www.encoreenergyinc.com

Saving Money and Giving Back

admin — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000

There are a lot of great ways to save money on energy including looking into Texas electricity rates and finding new ways to recycle. We’ve got some great ideas and they start with:
Plant a Garden: You’ll save so much money on produce you won’t believe it and it’s great for the environment, too. Start a compost bucket to make your garden thrive and help recycle refuse.
Unplug the Unused: Everything from old TVs to radios suck electricity out of outlets while you’re not using them – the rule of thumb is that if you only use it once a week or less, keep it unplugged while you’re not with it so you can save some money and help conserve electricity.
Stop Wasting Water: Water is one of the biggest conservation issues of our time and we waste far too much. Start collecting rain water for the garden and stop flushing so often if you can help it. Switch to showers if you like to take baths as they actually use less water in the long run. You’re well on your way!

Which Old Fruits To Feed Wildlife in Winter

admin — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Feeding wildlife in the winter, is encouraged through many wild life organizations, as it becomes very difficult for birds, squirrels and other creatures to find food. This however, does not have to be expensive. Feeding dried fruits or bruised fruit from your own back yard, is a cheaper alternative to bird seed and food, which can get pricy. The fruit is packed with vital nutrients needed to survive the winter. Some fruits could be, chopped up, bananas, grapes, raisins, oranges and grapefruits. Also, watermelon seeds, cantaloupe and honeydew melons work well too. If you have already have any of these fruit still on the tree, there is no need to pull them off. The animals are quite capable of retrieving them, themselves. The fruits can also be mixed with any extra cereals such as, oats or any other dried cereals. Be sure only to use left over cereals with a lower amount of sugar. Left over nuts can mixed as well. Mixing your own bird food can be a more tasty and cost efficient snack for the wild life and doubly rewarding for you too also. Helping the environment and your pocket book at the same time is the goal.

How To Build A Backyard Compost

admin — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Composting is environmental friendly, and it will save money on commercial fertilizer. Any backyard can have a compost bin it requires little space and very little attention. There are several ways to construct a compost bin. Building a container that is five feet by five feet would require lumber and decking screws and two 16-inch wooden pegs.

The bin should be at least 12 inches high making it easier to build using six inch wide by two-inch boards. The boards can be cut at the home improvement center in five-foot lengths, or they can be cut at home. The five foot by five-foot bin will require eight five-foot sections.

Lay one board across and attach it to one sideboard with the screws. Do this until it is two boards high on three sides. Do not connect the front two boards they will be held with the pegs. Use the pegs to hold the boards, so they can be lifted out of place allowing an opening. This method makes it easier access to turn the compost and remove it when it is ready.

A lid can be built out of lumber or a tarp can be fashioned to cover the bin. A cover not only keeps the compost from rain saturation but also helps retain moisture and heat. The compost must be kept moist and turned weekly for faster breakdown.

Where To Purchase A Compost Online

www.encoreenergyinc.com — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Compost replenishes nutrients and amends the soil. Children can be shown the magic of composting by using compost bins, allowing them to participate in the process.

The biggest challenge is choosing a composter to fits your needs, time frame, and budget. Whether you choose a kitchen-size, odor-free, compost pail for under the sink; require a bin large enough for school projects; or something in-between; you are sure to find what you need online.

With so many choices, one can select a bin with one compartment or several, offering the opportunity to use, cook and collect, all-in-one composting unit. Multi-compartment bins once started, will allow a consistent source of usable compost while compartmentalizing the first and second stages of the process. Composters may require manual turning, while others are turned via handle, rolling the barrel, or rolling the bin around on the ground.

Composters can be permanent, collapsible, portable, expandable or moveable. Their composition may be made of products such as: Powder-coat heavy-gauge steel wire; injection-molded plastic; UV-stable, recycled polypropylene, polyethylene, or other plastic; rust resistant metal; or wooden slats treated with an Eco-friendly preservative. Some bins are best not seen, while others are too cute, colorful and fun to hide!

Winterize your garden using recycled plant material

admin — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0000

As the winter season approaches, many gardeners venture out to the garden center for mulch, to protect their gardens through months of bitter cold temperatures. This can be very expensive, unnecessary, and entirely avoidable with a little more planning throughout the year. Recycled plants, and plant debris are a much more environmentally beneficial alternative.

Lawn clippings, and fallen leaves are the two most abundant sources of free mulch. Far too often grass, and leaves are raked, bagged, and shipped off to local landfills. This is only a waste of landfill space, plastic, and money. Trashing these items is also a waste of valuable organic nutrients, and mulch. Grass, and leaves contain most nutrients required by plants. These can be reclaimed through proper composting. To prevent the grass from matting, and molding alternate the layers of grass, and leaves. Once combined, and fully decomposed, the nutrient rich compost will make a wonderful, money saving addition to any garden. The use of this recycled yard debris as mulch in the winter months will save countless dollars, compared to buying bags of mulch. If you have not been saving grass all year, leaves alone can provide a very well insulating mulch for winter.