When it comes to utility bills, you don’t have to spend a lot to save a lot. The Hunter Fan Company has been in the business of keeping folks comfortable since 1886, and their line of fans and programmable thermostats can help reduce energy costs regardless of the season. In the summer, properly sized ceiling fans can allow you to raise the thermostat 4 to 5 degrees with no loss of comfort. In fall and spring, the combination of fans and cross-ventilation may allow you to turn off air conditioning completely. When it gets cold, reverse the blade rotation to push the hot air down from the ceiling. Because the room temperature is more equal, you can lower the thermostat 2 to 4 degrees. This is especially effective in rooms with tall ceilings.

Image courtesy of Hunter Fan

Replacing a manual thermostat with a programmable model allows you to heat and cool intelligently. Program each day of the week based on your schedule to avoid climatizing an empty home, and enjoy the immediate benefits provided by lower utility bills.

America’s move from trucks and SUV’s to cars has begun, but there are several reasons why the transition to quality smaller cars will be slow. The decline of the Dollar vs. the Euro and other foreign currencies has made exporting to the US less profitable and less attractive for foreign manufacturers. Rather than benefiting from new technologies, the American consumer is stuck with chassis and powertrains that have been available for years or even decades. To make matters worse, the US consumer has resisted the move to downsize by preferring cars with better visibility, automatic transmissions, more power, and copious cup holders.

Toyota IQ - Image courtesy of Toyota UK

Let’s take a look at Toyota’s successful RAV4. The US version comes equipped with a 3.5 liter V6 or 2.5 liter 4 cylinder gas engine with automatic transmission. In the UK, engine options are 2 liter gas with standard or automatic transmission and 2.2 liter diesel with standard transmission. After converting to US gallons, The UK RAVs combined fuel economies are 25.5mpg for the 2 liter gas engine and 32.5mpg for the diesel option, exceeding anything available in the States. Unfortunately, until the dollar recovers, Toyota has little incentive to make the more costly European and Asian engines available in the US.

Some models such as Toyota’s Aygo and soon to be released IQ are not for sale in the US. Sporting a 1 liter 3 cylinder engine good for 48mpg combined fuel economy, the Aygo would make a perfect commuter car here in the States. But sadly, there are no official plans to make the Aygo or IQ available to the US market.

The average electric or gas oven is far too large for most cooking tasks, so why heat all that empty space? Whereas a conventional electric oven consumes over 3 kilowatts of electricity, Cuisinart’s TOB-195 convection toaster oven sips a svelte 1500 watts and reaches temperature much more quickly. And rather than being delegated to the drudgery of toast, the Cuisinart’s relatively large size (.6 cubic feet) allows you to cook such items as whole chickens and 12 in. pizzas.

Image courtesy of Cuisinart

According to Cuisinart, the TOB-195 boasts stainless steel front panels, Pizza/Bake, Broil, Toast and Convection functions, touchpad controls and automatic shutoff.

Slow your electric meter’s spin by using the Cuisinart for virtually all your baking needs.

As kitchens downsize, the current line of massive, current-sucking refrigerator-freezers will be replaced by smaller, more eco-friendly units. The Integra line from Bosch takes things a step further by integrating refrigerators, freezers, and wine coolers into the cabinetry.

Image Courtesy of Bosch Appliances

The Integra range includes 24 and 30 in refrigerators, 18, 24, and 30 in. freezers, 36 in. refrigerators with bottom freezers as well as 18 and 24 in. wine coolers. The buyer can choose a stainless steel finish or a custom panel of his or her choice. All are 70 in. in height and are Energy Star qualified. Most of all, integrating the Integra line into your new or remodeled kitchen will create a modern, custom look with minimum footprint.

Let’s hope more appliance manufacturers queue in on America’s trend toward smaller, more manageable appliances.