Q How should one dispose of toilet paper or a Kleenex that is used to blow your nose? I grew up flushing it down the toilet, but my girlfriend puts it in the garbage. Which is better environmentally?
A Throw facial tissues in the trash. Every flush takes at least 1.6 gallons of water, 7 or more gallons with older toilets. That's an incredible waste of water just to blow your nose.
Space heater claims Q What about those infra-red portable home heaters we see advertised, such as EdenPure and iHeater? They propose 50 percent or more savings on heating bills, yet they are electric, which isn't necessarily an inexpensive way to heat an average home. How can you create all this heat energy, using electricity, yet save 50 percent on heating costs? Is this a hoax, misleading advertising or fact?
A You're smart to question the claims that these heaters will lower heating bills. It's not a false statement, but it can be misleading. It's important to do your homework.
With these electric heaters, your heating bill -- the cost of heating your home with natural gas -- might go down, but your electric bill will go up. Whether you will come out ahead depends, among other things, on how much you use the heater and the price you pay for electricity. However, it's almost always cheaper to heat with natural gas than electricity.
In addition, it's important to note the wording "by up to 50 percent." To reduce the heating bill, they typically recommend that you set your furnace at your desired temperature, then turn it down and use the electric heater to maintain the heat in the room you are in. This isn't anything new. This is how you use electric space heaters -- those costing $60, as well as those costing $400. But remember, it's only for one room. If you want to heat more than one room, you'd need to get another heater, or move the heater from room to room.
Consumer Reports magazine tested and rated space heaters in 2007, and EdenPure was near the bottom of 20 space heaters tested. The top performers were cheaper.
Amish heaters, too Also, take a look at claims made by what is commonly called the Amish heaters. The products are simply electric space heaters in a fireplace-like cabinet. You can buy similar products for less at area stores.
