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Rick is the web developer at InterceptEFT and a self-proclaimed closet tree-hugger.

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Our Vets are on the right track...

by Rick Steinwand (Web Developer), Mar. 24, 2010 Maybe you saw the new TV compaign, where our Vets are promoting clean and renewable energy sources, like E85 (85% ethanol, 15% gas), instead of going to war to defend our oil interests abroad.

Here's some fuel for thought:

• Approximately 25% of the oil we import (about a billion dollars a day) comes from countries that promote terrorism, which I find troubling. I have a problem funding terrorism, don't you?
• Although some are critical that E85 is subsidized a few cents per gallon in some states, consider the cost of war, patrolling the Middle East and the loss of life and limb to protect our interests in that area. For example, in 2007, our military used 1.6 million barrels of oil a day in Iraq. (No doubt a good chunk of the money we spent for that imported fuel funded the people we were fighting.)
• When gas prices spiked over $4 in 2008, E85 was selling for up to a dollar less in many Midwest markets. Gas prices are expected to exceed $3 this summer and the national price spread between gas and E85 is approaching 20%, according to E85Prices.com. When E85 is priced more than 20% cheaper than gasoline, you can easily save money fueling with E85.
• About 18 million flex fuel vehicles were on the road in 2009, yet a study by GM in 2008 found that 70% of flex fuel vehicle (FFV) owners didn't know they could use E85 and fewer than 10% actually did so.
• Due to ethanol's decreased need for oxygen, the miles per tank is reduced with E85. In most markets, especially in the Midwest, it is priced lower so the cost per mile is often break-even.
• Ethanol burns cleaner than gasoline, producing less smog and pollution and is promoted by the American Lung Association of the Midwest.
• For auto enthusiasts, E85 has a higher octane than premium gas (105 vs 94), is priced competitive to regular gas, and loves high compression engines. It's the perfect fuel for muscle cars from the 60's and 70's.
• Although some will try to tell you that ethanol from corn is a bad thing, new sources of ethanol are being developed that use everything from algae, cattails (the plant, silly), garbage and waste wood chips, to name a few.
• Biofuels like ethanol have been mistakenly blamed for the rising costs of food (Food for Fuel), but food costs continue to be high even when corn and ethanol prices have dropped. Many experts have stated that ethanol is responsible for only a 2 cent increase for a box of corn flakes. The rest of the increase can be blamed on diesel prices (transportation and farm), as well as market speculation.
• Don't drive a FFV? The primary difference between FFV and non-FFV fuel components is often just bigger injectors on a FFV. There's a number of E85 enthusiasts that have used E85 in non-FFV's for years without a problem. Conversion kits are available for under $400 for most vehicles.
• The ethanol content of regular pump gas varies from state to state and is usually 0% to 10% ethanol. Research shows that many non-flex fuel vehicles get the same or better mileage with 20 to 30% ethanol (E20/E30) compared to unleaded gasoline.

Ready to make a difference? Here's how to start.

1. Check if you already own a FFV. (Remember a FFV can use at least 85% ethanol, but most non-FFV's can use up to 40%, sometimes 60%.)
2. Locate the nearest E85 stations (or blender pump, if you're lucky), in your area at E85Prices.com. E85 prices vary much more than gas prices so it pays to know where the "deals" are.
3. Don't have a FFV? Many people start by mixing E85 with regular gas (or pump E20/E30 from a blender pump) to get the benefits of E85 w/o the expense of a conversion.
4. Check out my Ethanol Calculators to determine which fuel is best for you.

Going green doesn't have to cost a lot of money.

by Rick Steinwand (Web Developer), Dec. 14, 2009 Everybody's claiming to be "green" these days, often just because they recycle their cans and bottles. Going green often can potentially reduce your energy usage, which most people can appreciate. Here are a few things I feel you should know about being green:

Reduce, reuse, recycle.

How expensive is it to donate your unneeded clothing, furniture, cell phones and household goods to a shelter or other needy organization? Often you'll get a receipt for tax purposes just for the asking and the satisfaction that you helped someone needy. Likewise recycling your cans, bottles, cardboard and newspapers just costs you a few minutes a week and saves our limited supply of resources. When possible, purchase goods made from recycled products. More reduce, reuse, recycle.

Behavior modification is free.

Big gains in your energy bills can be had by taking shorter showers, turning off lights (and heat) in unoccupied rooms, unplugging appliances that aren't used and fixing leaky faucets and toilets.

Every homeowner should have an energy audit.

Many utility companies offer an energy audit for free or reduced price, but don't expect a lot from that, often it's just a visual inspection. Another option is a DIY energy audit.

The best energy audit is a professional audit with a blower door and thermal imaging to show air leaks and missing insulation, often as little as $250-300. Many of these leaks require just a little caulking to fix and often saves the average owner up to $100 a year.

Forget replacing windows and doors unless there's a good reason. Spending that money for other things, like insulation, often gives a higher ROI. In historic houses, new windows can decrease the value of your house so the best bet would be to rebuild them to reduce leakage.

Monitor your home's energy usage with a free Microsoft Hohm account. After answering some questions about your home's layout and construction and info from your utility bills, you'll get some neat graphs of your usage and lots of tips for decreasing your energy usage. For more info go to the Microsoft Hohm web site.

Don't overlook your hot water heater.

Heated water is often 14 to 25% of the energy consumed in your home. Check out the US Dept of Energy's guide to Energy-Efficient Water Heating and this calculator which will show you what you can hope to save. In my book, unless you have a high efficiency water heater, (most of us don't) every water heater should have an insulated blanket and hot water pipes should be insulated as far as you can go, especially in unheated areas of your home. Plan to save at least $20 a year.

Know your energy hogs.

Beg, borrow or buy a watt meter, then record the energy used by your appliances. Don't forget to check how much power they use when turned "off" (known as vampire power). Once you identify the hogs, you can deal with ways to reduce your consumption. Here's Planet Green's Top Green Electricity Tips. Did you know that older Energy Star appliances only needed to consume less than 1 watt while turned off, to comply? There was no limit on energy use when turned on. Newer Energy Star appliances address power usage when turned on.

Take advantage of credits and rebates.

The IRS has a 30% tax credit of up to $1,500 for energy-saving upgrades that ends Dec. 31, 2010 and there's a proposed Cash for Caulkers program that could pay 50% of your improvements (or up to $12,000 in your pocket).

Are you safe, while browsing the Internet?

by Rick Steinwand (Web Developer), Sept. 21, 2009 The Internet is full of bad guys wanting to steal your passwords, control your pc, and use it for their own devices (sending spam, dos attacks, etc). Do you really want to be browsing the web with out-of-date software?

Microsoft has already let it be known, that much of their latest security technology isn't available for older operating systems, (often pre-XP), so if you're running Windows 2000, Windows Me, or Windows 98, God help you if you're browsing the web with that, especially if you have kids using it unsupervised (one of the fastest ways to take down a computer IMO).

Is there any way to be safe with an older OS? Short answer, no, but if you insist on using a computer that pre-dates XP, browsing with modern browser (Firefox, Chrome, Safari, Opera, etc, but not Internet Explorer), and KEEPING IT UPDATED with a good anti-virus, would be a small improvement, until you can upgrade. Don't get me wrong, newer versions of IE are good, it's the Internet Explorer 6 and older we need to get rid of.

How do you know if you have the latest updates? Go to WindowsUpdate and check to see what's available.

So why am I on a security rant? I assume you're reading my blog because you're using our ACH services. If you also browse the Internet using that same computer and use a search engine, you're at a big-time risk. Ever accidentally end up at a questionable web site while searching the web and have popup ads and your anti-virus goes nuts with virus warnings? That's scary stuff if you also store your customer's banking information on your computer. Computers are cheap, update it already.