Daylight Saving Time

Are You Ready? It’s That Time Again, Daylight Savings Time

It’s that time of the year again; time to set our clocks back, return to standard time, and “gain” an extra hour.

That means this Sunday, November 7th at 2:00 am, Daylight Saving Time officially ends until its return on the second Sunday in March, 2011.

Why is this exciting? We actually have an extra hour magically ADDED to our day, via setting our clocks back by one hour.

Think about that! How many times have you wished you had just a little extra time in a day, to connect with an old friend, to reorganize your desk, to reach out to a business partner you haven’t talked with in awhile, to have lunch with a special client, or to enjoy some quiet time with your family?

Well, this weekend, we’ve got that extra hour!

The only question that remains is…how are YOU going to use it?

Consider finding something special to do with this hour. And if it involves a friend, family member, or business relationship, let them know that THEY were the one you wanted to invest this special extra hour with.

Enjoy your extra hour of standard time this weekend. And don’t hesitate to contact us if you’d like to spend a few minutes reviewing your real estate and mortgage options. A lot has changed in the real estate industry recently, and both home prices and mortgage rates still remain at some of the best levels we’ve ever seen. You may be able to save even more money than you might think.

Daylight Saving Time

Save Time and Money With Daylight Saving

It’s that time of the year again; time to set our clocks back an hour, return to standard time, and “gain” an extra hour. That means this Sunday, November 1 at 2:00 am, Daylight Saving Time officially ends until its return on the second Sunday in March, 2010.

Since 2007, Daylight Saving Time has actually been four weeks longer, thanks to the passage of the Energy Policy Act in 2005. The Act extended Daylight Saving Time by four weeks in an attempt to save 10,000 barrels of oil each day through reduced use of power by businesses during daylight hours. Unfortunately, the Department of Energy (DOE) says that it’s difficult to determine actual energy savings, if any, as a result of Daylight Saving Time. But, there are definitely some easy steps you can take to save significantly on your household energy bills.

Did you know that water heating can account for 14%–25% of the energy consumed in your home, especially in the coming months? According to the DOE, it’s true. With this in mind, we thought we’d share with you a few of the DOE’s energy-efficient water heating strategies to help you save throughout the holiday season.

• Wash only full loads of dishes and clothes.
• Lower the thermostat on your hot water heater to 120° F.
• Repair leaky faucets promptly; a leaky faucet wastes gallons of water in a short period of time.
• Install aerating, low-flow faucets and showerheads. Select a shower head with a flow rate of less than 2.5 gpm (gallons per minute) for maximum water efficiency.
• Consider natural-gas on-demand or tankless water heaters. Researchers have found savings can be up to 30% compared with a standard natural-gas storage tank water heater.
• Consider installing a drain water waste heat recovery system. A recent DOE study showed energy savings of 25% to about 30% for water heating using such a system.
• Install heat traps on the hot and cold pipes at the water heater to prevent heat loss. Some new water heaters have built-in heat traps.
• Insulate the first 6 feet of the hot and cold water pipes connected to the water heater.

Have a safe and happy Halloween – and enjoy your “extra hour” of standard time. And don’t hesitate to give us a call if you’d like to invest that extra hour reviewing your mortgage options. A lot has changed in the industry recently, and you may be able to save even more money.

Need more expert advice? Ask the team of Certified Mortgage Planning Specialists at Benchmark Mortgage.