From The Workbench - Alternative + Renewable Energy Blog Valuable information for do-it-yourselfers interested in the latest in alternative + renewable energy

I don’t know about you, but one of the worst days of EVERY month for me, is the day the power bill shows up.  It’s the same song and dance each month, I see the envelope in the box, I sigh, dread opening it and reluctantly make my way inside.  It’s that first glance each time that kills me, seeing the HUGE amount of money I owe just for powering my life.  Each month I wonder:  What can I do about this…how can I cut back?!

The good news is, there IS something I can do, and there is something we can ALL do.  How excited would you be if I told you that its possible to cut your home energy bills by 80% using wind and solar power.  80%.  How about instead of paying $100/month, you could pay $20.  Wow.  The article I just found has some very simple ideas that for not very much money, you can start outfitting your home with solar and wind power.  How about a special solar power system for under $200?  How about a wind turbine system that shouldn’t cost you more than about $100?

While I can not guarantee these ideas or plans will work half as well as a professionally installed system, I suppose it’s worth a try to do-it-yourself at home first, and if it doesn’t work, reevaluate and go from there.  The upfront costs of solar and wind power can sometimes scare people off entirely, but the long term benefits are always going to be there.  Cutting anywhere from 80-100% of your energy bill, or heck, there are even some people where the power company has to pay THEM back because of the excesses they are creating.  Believe it, and get on board.