Follow EnergyBabble to Its New Home

Parting is such sweet sorrow, so let us not say goodbye, but more like, see you around the corner at the new blog. EnergyBabble and a couple of other blogs have been combined into one very informative blog, WhiteFence Home Services.

The WhiteFence Home Services blog incorporates all the fun and informative blog writing you saw on EnergyBabble plus more topics on how to save money on your home services, how to be more green and so much more.

Please, my loyal readers, make the transition with me to the WhiteFence Home Services blog.

Ohio Natural Gas Launches Commercial Natural Gas Service

South Star Energy's Georgia Natural Gas and its Ohio company, Ohio Natural Gas, just launched it's commercial natural gas product through WhiteFence at OhioNaturalGas.com

For more information and specifics, check out the Ohio Natural Gas Commerical Service entry over at the WhiteFence Home Services Blog.

Bounce Energy at WhiteFence

Texas energy provider Bounce Energy is now available through WhiteFence. Bounce Energy has a rather unique take on electricity service with a no deposit plan, renewable energy derived from several clean sources like wind and water, and specials for new customers including free companion airfare.

Check out the WhiteFence Home Services Blog to learn more about the company and what they offer.

New Survey from Green Mountain Energy

A new survey by Green Mountain Energy and Harris Interactive^®  details some interesting statistics on whether Americans are willing to change certain habits in order to conserve energy. Notably, 88 percent of those surveyed were willing to alter routines to conserve more energy if it didn't cost a lot of money, which isn't surprising considering the current economic situation.

For further details, check out the WhiteFence blog.

Cutting Energy Costs at Home

I wrote a snippet over at the WhiteFence blog detailing a fantastic article from Gwendolyn Bounds at The Wall Street Journal on cutting energy costs and saving money at home.  Rife with practical advice on cutting costs and specific ways and products to help consumers do so, the article is definitely chock full of sound tips and guidelines to saving money on your energy bill.

New Natural Gas Customers Offered Free Renewable Energy Credit

We are on the cusp of what is a very busy time of year for natural gas. Light-Up Season, as it's commonly and lovingly referred to, is just around the corner, and natural gas customers that sign up for new natural gas service at OhioNaturalGas.com, MoveGeorgia.com and GasGeorgia.com will receive one free Renewable Energy Credit (REC) with their order.

An REC allows you to use your purchasing power to reduce your carbon footprint and make a positive impact on the ecosystem. For every REC you own, you are helping to fund additional production of renewable energy. A single REC represents one megawatt hour (MWh) of traditional fossil fuel power replaced on the electricity grid by clean, pollution-free energy from sources such as solar, wind, biomass and water.

Through December 2008, when when you enter your address at any of the above sites and place an order for natural gas service, WhiteFence will give you a Renewable Energy Credit for free—equivalent to about one month of energy usage. You can also purchase additional RECs to offset portions or all of your annual energy usage.

And by the way, now is a great time for natural gas customers in Ohio and Georgia—both deregulated markets. Essentially, deregulation means you can compare providers and rates in your area and shop for new service in your area. Power of choice= Good times.

 

More Ike Rate Specifics

Looks like the early numbers are in for the costs of power repair and restoration in the Houston area.  In a press conference  last week, Centerpoint CEO David McClanahan attributed a possible $1 to $2 monthly fee increase for Centerpoint customers, all part of the estimated $350 to $500 million range that Centerpoint may request from the PUC.

The costs are reported to cover the additional manpower and equipment brought in to attack the millions of customers left without power in the wake of Ike.

For more updates on Ike and Houston energy, check out the Chronicle's Newswatch: Energy.

Rate Hikes from Ike?

After Hurricane Rita ripped through Houston in 2005, the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) approved a whopping $381 million  rate increase to pay for Entergy's grid repairs.

Houstonians could see a similar situation post-Ike, though Centerpoint's distribution rates were frozen by the PUC until 2010, a decision that the transmission company will likely look for respite in the wake of millions of dollars for restorations and repairs in the Houston area.

So what exactly does this mean for Houston residents? It's rather early to speculate,  but the coming months may be as good of a time as ever to considering shopping around for lower rates on electricity service. Locking in a lower rate now could help offset higher distribution costs down the road if the PUC does approve an increase.

Check out this article  from the Houston Chronicle, which outlines the details of the 2005 increase and the possibilities that Houstonians may face in the near future. Also, as the damage figures roll out in the coming weeks, I will try and update this story as the details begin to unfold.

Update on REI Green Store

I've recently received updated information and a formal press release on the second green prototype store  from REI in Round Rock, Texas.  The store is up and running as of Friday, September 26, and will consume up to 48 percent less energy than a typical store. The new Round Rock location correlates directly with REI's initiative to continually develop new green building standards in the future.

For more information, read the official REI press release.

REI Green

REI, the infamous retailer of outdoor recreation gear and apparel, is set to announce  a second green  store in Round Rock,Texas. The store will consume 48 percent less energy than stores that meet industry standards and be 33 percent more efficient than a typical REI store in Texas (five of which are currently powered by wind).

REI also opened a LEED certified green store in Boulder last fall, fully equipped with solar thermal and electric technology. I will keep you informed on additional updates as more information is released.