Energy Savings Tips

Laundry Appliances

Avoid washing partial loads. Wait until you meet machine capacity.

Pre-soak dirty clothes, probably the night before. Avoid having to run the washing machine twice.

Wash heavy and light weight laundry separately. Heavy laundry requires different setting.

Electric clothes drier uses large amount of energy to dry clothes. Practice using the old-fashioned clothes line. Clothes get a fresh sunshine smell in fine weather.

Iron clothes during off-peak hours (before 9 a.m. and after 9 p.m.). This helps lessen the demand for electricity during peak hours.

Do all the ironing at one time, say once or twice a week.

Dampen clothes moderately. Excessive moistened clothes take longer to iron.

Turn off flat iron shortly before ironing the last piece. It will stay hot just enough to finish the job.

Aircon

If you leave the room for a long time, turn off your air conditioner. It uses less current to bring the temperature down again when you return, than if you left it running.

Turn off unused lights and other appliances that give off heat. Lighting alone accounts for as much as one half of the load of their air conditioning unit. Use low wattage but efficient lamps.

Change incandescent to fluorescent. An incandescent bulb is much better a heater than a light source. Almost 80% of the electricity used to light it up is converted into heat.

Use a small electric fan to spread cooled air around your room. This prevents the cooled air from "layering" and settling to the floor.

Choose an air conditioning unit with high "Energy Efficiency Ratio" (EER). High EER has a more efficient motor than the one with lower EER, and consumes less electricity.

Refrigerators and Freezers

Defrost refs and freezers regularly. More than ¼-inch ice build up of frost puts up an extra load on the compressor motor.

Check refrigerator if it is not losing its cool because of a leaking gasket. Test the gasket by closing the door on a peso bill. If the bill slips out when you pull on it, either the gasket needs a replacement or the door needs adjusting.

Frequent opening and closing of refs contributes to frost or ice build-up and causes compressor motor to work overtime. As much as possible, keep door closed.

Taken from The Philippine Star

Compact Fluorescent Lamps In Focus

Energy savings

CFLs use 70 to 80 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs. The typical incandescent lamp wastes 90 percent of the energy it uses since it produces heat rather than light. A 100-watt incandescent lamp may be replaced with a 20 to 23-watt CFL. Although CFLs may appear different than the common incandescent bulbs, CFLs fit most standard fixtures found in homes today. The screw-in base is the same for both lamps.

Long Life

CFLs last approximately 6,000 tto 10,000 hours. This is 8 to 13 times longer than the life of an incandescent lamp with an expected life of 750 to 1,000 hours.

Warm Light

Most CFLs have improved color rendition. The light is of a warm tone that is almost identical to that of an incandescent lamp. Most people can't tell the difference.


Savings chart - Quality CFL vs. quality incandescent bulb




Taken from The Philippine Star

CFL - A More Efficient Alternative

The old adage "you can pay now or will pay later" is true when it comes to lighting. Incandescent lamps have dominated the residential lighting market for years and still do today. Why? Because they are cheaper to purchase and up until a few years ago provided an unmatched quality of light.

A new and advanced lighting technology called the compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) is more efficient alternative to incandescent lamp. It offers the potential for sinificant economic and environmental savings. A versatile range of different lamp-ballast configurations is available that can provide a comfortable, productive, and well-illuminated space if properly used.

They also have a much longer life -- usually 6000-10,000 hours compared to 750 to 1000 hours for a standard incandescent bulb.

A compact fluorescent lamp will initially cost more than an incandescent bulb, but because it lasts longer and costs so much less to run, it will prove to be a better bargain over time. Just keep in mind that light bulbs cost much more to run than to buy in the first place.

When should you not use a CFL? The relatively high purchase price is least justified where energy savings are small - in fixtures that are rarely used. Focus your investments on the heavily used fixtures instead, such as where the lamp will be on for an average of at least 3 hours each day. CFLs are not intended to be used with vertical base-up position and not with electronic timers or photocell sensors, and using them with such devices can significantly reduce their life span and cause other problems.

Taken from The Philippine Star

French Dressing For The Pinoy

They say everything French is chic: Paris is considered a major fashion capital and the French have the most effortless and enviable sense of style. It's no wonder then that most fashion labels have roots in France, including the one-stop shop for men's fashion: Celio.

Founded by brothers Marc and Laurent Grosman, Celio began in France in 1985. After 23 years of high-fashion and high-quality pieces, it has now gained recognition for its accessible, relaxed and stylish masculine fashion. Celio perfectly marries style and substance. With its sportswear, casual and business collections, Celio provides males with fashionable choices that are practical, sensible and easy to wear.

With 600 stores in nearly 40 countries, Celio has nine branches in the Philippines since its entry seven years ago: Greenbelt 3, Shangri-La Plaza, Power Plant Mall, TriNoma Mall, Robinsons Galleria, Gateway Mall, Mall of Asia, Alabang Town Center and Ayala Center Cebu. Suyen Corporation, the same force behind local retail powerhouses like Bench and Human, was awarded a franchise for the French male brand -- Celio's first franchisee outside Europe.

True to its French roots, Celio keeps up with the latest fashion trends, while retaining a classic and defined elegance. Celio's cuts, colors and materials are timeless -- staples in any male closet -- yet they're also fashion-forward, with trends incorporated in the details of key pieces. Celio divides its collections according to trends in four key markets.

Essential Sportswear is the true core business of the brands: jeans, linen trousers and T-shirts for the perenially laid-back dude who wants his style sense to come trouble-free and relaxed. Contemporary Casual is for the urban chic who are not afaid to test the style waters and experiment with new looks -- distressed denims with printed polo, perhaps? These style-setters are always on the hunt for new fashion thrills and are only too willing to try them all.

The young businessmen and yuppies also have a home at Celio. Authentic Business combines style, charm and seduction -- suits, shirts, and ties that mean business but also show a powerful style. And present in all these sections are the Celio accessories, with bags, belts, caps and underwear to add up.

French chic has never come easy for the Pinoy. Visit a Celio branch today for the crème de la crème of male fashion.

Taken from The Philippine Star

All Do, No Talk

By Cecile Lopez Lilles

There are very few things more agonizing than having to endure the company of a man who talks too much. Economy of words, I believe, is hard-wired into the male psyche, which makes the male motormouth a mutant -- an abomination of the natural scheme of things. Unkind words, you think? Sorry, can't help it.

If a man isn't a lawyer arguing a case in court, or a preacher delivering a sermon, or a Kristo in a cockpit for a Sunday derby, a jeepney or bus conductor hailing commuters over, or an auctioneer with gavel in hand, he should be sparing in his words. The genius in the architecture of a man's mind gives him the ability to condense his speech into only what is absolutely necessary, not a syllable more. If he spews them out at the rate of a couple of thousand per minute, something is awry. I have carried this bias for most of my life and have been fortunate enough to steer clear of such men until it finally backfired on me recently at the gym on a cruise ship where there were 1,800 passengers from 34 different countries.

I was running on a treadmill -- it actually appeared more like I was running after my breath -- huffing and puffing, battling against my cardio endurance, against all the unwanted weight I had to carry with each step, against my perseverance, and against my weakening will. I was soaked in sweat; my hair plastered firmly onto my forehead. There was a mirror some 20 feet behind me and I had a clear visual of my bottom bouncing away and swinging from left to right in perfect synchrony with my swishing ponytail as I struggled along. Eeew! Gross! But I couldn't have walked out on my own body, could I? So I bobbed and heaved, grinned and bore it, and soldiered on. I then noticed a young man lifting free weights behind me, facing my bottom squarely. Poor thing, I though to myself, considering the sight he had to endure.

Beside me, running on the next treadmill, was another woman, Caucasian, 50-ish, maybe 60, with a full head of gray hair, but she looked like she was ready to take on the New York Marathon. She cantered on, in perfect form and poise, blowing air out of her mouth at calculated intervals. I looked back at the mirror to check out her bottom, hoping that it it would at least look her age so that I could feel a little better, but boy, I couldn't have been more mistaken! She had a perfect little tush that sprouted lean, long legs -- the faster to propel her along that treadmill with. I knew then that I was going to have what I call a "loser day" -- when nothing seems to go right.

She was actually nice; I was the evil one -- checking out her bum and wishing her to stumble on the treadmill simply because she was 100 times more physically fit than me. She made small talk and offered pointers on how I could maximize my oxygen consumption.

If he just came up, got it over with, and spoke to me, I could tell him that I'm a mother of six and I definitely ain't buying what he's selling.

"Focus on something," she urged me.

"I can't," I said. "The sight of my bum in that mirror hanging behind me is much too distracting."

She broke into a giggle and gave me a thumbs-up for having a sense of humor. She then added, "Think good thoughts or home in on a single spot so you can concentrate, then be aware of your breathing. You want even inhalations and exhalations."

Just then, a young man, the same one I spotted lifting weights earlier, positioned himself right in front of both of us, just several feet from our treadmills. He was Chinese, I'm quite certain. First, he did some deep stretches, glancing at me every once in a while, prompting me to think that, hey, this guy probably knows me. But I couldn't place him; I had no recollection of his face and he couldn't have been my daughters' friend -- I know each and every one of them. The lady next to me asked, "You know the young fellow?" I knew then that she was at least 60 because only 60-year-olds use the word "fellow" to mean "man."

"No, in fact, I don't," I answered.

We couldn't help but watch him as he lunged very close to the ground, did full back bends until his feet faced one way and his face, upside down, faced the other way. He also did front and side splits spreading his legs apart, completely perpendicular to his body, making me flinch and wonder if he had any groin at all. He did all these while casting glances my way, more often now and for longer periods this time. S***! I was in complete awe of how much control he had over his body.

"Perhaps he fancies you," the lady running beside me joked.

I didn't think it was funny at all; in fact, I was a bit offended. "I don't think so," I shot back, although her broaching the subject started to make sense. The young man/contortionist was almost facing me this time, like the whole performance was specifically meant for me.

The lady just smiled and ran on along. Meanwhile, the young man, finished with stretching, started a series of crisp, precise moves strung together into a routine. It was clearly some sort of martial art and there was no doubt that he was excellent at it except that he had no opponent against whom he had to defend himself, so my judgment of his skill could have been totally wrong.

Anyway, the woman turned to me again and said, "You know what I said earlier about this man showing off to you as a joke? Well, I'm not joking anymore, he's deliberately catching your attention. Say something already, the poor thing! How much longer can he hold out, you think? One can only do so much stretching; he might dismantle his whole body!"

I thought that she was quite forthcoming but North Americans are no-nonsense in their dealings so I knew where she was coming from. I told her off as the young man continued prancing about -- this time flashing me toothy, come-hither smiles: "Here's the deal: I'm probably twice his age and I have six children, two of which are right around his age."

She did a double-take and blurted, "I'll say!" It distracted me from the matter at hand momentarily because nobody ever says "I'll say" anymore -- she was most definitely over 60!

I told her, "He's been at it for about 20 minutes now. If he would only talk, he could spare himself all the effort, all the trouble of performing for my sake. If he just came up, got it over with, and spoke to me, I could tell him that I'm a mother of six and I definitely ain't buying what he's selling, although it's an adrenalin shot to the middle-aged ego, thank you very much."

She said, "Then just tell him, for Pete's sake!" (There it was again; who says "For Pete's sake" anymore?)

"I can't!" I protested. "He might think me presumptuous. What if he were simply practicing his routine? It's going to be so embarrassing."

"Oh, we weren't born yesterday. Between both of us, there's probably more than a century of living. Of course we know what he's doing!" She broadcasted the age thing a little too loudly for my taste. "The poor boy," she continued. "If you don't tell him, I will."

And so she did! He stopped right in his tracks -- in mid-step if I remember right, on one leg, arms stretched toward the ceiling, palms clasping one another. Then, he jerked upright, looked at me... and scampered away. I felt so bad for him. I had intended to say, "I have two daughters, 24 and 22; you might want to meet them someday," but he vanished faster than I coould say "Abracadabra."

The lady asked me after the young man had left: "Was I mean?"

"Not really," I replied. "You simply divulged my demographic: age, marital status, number of children. You might as well have spilled my weight and waistline measurement. What could be so mean about that?"

Then we both broke into laughter.

Okay, now I have to alter my contention. Unless a man has funny speech patterns, an irregular, squeaky voice, or an incredibly thick accent like David Beckham, Rafael Nadal or Steve Buscemi he better stand up and be heard to save himself time and effort in gaining something or someone he desires. The concept of manna from heaven is a superstition; good fortune doesn't fall from the sky, one must earn it. Contrary to Philippine folklore, the guava never falls from the tree, one must flex his muscles and pick it.

So to all the gentlemen out there, don't talk too much -- but for heaven's sake, say something!

Taken from The Philippine Star