We’ve been busy all through the holiday season on EnergySavers.gov and the Energy Savers Blog. Here are some highlights.

What’s New or Noteworthy on Energy Savers

• 2010 marks the end of some tax credits for energy efficiency, while others are going strong through 2016. In addition, we’re keeping a close eye on additional tax credits for 2011 – stay tuned to find out more.
• Our Stay Warm, Save Money seasonal site has been updated with winter tips for keeping warm!

 

On the Blog, In Case You Missed It…

This Month

• New TV Guide – EnergyGuide, That Is
• Remember the Batteries – and Maybe a Charger?
• Tax Credits, Appliance Rebates, and the End of 2010
• Deck Those Halls!
• Psst. Confess. Are YOU Guilty?
• Country-Fried Biofuels
• Live Chat with the EERE Information Center

Weekly Questions—Did You Share Your Answer?

• How Do You Reduce the Amount of Energy Used by Your Televisions?
• What Do You Think of Your LED Holiday Lights?
• How Do You Reduce Energy Use from Computers and Electronics?
• What Energy-Saving Gifts Are You Giving this Year?
• What Improvements Have You Made for an Energy Efficiency Tax Credit?

From the Archives: Careers in Energy Efficiency or Renewables

• What Kind of Green Jobs Most Interest You?
• Greening Your Job: Careers in Energy
• Green Living, Green Technologies: Things to Be Thankful For
• Question of the Week: Are You Considering an Energy-Related Career? (This one has 15 comments!)
• Energize Your Career – Educational Opportunities in Renewables and Efficiency

 

Comment Spotlight

Rick J. commented on “What Do You Think of Your LED Holiday Lights?“: “I did not like them at all. They are so cold looking. Too much blue, purple and green. The whites are almost a light purple. Need to be warmer and more inviting. Should be an easy fix. Change the color of the plastic housing to offset the cooler led. I would love the energy savings and the ability to plug multiple strands together, but until they warm up the colors, I don’t want to look like the Grinch lives here.”

PH also commented on the post above: “I have been switching to LED’s as much as possible – with holiday lights and regular lighting. LED’s are GREAT! The pre-lit tree is so nice, with little star-LED’s. LED’s use far less power, throw very little heat and the color has been dialed in perfectly (see: CREE LE6 LR6) My eyes are sensitive and CFL and fluorescent lights end up bothering me, LED’s do not do this.”

Mark commented on “What Energy-Saving Gifts Are You Giving this Year?“: “Good timing for an energy saving article about gifts for sure! We actually picked up programmable thermostats for two of our kids with their own homes.
I know it’s not much of a Christmas gift idea, but we always struggle to find unique gifts, and this presents me with an opportunity to spend a few hours with them also.
– Spend a few hours helping to install them
– Help them save energy and money year round!”

Did You Know…

• Rebates for ENERGY STAR® appliances are still available in several states and territories. If you’re in the market for an appliance, check if your state is one of them before you buy. Look for additional rebates and incentives (such as your utility company) on the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency.
• Share Energy Savers content on your own website or blog with your readers. Check out these Energy Savers widgets, as well as others from EERE.

Thanks for reading the blog and Web site, and stay tuned for more ways to save energy and money at home in 2011!

Andrea Spikes is a communicator at DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, which assists EERE in providing technical content for many of its Web sites.