Smart Energy Tips Podcast

Give the gift of energy efficiency. Tom and Bret share some interesting and affordable gifts. Gifts that have a return on your investment. Gifts that help others. Gifts that keep on giving...

Tom and Bret discuss the causes of an uncomfortable home during the winter. Also, why moisutre developes inside upon the windows, wall, ceiling, etc. Learn about the problem and solution in this episode. 

Do wood burning fireplaces and natural gas or propane log inserts really lower heating costs? Learn some facts about wood burning and natural gas fireplaces. Are they really energy efficient? Also, how they can impact health and safety.

Learn how Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corp retrofits a 1999, single-wide manufactured home with enery efficiency measures and components. The end result is a comfortable home with electric bills reduced by 50-75% depending on seasonal HVAC requirements. 

Consumer appliance expert Chris Burnley is in the studio to discuss energy efficient appliances. Chris is the Arkansas and southern Missouri sales manager for General Electric. 

Special guest AECC Director of Compliance and Support breaks down new Environmental Protection Agency regulations that will cause your electric bill to rise while reliability could go down.  

Learn about how our homes heat-up in the summer. Heat that causes our air-conditioner to run and the electric meter to spin. Heat that causes us to be uncomfortable. Be sure to visit www.smartenergytips.org for solutions to unwanted summer heat gain.

During the hot summer months learn how to use your ceiling fans in the most efficient manner. Also, learn about the heat gain producted by your fan motor. 

HVAC expert Tom goes into detail about why and how some homes have issues with indoor air quality.

Tom and Bret discuss the recent outbreak of tornadoes and how to incorporate the proper energy efficiency measures and components while rebuilding or remodeling your home. Visit www.smartenergytips.org to obtain the "Building Guidelines for Energy Efficiency" booklet. 

Tom and Bret discuss the pros, cons, ideologies, genesis and evolution of thermostat manipulation.

Tom and Bret discuss the importance of servicing and maintaining your air conditioner in preparation for summertime.

Tom and Bret discuss living off the grid. They address facts about being detached from electricity providers, city water & sewage systems, cable TV and other amenities and how doing so could impact the modern day conveniences we've come to enjoy. They also discuss the associated costs. 

Sandy Byrd joins Tom and Bret to discuss pending Environmental Protection Agency regulations.  EPA action could remove affordable, abundant, and American coal from our nation’s base-load generation portfolio, which will cause your electric bill to rise, while reliability could go down. Take action now if you want to keep your electricity affordable and reliable: www.tellepa.com

Think your home may be in need of a comprehensive energy audit? Bret and Tom talk about energy audits and what to expect if you request one. They discuss how to determine if you need an audit, the diagnostic equipment used in the process, results and solutions.

Tom and Bret discuss space heater facts and operational safety. You may be surprised to learn about the cost to operate space heaters and some unknown safety facts. Learn more about how to safely use space heaters to improve your comfort without breaking the bank.

The "Curse of the Groundhog" extreme winter 2013/2014 continues. Tom and Bret discuss winter power outages and gasoline powered backup generators. They also discuss residential appliance power requirements during an outage and generator operation and connection safety. 

Tom and Bret discuss the winter of 2013 & 2014 and how weather, low temperatures, thermostats, human habits and behaviors and more impact your utility bills. Learn how you can improve your comfort with sacrificing conveniences. Also, bookmark www.smartenergytips.org as your energy efficiency resource. 

Meet your show hosts Tom Hunt & Bret Curry. Learn about the details of your electric bill and begin learning how to improve your comfort without sacrificing convenience. Bookmark www.smartenergytips.org as your energy efficiency resource.