(A big “thank you” to Wendy Dessler for contribtuting this post!)

If you love working in your garden every spring and summer you might also want to explore year round gardening and growing heritage plants for seed collection.

Once you’ve raised heritage plants to maturity you can learn to collect their seeds. For several types of common vegetables, it’s as easy as spreading out freshly harvested vegetable seeds onto a newspaper so they dry out completely. You can then store dried seeds inside paper bags in a cool dark spot.

If you want to extend your gardening seasons, fall is an ideal time for growing salad crops. Some plants will grow quickly for a fall harvest, and others, such as kale, can survive freezing weather and snowfall. Imagine, harvesting a fresh salad in winter!

Fall vegetables can be planted eight to ten weeks before the first frost. But if you’re a little behind this schedule, don’t worry. You can get a head start by planting seeds indoors so the seeds may germinate quicker.

Not sure which of the veggies to plant right now?

Let’s explore six of them.

1. Spinach

You can plant spinach at the same time as kale. This fast-growing salad crop can be planted and harvested in forty days or less. They’re hardy vegetables that can withstand low temperatures. You can even harvest the leaves well into winter to get a sweeter taste.

Spinach can even survive the winter. A blanket of snow can protect this crop and a new batch will start growing as soon as spring arrives.

2. Kale

The mild temperatures of fall are perfect for growing kale. A leafy vegetable packed with nutrients, this crop can be planted about six to eight weeks before the first frost. Depending upon where you live, you may be able to continue planting by fall. To obtain the best harvest with tender leaves, make sure to maintain a proper amount of moisture.

3. Cauliflower

Since cauliflower plants require a good amount of sunshine, you should select a site for growing this veggie accordingly. It’s best to use transplants rather than seeds. You can start planting cauliflower six to eight weeks before the winter frost, when the days are a bit cooler.

Cauliflowers should be planted 30 inches apart, giving it room to grow. When the white head is about two to three inches in diameter, you can tie the outer leaves with a rubber band or twine. This step is called blanching and protects the head from the sun and gives it that pretty white color. Plants will be ready for harvest seven to twelve days after blanching.

4. Beets

Sow beets about three weeks before the first frost. These plants love cold weather, so depending upon where you live, some people are able to plant and harvest this veggie all winter long. Planting beets further apart give them more room to grow fuller. Water gently to avoid washing seeds away. You can also keep the soil continuously moist to get the best germination.

5.Carrots

Carrot seeds are tiny and need to be sown shallowly. Start sowing about ten weeks before the first frost. They require highly moist soil. Carrot plants need only a few inches between them, but the rows should be at least 1.5 to 2 feet apart.

6. Mustard Greens

This is an easy crop to plant and manage. You can directly plant the seeds in the garden without having the need to be extra careful in terms of helping it reach its optimal growth. The best thing about the mustard greens? They grow rapidly in cool weather. Start three weeks before the first frost so this fast-growing crop can be on your plate in just four weeks!

Seedlings begin to appear within days. Now that you know which plants to grow, it’s best to transplant the seedlings by gradually moving them outdoors. Remember to water your plants well and fertilize regularly to obtain optimum results.

(A big “thank you” to our friends at Fox Pest Control for sponsoring this post!)

There are bugs and insects everywhere and everyone has a place in the world. Even the smallest and most insignificant play an integral part in maintaining our ecosystem.

But that doesn’t mean you want or should put up with them in your home!

Before looking at natural steps to avoid pest problems it is important to understand that if you discover a pest problem in your home you should contact the professionals and get the problem dealt with before it becomes worse. You can find out more about how they operate here.

That said, here are some great natural methods for keeping pests out of your home:

Citrus Peel

There are many pests which do not like the fresh smell of citrus. Spiders, ants and mosquitoes are particularly bothered by the scent.

Simply get the peel from your citrus fruit and rub it along your doorways and window edges. You can even create a polish from it and do all the wooden surfaces in your home.

White Vinegar

This product is actually used by many pest control firms by itself or as part of another ingredient. White vinegar is extremely effective at disrupting the pheromone trail that ants leave. Without their trail they will need to go elsewhere to locate a new home.

Herbs

Mint is excellent as a deterrent for almost all sorts of pests. Simply rub it along your doorways and windows. You can even plant some fresh mint to help keep them away.

The great thing about growing your own mint is that it grows very quickly. That means you’ll have an exterior barrier and a plentiful supply of leaves which can be crushed and rubbed along your window sills and doorways.

Citronella and lemongrass are also effective at keeping pests away. In fact there are plenty of herbs you can use.

Cinnamon

This spice is another natural product that many pests won’t cross. Simply sprinkle a line across your doorway and window sills. You can even do it right round your home to protect the walls.

Cucumber

If you’re looking to deter ants, moths, wasps and silverfish then place cucumber slices or peel around your home. They will do their best to avoid it.

Diatomaceous Earth (DE)

This soil is actually created naturally from the fossilized remains of tiny marine phytoplankton. It actually has the capability of damaging the exoskeleton of your pests. Once this is damaged the DE will enter the body and dehydrate it causing the insect to die. I used this method to deal with a serious earwig problem this summer.

Eucalyptus Oil

This is a great way to get rid of flies. All you need is a little of this essential oil on a cloth and then leave the cloth where the flies frequent. They don’t like the aroma and will go somewhere else.

Tidy

The most effective way to avoid pest problems is by keeping your yard tidy. Rubbish needs to be bagged and removed, debris got rid of and even your grass clippings and mulch should be a good distance from your home.

These all make good accommodation bases for the pests which then work their way into your home. Eliminate their potential homes and they will go elsewhere.

With the high demand and low supply of heat energy in the winter, it is necessary to reduce your heating costs in order to save resources. Saving means cutting down many costs that are usually incurred during this time, while adopting various activities that minimize such costs. Below are various ways of saving on winter heating costs in order to save resources. Saving means cutting down many costs that are usually incurred during this time, while adopting various activities that minimize such costs. Below are various ways of saving on winter heating costs.

6 Clever Ways to Save on Winter Heating Costs

1. Save your Winter Heating Costs: Eliminate Energy Waste

Saving winter heating bills can be easier than you think with activities such as switching off lamps in unoccupied rooms, unplugging any free refrigerator that is not highly required etc. By doing this, one will have acquired relatively convenient ways reducing any extra injections into your monthly electric bills. Switching off kitchen and bath ventilating supporters after they’ve done their job can as well blow out a house-full of warmed air if accidentally kept on. Keep fireplace damper sealed unless flames are burning to avoid up to 8% of your furnace-heated air from increasing in the chimney.

2. Water Conservation: Take Shorter Showers

This can be achieved simply by minimizing that lingering time hence saving huge amounts of gallons of warm water monthly for the family. Showers take into account 2/3 of your normal water heating costs. Water conservation is extremely important and can help in your heating costs. Reducing your showers in two will certainly reduce the water heating costs by about 33%.

3. Energy Efficient Homes should use Appliances Proficiently

You can decide to use home appliances fully only when working with your clothes and dishwashers. Use the cool water setting on your clothes washer when you’re able to. Using cool water minimizes your washer’s energy use by an average of 75%. To achieve this, make sure to clean your clothes dryer’s lint capture after every use. Utilize any automated drying mechanism available at the near environment on your clothes dryer if you have one.

4. Energy Savings: Put Personal Computers in Energy Efficient Mode

Most personal home computers come with the energy management features switched off. On personal computers that operate on Windows, begin using any energy management application installed which means that your computer would go to sleep it is idle for some minutes.

People who use Macintosh personal computers should check on their Control Sections named “Energy Saver” and adjust them accordingly. If you are done making use of your computer, shut it down. Do not leave it in sleep mode as it still consumes energy. With computers being energy inefficient, these techniques help in minimizing winter heating costs.

5. Winter Heating Costs Tip: Invest in Good Insulation

A lot of money is usually wasted in through various energy costs every year due to the loss of high temperatures and cool air in homes without proper insulation. Install inexpensive insulation from your neighborhood do-it-yourself stores and install where air escapes in your home. This is an ideal way to help in minimizing heating costs. It is important for people to focus on foam weather stripping for your doors and windows; it’s cheap and is incredibly easy to use. Cut your winter home heating bills with these energy savings tips from Popular Mechanics.

6. Energy Savings Tips: Modify your Thermostat at Night

Corresponding to various research on energy, you save about 10 % per season on your warming charges by turning your thermostat down 10 to 15 degrees Celsius in every 8 hours. You can as well consider buying flannel bed linens and warm bed comforters for your foundation and maintaining your apartment much cooler when you sleep.

The above are some of the various ways that one can adopt in order to save on winter heating costs. They are cheap methods that can be used by every person to ensure that no excess amounts of money are wasted on heating costs during the winter.

For more home energy savings tips on Stagetecture, click here.

The Best Eco-Friendly Apartment Living Ideas

Here are some eco-friendly apartment ideas to make your space chic and green:

Add Plants to Your Interior Spaces

Plants and flowers are the easiest eco-friendly decor items anyone can incorporate into one’s apartment living. Choose flowers and plants that are eco-friendly and easy to maintain. According to the developers of Atlantic Private Residences, there is no better way to liven up a room than going green with colorful flower arrangements and potted plants.

Indoor plants serve double duty as inspirational decor and air filters. For a cool decor statement, hang a wall small herb garden in an artistic container, place some colorful flowers on a central table to make a statement or consider different creative flower arrangements and place them in a corner, just below open windows and even in your bathroom or bedside cabinet.

Natural Color Coverings and Textiles

Opt for natural, washable fibers when buying eco-friendly coverings and textiles for your apartment decor. Materials like sisal, wool, and jute are earth-friendly and add a natural feel to any space. Opting for eco-friendly apartment living means skipping synthetic materials in sofas, beddings and area rugs.

Natural textiles and coverings add a unique decor element and texture to your apartment living space. Going all-natural with your home decor fabrics and textiles doesn’t have to be expensive. While you can always order decor items online, you can also visit thrift shops to find some Victorian textile pieces and vintage area rugs for your spaces.

Consider these Ecofriendly Apartment Living Decorative Options

While wood is widely used in apartment and home building flooring and even decor, there are alternative decorative options you can consider such as metal, stone, glass, and bamboo. They require a lot less work when it comes to care and maintenance due to their harder and more durable surfaces. You can experiment with different color options for your alternative materials to add warmth and visual intrigue to your rooms.

Bamboo veneer panels can be a great substitute for traditional wallpapers or a painted accent wall. Glass, metal and stone decor options can be incorporated in kitchen counters and other surfaces, walls, floors, and cabinets. These alternative decorative options add an unintrusive modern character to your apartment spaces and provide the perfect eco-friendly accent.

Bring in Better Air Quality in your Apartment

While today’s windows are highly energy efficient and seal your home really well, ventilation is often overlooked. indoor air quality is very important, especially in apartment buildings where the luxury of enjoying outdoor spaces like in a traditional home is not available.

Make it a habit of opening your windows and doors frequently to let the fresh air circulate indoors. Even in the winter, just a few minutes of fresh air from the outside could do you some good. To ensure better ventilation, opt for apartment rentals that come with floor to ceiling windows and also make use of curtains and other window treatments to control room temperature.

Embrace Vintage or Retro Furniture

New furniture may contain a number of chemicals that have years of off-gassing into your spaces ahead of them. If you’re considering going all eco-friendly for your apartment living, consider vintage or recycled furniture that is often free of any toxic chemicals or retro furniture that has already off-gassed toxic chemicals years back.  

Retro home styling ideas are a big thing now. You can easily get mid-century modern, vintage or art deco pieces at flea markets or from antique dealers.

For more green living ideas on Stagetecture, visit our archives.

How to Keep Your Energy Bills Low This Fall

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Carry Out Inspections

It is no secret that heating accounts for a large portion of your power bill. Therefore, fall is a great time to examine your HVAC unit. Inspect the heating and cooling units and change filters. Call a professional to examine the unit and to carry out maintenance. After he gives your unit a clean bill of health, do not stop there. Check with your local utility if there are any incentive programs going on. There may be incentives for energy audits or energy-efficient appliances. Comprehensive home evaluations by energy raters can help you know which updates to make in order to lower your energy bills. Go through this HVAC unit checklist to check your system this fall.

Keep your Energy Bills Low: Change the Temperature

One of the best ways to save money is by lowering your thermostat. Set your thermostat to 70⁰ and below in fall. During the day, lower the temperature and put on warm clothing. When you are asleep, turn it back up. Also, use warm bedding to cater for the difference in temperature. Close all the windows in your home when the heat is on to avoid energy loss. If you don’t have a programmable thermostat, get one as it allows you to easily change the temperature.

Open Window Treatments

Your drapes and blinds can help you to save energy. On days when the sun shines brightly, open window treatments so it can warm your home. Solar energy is the best energy because it is free. At night, close window treatments to prevent heat from getting out. You can also get window treatments which help you to save energy. Some window treatments – like honeycomb shades – minimize heat loss during the cold season and heat gain during the warm season.

Prevent Air Leaks and Save your Energy Bills

Air leaks can wreak havoc on your energy bills. They let in cold air during fall and winter and make your HVAC unit to work harder. The more your unit works, the more you pay for energy. Set aside time to look for air leaks around doors, windows, utility pipes, and gaps in the basement, attic, or chimney. Seal air leaks in your home with weatherstripping or caulk. You can also add excluders to the base of your doors. This helps regulate indoor and outdoor air and improves air quality. These tips from Energy.gov are great fall energy bill savers.

If your windows are drafty, you can cover them from the inside with clear plastic film or clear plastic sheet during the cold months. Make sure the plastic sheet is sealed tightly to a frame to lower penetration. If the windows still feel drafty after weatherizing, install insulating shades or drapes to enhance energy efficiency.

Take a Look at Your Fireplace

When it comes to energy loss, most fireplaces are culprits. They allow warm air to go up the chimney and escape outside. To prevent this, close your fireplace when there is no fire burning. When using the fireplace, minimize energy loss by opening the closest window slightly or by opening dampers at the bottom (if provided). Close doors that lead into the room and set the thermostat to 55⁰ or below. These fireplace maintenance tips are good to try out.

If you want to cut down on your energy bills this fall, following these guidelines is a no-brainer. They will help you to save energy and to get ready for winter. Sure, it’s important to stay warm during the cold season, but you can stay warm without expending lots of energy. Prepare for the low temperatures in advance.

Need more Energy Bills Savings Ideas?

Take a look at this Fall & Winter Home Maintenance Checklist!

For more green living energy ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

The Best Solar Energy Uses for your Home this Season

If you’re like many other people who are interested in living a more eco-friendly life and lowering your energy bills at the same time, there are a lot of ways to use solar power. Here are a few interesting ways you can utilize it around the house, even if you’ve already made the investment in a solar panel system for your home.

Solar Energy is even in Solar Powered Tree Houses

More and more adults are beginning to rediscover the tree houses they enjoyed in their youth. But these tree houses are outdoor retreats that offer creature comforts. One of those creature comforts is electricity.

But using traditional electricity hook ups is just too expensive and impractical for most tree houses. The solution – solar power. We touched on the solar powered tree house trend a little while back, highlighting a stand out example called The Skysphere. Some solar powered tree houses double as an office and others can accommodate guests. Getting electricity through a solar system truly makes these additional outdoor abodes fully functional, smart spaces.

Keeping your Garden Green With Green Energy

First, there were solar powered garden lights. But gardeners tend to be among the most environmentally friendly people so it’s no surprise the solar powered options are expanding. People with a green thumb can now incorporate solar energy to power their irrigation system.

Solar powered irrigation systems are outfitted with a pump that has solar cells built into the electric motor. Many systems can also be automated for maximum efficiency and are carefully tuned to minimize water waste.

Want to add another unique solar element to your garden? Put a few plants in color changing solar powered pots.

Solar Powered Home Security for Home Safety

Security is important to many homeowners for good reason. But making your home safe doesn’t have to increase your eco-footprint. You can now buy solar powered, motion detector LED security lights that also have a video camera. The camera connects wirelessly to transmit video in real time. No hard-wiring is needed, which means you can install the system in a spot that gets adequate sunlight.

You can also find solar powered security cameras that are on their own. Geckoeye makes a camera that can be stuck to a window to provide surveillance inside your home.

Take a look at these solar power tips from Energy.gov.

Solar Powered House Numbers

Strategic lighting can make a home more aesthetically pleasing while serving a purpose. That’s certainly the case with solar powered house numbers. Throughout the day the solar cells build up a charge, and as soon as the sun goes down the numbers automatically light up for 8-10 hours. They make your home easier for guests to find without adding to your monthly electric bill.

For more green home energy tips on Stagetecture, visit our archives.

How to Save Money on Your Summer Energy Bills

Turn Off Appliances at Night

Leaving all of your electronics plugged in 24/7 might not seem like a problem, but it actually eats up more energy than you might imagine. Even when your appliances are turned off, leaving them plugged in uses up a small amount of energy and causes your utility bills to creep up. To start doing everything you can to conserve electricity, walk through your home each night and unplug all devices.

Schedule Routine Inspections of your HVAC System

As the summer months approach, you’re likely cranking up your air conditioning unit to stay cool. While it’s certainly important to maintain a comfortable temperature in your home, it’s just as crucial to ensure that your AC unit isn’t working harder than it needs to. To keep everything up to date and working efficiently, schedule routine air conditioning maintenance. If you find out that your air conditioning unit isn’t working effectively, it might be time to upgrade to a more energy efficient system.

Use a Programmable Thermostat

If you hate coming home to a warm house after work, you might be able to benefit from a new programmable thermostat. When you invest in this high-tech feature, you’ll be able to come home to a cool house in the evening without tearing through your utility budget. Instead of cooling the house for an entire day, the thermostat will switch on and start cooling off the house just a few minutes before your arrival. Here are some tips from Energy.gov to help with your summer energy bills.

Use the Cold Wash Setting to Save on Summer Energy Bills

Are you tired of shrinking or discoloring your clothes in hot water? If so, skip the hot setting and opt for cold water settings to save on summer energy bills. Your clothes don’t need to be washed in hot water, and you’ll actually be able to preserve their lifespan when you’re gentler on them. Instead of washing in hot water and tossing them into a dryer immediately afterward, take the strain off of your electricity bill and use cold water. After the clothes are clean, skip the dryer and use a clothesline outside. This is much better for your energy bill, and your clothes will smell nice and fresh.

Skip the Dishwasher and Air Dry Dishes

It’s a convenient feature of modern dishwashers to dry the dishes while they’re still in the dishwasher. However, drying dishes this way quickly adds onto your monthly utility bill. When you’re interested in doing everything you can to be gentle on the environment and your electricity bill, turn off the auto dry setting and set the dishes out to air dry. You won’t notice much of a difference in your daily routine, but you will notice a smaller utility bill. Plus, you can add another load of dishes in sooner rather than later to make your household chores more efficient.

Install New Energy Efficient Windows

Homes lose a lot of hot or cold air out of windows, and installing energy efficient windows can make a huge difference in the energy efficiency of your home. In the past, windows were too thin and poorly insulated, causing a lot of sunlight to enter and warm the home. Now, there are several types of energy efficient windows available on the market. No matter what your style is, there are windows to suit your home and your budget. When you’re truly committed to reducing your energy bills, installing energy efficient windows is one of the best things you can do to improve your home.

Summer Gardening: How to Propagate Succulents

Image via: Flickr

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1. Succulents Preparation:

To start your own summer garden with succulents, you will need atleast one plant to start propagating. Pruning succulent plants helps them grow, so go ahead and ask your friendly neighbor for a few leaves from her plant. Pinch off a few waxy leaves from the plant you have in mind. Make sure that you get the entire leaf off the stem. The leaf will not grow roots if it is snapped from the middle. You can also cut about 2 inches of the stem instead of just the leaves.

Image via: Succulents and Sunshine

 2. Succulents Drying:

The succulent leaves and stem that you have collected need to dry completely before replanting. The drying process will help the leaves to callous over. If planted directly without drying, the leaves will absorb too much moisture from the soil and will rot. Leave the leaves out in a shady area for a week to dry out.  Once the leaves are dry, place them over potting soil. In about a week new roots and baby plants will start sprouting. The leaves do not need much moisture so water only once a week.

Image via: Needle and Leaves

 3. Succulents Planting:

The baby plants will take in their nourishment from the mother leaf. In another couple of weeks you will notice that the mother leaf has started to wither and dry. Once it is completely detached from the new baby plant, you can remove the baby plant from the soil and plant it in its own pot. Succulents should be placed in plenty of sunshine. Water these when the soil starts to dry up or atleast once a week.

Image via: Floral Verde

Succulents make great gifts for friends and family. You can also create an indoor terrarium with your new baby succulents. Summer gardening with succulents is fun and free.

For more succulent care and gardening tips on Stagetecture, click here.

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Whether you are decorating your budget garden with decor or you are trying to keep your gardening herbs and plants beautiful, there are tips that can help. Your garden can be beautified with recycled decoration, and your actual plants can use these green tips to ensure it thrives during the season.

How to Maintain your Budget Garden this Season

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Here are effective landscaping ideas to help your garden efforts:

Cheap Garden Pots Save Money:

One of the best ways to organize your plants in the garden is to place them in pots. Instead of buying commercial pots, recycle your empty cans, containers or jars. You can use empty milk cans, coffee containers, noodle cups, cracked jars and many other materials you can use as a flower pot. You can wrap it with colorful foils if you want to cover the brand name and have them arranged in different colors. Try these helpful budget garden ideas for saving water with your plants.

Budget Gardening Starts with your Own Compost:

Making garden compost is not that difficult to do. An effective compost heap can be done through a mixture of most organic waste in your kitchen. It can be a mixture of vegetables, egg shells, coffee grounds, food scraps, and vegetables. Mix it up with your garden soil and use it as a fertilizer. This is a great alternative to commercial fertilizer and saves a lot on your gardening budget.

Cheap Landscaping Ideas: Remove grass and weeds

This is quite a simple yet effective way to save water consumption. Grass and weeds can create competition in terms of water absorption with your plants in the garden. Other than water consumption, grass and weeds can acquire nutrients from the soil intended for your plants. Try these cheap landscaping ideas to beautify your outdoor home.

Being green with your garden is not only a budget-saving practice but also a satisfying means to help our environment. Always remember to reuse, reduce and recycle! Your garden is where you enjoy beautiful blooms, delicious scents, and a refuge from the everyday world. Use these ideas to bring decoration to your outdoor home and eco-friendly tips to your garden practices.

Looking for another budget gardening tip?

Try a pallet garden!

For more outdoor home ideas on Stagetecture, visit our gardening tips archives.

Save Energy with Smaller Appliances and The Lennox® Energy Savings Superstar Contest

A few years ago I was visiting my in-laws in South Florida and saw them using their countertop toaster oven and I asked my husband why we never got one. He told me his family had used them since he was young and figured I wouldn’t want one!! HA… so we finally got a toaster oven and it has saved us time, energy, and most of all… I don’t have to turn the air conditioner up when I start cooking, anymore.

Toaster ovens and microwaves can help lower your energy costs

My number one energy tip is to use small appliances like toaster ovens and microwave ovens to help save energy. Most of the time my kids’ dinners and me reheating leftovers from the night before is ready in 15 minutes rather than 30 minutes in a full-sized oven. Both types of ovens also require less time to heat up, and are easier to clean.

Lennox® air conditioning equipment offers more efficiency for your home

We all know that saving energy helps the environment, our wallets, and our families.  Lennox® offers some of the quietest and most efficient HVAC systems on the market. The XC25 unit is part of The Ultimate Comfort System from Lennox® . It’s quiet to operate and keeps your energy bills lower with its efficient running system.

Could you use $10,000 in HVAC Equipment?

Enter to win in the Lennox® Energy Savings Superstar Contest!

How do you save electricity at your home? Take a quick pic and enter to win!

·       $10,000 in Lennox® heating and air conditioning equipment

·       A year supply of ice cream

·       Tickets to the closest local water park

Official Contest Rules:

You can find the official contest rules here. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. Canada (excluding Quebec) U.S. (DC) the age of majority in their jurisdiction. Ends 8/31/2016. For Prize info and Official Rules visit: http://static.lennox.com/pdfs/legal/OfficialContestRules2016-FINAL.pdf Sponsor: Lennox. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries received.

How long do I have to enter the Energy Savings Superstar contest?

·       July 1 – August 31:  Entry submission window

·       September 12 – 18: Voting period (vote for 1 of 4 finalists)

·       September 28: Winner announced

This summer take control of your energy bill again with these energy savings tips. My toaster oven may be a small appliance but it helps save us energy. Let us know what energy savings you’ve tried in your home. Don’t forget to enter the Lennox® ESSC contest and use this Dealer Locator for your area.