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Life Tips for Personal, Financial and Business Growth

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Is Gas or Electric Cheaper for Heating?

Nowadays, it seems like the price of everything just keeps ticking up, with no end in sight. As a result, we’re all looking for ways to save money, and one of the best ways to do so is by cutting down on monthly energy costs. There are several tricks you can use in order to spend less on heating your home, such as turning the thermostat up by a few degrees, but ultimately, if you really want to take advantage of long-term savings, you may have to opt for a new heating system entirely. Before you do so, however, you’ll need to figure out what the most cost-effective method of generating heat is for your home.

While there are many different ways to heat a building, gas furnaces and electric resistance heating are among the most common. But which one is the least expensive? Below, we’ll help you to determine the answer to one of the most commonly asked questions in HVAC: is gas or electric cheaper?

Gas Heating: How It Works

When we refer to “gas heating,” we’re referring to a furnace that is designed to use natural gas as a fuel source. Natural gas is not the same thing as the gas you use in your automobile. It’s actually primarily methane, although there are plenty of other compounds found in its chemical makeup as well. It’s “natural” because, unlike gasoline and other commonly used fossil fuels, it does not require any sort of refinement or synthesis to be an effective fuel source. Instead, it’s mined directly from the earth and transported through a series of pipelines.

In a gas furnace, the natural gas is pumped through a pipe into an ignitor. The ignitor has a pilot light that causes the gas to combust. The resulting flame is controlled and used to heat the air inside a device called a heat exchanger, which is an essential element of any furnace system. Once the air has been heated, a large fan is used to circulate it through the home’s ductwork, where it enters each room through a series of vents. The heated air will continue to flow until the thermostat detects that the desired temperature has been achieved. It will then shut the system off.

The Secrets of Electric Heating

An electric furnace is similar, in many ways, to a gas furnace, in the sense that it also makes use of a heat exchanger, a blower fan, and your home’s system of ductwork. Where the two methods differ, however, is in the way they generate heat. While a gas furnace ignites a fuel source to release heat energy into the air, an electric furnace uses a method known as resistance heating.

Chances are, if you own a toaster, you are already somewhat familiar with the concept of resistance heating. You’ve probably even witnessed it in action. When you press the lever on your toaster, you may have seen the metal coils inside of it turn red as they heat up. The reason this occurs is that, when the toaster is activated, an electrical current is sent through those coils. The voltage from the current excites the electrons inside of the coil, causing it to heat up (the red glow results from a phenomenon known as incandescence).

Electric furnaces, space heaters, and other electric heating methods use the same principle as the toaster. Electricity is passed through a medium, generating heat. The heat energy can then be transferred into the air and circulated throughout the home.

An Alternative Method: The Heat Pump

Besides the two methods of generating heat we’ve mentioned above, you can also opt to use a heat pump instead of a traditional furnace. Technically, the heat pump is considered a type of electric heating because it does require electricity to operate. However, in this case, the electricity is not actually used to generate the heat. Instead, it’s simply used to transfer heat energy from one area to another.

Unlike a gas or electric furnace, a heat pump is usually smaller and mounted somewhere on the wall of the home it’s being used for. A small set of tubes connects it to the outside unit, which is a device that can collect heat energy from outside and transfer it into the home.

A heat pump actually uses the same underlying technology as an air conditioner (in fact, it can even be switched into a cooling mode and double as an air conditioner during the summer). Refrigerant coils absorb heat energy, but when the system is in heating mode, the heat is vented into the home instead of away from it (as an AC unit does).

So Which Method Is the Cheapest?

So, at the end of the day, is gas or electric cheaper? Electric heating has plenty of advantages. For example, it doesn’t require a gas main, and it’s comparatively safer since it doesn’t generate harmful byproducts. However, when it comes to the question of which is cheaper to run, electric is usually the more expensive option, costing an average of a little over $2,000 a year to run.

On the other hand, a gas furnace can cost as little as $400 a year to run. On the face of it, this is much cheaper than electric. However, you will also have to consider that an electric furnace tends to last a lot longer, meaning you’ll have to replace it less often. This can balance the cost savings of a gas furnace somewhat.

Finally, a heat pump costs around $1,500 a year to run. While this seems much more expensive than a gas furnace, remember that it’s being used for heating and cooling, so that price tag covers your air conditioning bill as well. It’s an excellent choice for energy efficiency.

Whichever heating method you choose, installation should be performed by certified contractors, such as Entek HVAC, whose installers and technicians are specifically experienced with the type of heating method you’ve chosen.

 

 

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4 Common Internet Challenges for Seniors and How To Overcome Them

We’re in a digital era where we chat, shop, and even entertain ourselves differently. But it can be tough for seniors in senior living communities to keep up with this quick tech evolution.

In the following lines, I’ll look at four common web issues our elders face and give tips on dealing with them without stress.

Navigating Complex Websites and Apps

The Challenge: The progress of tech brings more complex apps and websites. They’re full of features, animations, and ads, which can confuse seniors who didn’t grow up during the digital age.

The Solution: Start by choosing ‘Lite’ or ‘Basic’ versions of these platforms. These are much simpler as they only offer essential functions, making navigating things easier! It’s also great if our elder folks could join online tutorials or local workshops offered at places like libraries or community centers in senior living communities. All this can help them understand how to use popular applications step-by-step.

Security Concerns and Scams

The Challenge: The internet can be a tricky place for seniors. They often face online scammers eyeing their supposed weaknesses. Sneaky phishing emails, bogus websites, or hoax tech-support calls might expose them to fraud and identity theft.

The Solution: Knowledge is power here! We need to show older folks the usual scams that lurk on the web and how they work.

Easy rules like avoiding dodgy links, keeping personal details away from unknown sources, and changing passwords regularly make things safer. Plus, an extra safety net is to set up trusted security software in all of their devices as it helps offer more protection against these threats within senior living communities where many residents use shared networks.

Understanding Social Media Etiquette

The Challenge: Seniors find it tough to navigate social media like Facebook or Instagram. These platforms have their own rules and manners that aren’t always clear, especially on sharing content and privacy.

The Solution: Offer special workshops for seniors all about how to use these sites safely. They can learn there how important strong settings are for keeping personal details secure, what’s okay (and not) to post online, and why you need digital boundaries.

Plus, a helpful tip is guiding them to only connect with family members, friends, or trusted groups, which will guarantee they stay safe while also enjoying the internet.

Physical Challenges

The Challenge: As they age, seniors may struggle to use tech devices due to issues like poor eyesight or hearing and less dexterity.

The Solution: Use the built-in features for accessibility that most modern gadgets have. Screen enlargement, voice control, and text-to-speech can make things way easier for them. It could also help if they switch to larger screens or devices with actual keyboards.

Wrapping UP

The web can be tricky for our seniors. But with proper tools and learning, they can boldly surf online safely! As we keep moving in this tech age, we need to make sure that everyone, old or young, gets a fair shot at what the internet has on display.

 

 

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Who Pays the Medical Bills After a Car Accident Injury?

Finding yourself injured in a car accident can make for a difficult journey. Not only do you have to heal from the trauma of the accident and the physical injuries you’ve experienced, but you may find yourself at a financial disadvantage now. Your vehicle may be damaged, which could be an added level of frustration if you commute to your job or use your car for your job. On top of that, you may find yourself with a pile of medical bills while your attorney and your insurance company sort out what happened and what you’re entitled to.

After experiencing a car accident injury, your health insurance will be able to cover costs, depending on your individual coverage. In the meantime, who should pay those medical bills? Here are some of the most important questions you might have in this situation.

1. The Short Answer

Let us say that you’re in a car accident and you are taken to the hospital. There, you’ll recover and incur medical expenses throughout your treatment. Your Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance policy will cover those medical expenses in part or in full, and can grant you other protection as well (such as wages lost due to your injuries or rehabilitation costs).

If you require some kind of specialty care that isn’t covered under Personal Injury Protection, your private insurance should pay for any additional costs. If that happens, your private insurance will take what’s called a statutory lien on your case. Once your legal case is closed and you receive a settlement, your private insurance will be repaid the amount of that lien from the Personal Injury Protection policy.

A Personal Injury Protection policy does not cover everything. For instance, it doesn’t cover you if you are in an accident if you’re driving for work purposes, or if you’re in a driving accident while committing a crime. It doesn’t cover damage to someone else’s property or damage to your own vehicle. Those other bills you can pay out of pocket or pay through other auto insurance policies.

2. What If I Don’t Have Medical Insurance?

This might be where things get a little scary, and when having an attorney to represent your case will come in handy.

You may not have medical insurance of your own, or you may have to use medical providers outside of your regular insurance coverage. Maybe you were traveling out of the area where your insurance is accepted, so you incur out-of-network charges. Either you can pay those medical expenses out of pocket, or the insurance provider will take a lien out on the proceeds of your case. If they set a lien, your attorney can give the provider a Letter of Protection.

The Letter of Protection is a contract between the provider and the attorney and will be fulfilled when a settlement is reached in your case. This will give you some insulation and some breathing room, as it ensures that when your attorney receives the settlement money, they will pay the provider first out of the settlement you receive. It effectively gives the provider first shot at the settlement money, in exchange for putting off billing you immediately.

3. What If I Caused the Accident?

Oregon happens to be an “at-fault” state. If your actions caused the accident, you (and your insurance company) are responsible for paying for the damages, including any medical treatment. You could also be on the financial hook for other expenses like lost income and vehicle damage for the other party.

If you find yourself in this situation someday, one thing you can do to prevent confusion is to make sure you understand your current insurance policies, and strengthen them or get new ones if they don’t meet your needs. For example, liability insurance doesn’t apply to your own injuries or vehicle damage in Oregon, so you want to make sure you have that in addition to a Personal Injury Protection policy.

Not all accidents are straightforward, either. If you are partially responsible for the accident, you are still eligible for a settlement, as long as you’re less than 50 percent responsible. Dangerous weather conditions, slippery or confusing roadways or signage, and traffic light malfunctions are some common causes of accidents where you may be partially at fault.

4. How Long Until the Settlement Is Agreed To?

The length of your insurance settlement can take longer than you think. We usually estimate that a personal injury settlement will take about two years to come to an agreement, but that may sound like too long for you to wait. Some of this time is allotted to you recovering from the accident, and physical therapy sometimes can take a while. You want to be closer to the end of your treatment before starting those proceedings, so your attorney may wait so that you are closer to being physically recovered. Then, records must be documented and collected as the case is worked and finally the settlement can be negotiated and agreed to.

If you’re concerned about having a medical lien on your case for that long, you might also be wondering how a lien affects the rest of your life. A lien doesn’t impact your credit score or your wages. The only impact this lien will have is on your medical bills and your settlement when it comes to completion.

5. How Much Am I Entitled To?

That’s hard to say; there are so many factors in each case. It can also depend on what kind of medical problems you face on a day-to-day basis: do you have tense muscles, a smaller range of motion, or a preexisting injury that was made worse or created by the accident? Some of these are small and some are large. There is a maximum damage cap of $500,000, so you can’t receive more than this amount in a personal injury case in Oregon.

The expert team at Warren Allen Personal Injury Attorneys in Portland, Oregon will help you with legal representation and advice. If you have experienced a car accident injury, contact us today to learn about your options.

 

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3 Things To Do While Traveling To Reduce The Chances Of Getting Sick

If you travel a lot, be it for work or for pleasure, you’ve likely experienced getting sick either in the middle of your trip or as soon as you get home. This usually happens because you’ve had changes to your environment, be it a reduction in your focus on your health or exposure to new germs that you’re not used to. But luckily, there are things that you can do to hopefully keep this from happening to you as often.

To help you see how this can be done, here are three things to do when traveling to reduce the chances of getting sick.

Focus On Your Sleep

One of the most important ways to keep your body and your mind healthy is to get enough sleep. Otherwise, your immune system can become weakened. But for many people, traveling can make it very hard to get the sleep that their body needs and is used to. Especially if you’re going to be on the road a lot, sleeping in an unfamiliar place, or nervous about the big work presentation you’re going to be giving, it can be easy not to prioritize your sleep as much as you should.

To combat this, you’ll want to try to get as much sleep as you can before you leave so that your body can hopefully compensate for getting a little less sleep while you’re traveling. And, when you’re picking a place to stay on your trip and packing your bags, make sure you think ahead about how you’ll ensure you’re getting the restful sleep you need. This could include packing your own pillow, getting an eye mask, wearing ear plugs, bringing blackout curtains and more.

Take Care With Commonly Touched Surfaces

During travel time, you’re going to be touching a lot of surfaces that other people have touched before you. And since you can’t be certain how clean or healthy these other people are, you need to take your own measures to protect yourself.

Even with items that may have an antimicrobial coating like some appliances, you’ll still want to sanitize high-touch surfaces before you touch them. And even then, just avoiding high-touch surfaces in general might be a better idea to help keep yourself from getting sick.

Think About What You’re Eating

Along with sleep, the food that you fuel your body with can also have a big impact on how well you’re able to fight off germs that might try to get you sick. Knowing this, you should make sure that you’re eating healthy foods that have been safely prepared. This will help you to avoid things like foodborne illnesses as well as make sure your body has the energy it needs to keep itself healthy despite what you might be exposed to.

If you want to give yourself the best shot at staying healthy while traveling for work or for pleasure, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you in doing this.

 

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4 Tips for Staying Safe Online

In today’s digital world, staying safe is more important than ever. Although the Internet is full of plenty of conveniences and access to the things that can make our lives easier, there are plenty of ways we can get ourselves into trouble online. From avoiding scams to protecting your sensitive data, here are some of the best tips for staying safe while navigating the web.

Use Strong Passwords

Even though it may seem logical to choose the name of your pet or the month you were born as part of your password, the truth is that if someone is really trying to guess your password it won’t be difficult to do. Always choose a password that has multiple characters, and isn’t easy to guess. Consider using a password generator which will give you a combination of different numbers symbols and letters.

Above all, create different passwords for each website that you visit. If you use the same password for multiple websites because once someone has your password they can access anything.

If you have trouble remembering your passwords, then ask Chrome to memorize them for you. That way the browser will auto-fill passwords each time you visit a website. If you must write your web passwords down, keep them in a safe place where no one can find them.

Don’t Open Suspicious Links

Phishing is one of the most common scams that people fall for every single day. As such, t’s important that you know the most common phishing scams. For example, even though it may look like a credible business or person is sending you an email with a link, forget about opening it. Never click on a link that is sent to you out of the blue for no particular reason and always check the sender.

Take your time and read the email address slowly. Sometimes it may look just slightly different from the way that it should be. For example, they may add an extra character that you may not even notice. If you have your doubts, consider contacting the person or business directly to ask if it was in fact them who sent you the message.

Get an Antivirus Software

Antivirus software is critical for keeping your system safe. Some of them are available for free, while others you must pay for. Whichever service you choose, make sure that you enable automated updates so that your system is up-to-date and capable of addressing the latest hacker tactics.

Don’t Share Private Information

As innocent as it may seem to share information about yourself online, the truth is that there are people out there with bad intentions who could use this information to their advantage. Be wary before sharing any information about yourself. From where you work to whether you’re currently on vacation you’re better off withholding as much information as you can.