It is the festive season and we know this is when the pepper lights go up and stay on all night long. This practice oftentimes see our electricity bill for January at an all time high and we bemoan the fact that we have no money to pay the bills. This Christmas, let us try and keep our light bill at its current figure, or possibly, get it lower.

There are several measures we can take to stabilize our electricity bill:

1. Firstly, if we have incandescent bulbs, we can change them out and use fluorescent bulbs and enjoy reductions in heat production, energy use and electric bills.

2. If you have a thermostat at home, keep it at 78 degree fahrenheit or higher. Programmable thermostats allow you to program the systems to reduce output when they are not needed (i.e. when no one is at home or in the room).

3. Turning off electronics when they are not in use is another overlooked way we can cut back on our electric expense. Computers, TVs and radios use energy all the time when they are switched on. Turn off the lights and electronic equipment and teach your children to do so too.

4. Pepper lights are not necessary all night long. They can be plugged out midway through the night or as soon as morning lights up. This will go a long way in reducing January's bill.

As we enjoy the season with our loved ones and friends, let us keep in mind that we must always try to  live green. Enjoy the season and God bless!

Everywhere you turn these days you can find something about going green, however, many are not convince about the benefits of going "green". Well, if you have thought about it but have not converted here are some reasons to go green.

Nine out of ten poison exposures are suspected to be from household products. Cleaning products with reduced health, safety, and environmental impacts are readily available and are being used successfully in both public and private settings.  Many companies and households see changing from traditional cleaning products to “green” cleaning products as a necessary part of everyday living. There can be few arguments against using non-toxic and biodegradable cleaning products in the home and office.  It is important for our health and the health of our planet. Green products are healthier, in the long term, for the people who use them every day – that will be you and  employees of companies who are getting cleaning done on a regular basis with toxic chemicals. Injuries caused because of harsh and toxic chemicals include:
•    40% involve eye irritation and burns
•    35% involve skin irritation and burns
•    12% involve breathing chemical fumes

Executive Order #1301 defines green products as "environmentally preferable" products and services that "have a lesser or reduced effect on human health and the environment when compared with competing products or services that serve the same purpose.” If you go to your cupboard and pick up a cleaner, any cleaner, you might see it contains chlorine, phenol, ammonia or formaldehyde. Do you want these potentially toxic chemicals in your home? According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, the air inside a typical home is approximately 2 to 5 times more polluted than the air just outside and in extreme cases 100 times more contaminated – largely because of household cleaners and pesticides. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ranks indoor air quality among the top five environmental risks and links it, in part, to cleaning product exposure.