Magic Plumbing San Francisco Bay Area

You’ve probably heard the economic downturn’s good news for the environment because people aren’t buying unnecessary things. But the economic downturn can actually mean people ARE buying things — energy-efficient things, that is. The Shelton Group just released a study (PDF) showing that consumers are willing to buy green even in this down economy — if their purchases save green. And the most attractive green purchases are those that start saving green immediately. For example, of the people

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Photo credit: Carlisle Classic Homes LLC I can’t tell you how happy I am that it’s officially spring. While it’s not exactly warm yet here in Virginia, at least the sun is shining, birds are starting to migrate back, my garden seeds have been started in anticipation that someday it will be warm enough to plant them outside and, best of all, the construction industry starts to come out of hibernation. This is especially helpful to those of us married to contractors who have honey-cabin-feve

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If you’re looking for factory reconditioned (refurbished) tools, you’re reading at the right place. Most of the major tool manufacturers sell reconditioned tools through a few online retailers, and we’ve collected a comprehensive list below. What Are Reconditioned / Refurbished Tools? Reconditioned tools have been returned to the manufacturer for repair after either a defect or user mis-handling. The manufacturer restores the tool to factory specifications, and then sells the tool through o

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The accessibility of environmentally-friendly household products has made going “green” a more manageable task. There are many local stores and companies specializing in “green” home construction and refurbishing.

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But, first, you must buy new heaters and pay $18-$20 more on your monthly bill. (It’s always the minor details, eh?) The good news is your increased bill will help low-income folks and nonprofits, too. No mention of what the plan might be for the replaced heaters. Will they go straight to the dump, be recycled or refurbished? Remember, Piedmont, being good to Mama Earth is not just about reducing consumption, it’s also about reusing and recycling items. The N.C. Utilities Commission has app

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Piedmont Natural Gas, the state’s biggest natural gas utility, soon will pay customers to become more energy efficient.

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An innovative and ambitious plan to provide $100 million in loans for energy conservation programs was given high marks Tuesday by people that see it as a way to not only help the environment, but create jobs.

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Piedmont Natural Gas, the state’s biggest natural gas utility, this spring will start paying customers to become more energy efficient.

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Living in a condominium has numerous advantages, minimal maintenance for one, but condo living also has a smaller environmental impact than residing in a single family home. It takes less resources to construct, and because a condo unit is typically surrounded by other units on three sides, it takes less energy (and money) to heat and cool than a single family home. The following is a sampling of condos that offer convenient downtown locations so residents can lower emissions by taking advanta

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Piedmont Natural Gas, the state’s biggest natural gas utility, will start paying customers to become more energy efficient. The N.C. Utilities Commission approved the conservation programs late Monday as part of a statewide policy goal to cut energy waste.

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Piedmont, the state’s largest gas utility, will give rebates up to $50 for traditional water heaters, $250 for tankless water heaters and $300 for furnaces.

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The N.C. Utilities Commission has approved Piedmont Natural Gas Co. Inc.’s $1.28 million conservation plan. (PNY)

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Piedmont Natural Gas, the state’s biggest natural gas utility, will start paying customers to become more energy efficient.

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If we can take ReTherm’s claim at face value, by installing their device to recover waste heat that would otherwise go down the drain, we can save at least as much as we would with tankless water heaters, at a fraction of the install cost — which means the device might actually pay for itself in a reasonable period of time. The ReTherm heat exchanger basically replaces a section of your sewer pipe. As warm water flows through the heat exchanger, some of the heat in the water is absorbed b

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by Fred Sykes Tankless water heaters are a great way to decrease your energy bill as traditional hot water heating systems do use a lot of energy. Typically keeping a tank of water constantly hot is about 30% of your energy bill. Tankless water heaters are a great way to reduce your energy costs and is a very efficient way to use energy. Instead of heating a full tank of water and keeping it at a hot temperature the tankless water heater heats water through a heat exchanger only when hot wa

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