stick to the amber. The people then believed that amber was alive and the attraction of the light materials was caused by the amber breathing (inhaling and exhaling).