Chapter 2: Cost over Savings Analysis
Before we get into saving you money with methods to lower the number of units that you spend on your fuel each month, we do need to show you the benefits of energy savings by smart investment.
Because the world is in a fuel crisis and the cost of gas and other energy means continues to rise, there are those not so nice guys out there that are promoting products that are anything but a way to save money. These products may work, but probably do not.
The trick is that you need to know before you purchase them if in fact they are something that is cost effective or if they are something that will be a waste of your hard earned money.
We can help you with a few good tips about purchasing any item that may be presented to you as a way to save energy on your home’s fuel usage. Take some time to really think about what you are investing in before you do so. This alone can save you money.
Tips for Analyzing Benefit
Take these tips to heart:
When you take these things into consideration, you will find yourself better able to understand the true benefit of any supposed energy savings gadget that is out there. Now, there are sure to be those things that do actually work too. But, you need to find them first.
Know Before You Buy
There are several things that you should know about before you invest in these energy savings products as well. Now, mind you, if you are talking about a ten dollar investment, it does not take all of this research. But, if you are talking about replacing or amending any of your major energy producing systems in your home, such as your furnace, then it pays to pay attention to the details.
One thing to find out is who the company that is offering this product actually is. For example, who is marketing this product to you? If you can take a few minutes to find this out, you can log into the Better Business Bureau’s website and find out if in fact they have had any claims put in against the company or person that may in fact have to do with this product.
You can also search for reviews of the product by using your favorite search engine and the name of the product followed by the word review. When you do this, you may find several different websites all providing a different look at what this product can or possibly will not do for you.
Take the time to determine if there are good or just bad points to this product.
Also beneficial is to take some time to learn about the way that the product’s manufacturer backs up their claim. If you find that the product does not work as effectively as it has promised, can you send it back to them? If so, before you even purchase it, you should know where you can return it to get your funds back.
Doing these things is almost a must when you are purchasing from a company that you have not heard about in the past. What’s more is that protecting yourself is something you have to do.
Is It Worth The Cost?
There are plenty of traps out there that can really cut into any potential that you have in gaining anything from a product. But, the bottom line is that the product that you are purchasing to help you to save money must be able to actually do that.
To do it, the cost of the product must be able to be made up quickly by the product saving you the money.
You should also take some time to determine if this product fits a need that you have. If you are investing in a $2000 new furnace for a home you do not use, it may not be all that beneficial to you. But, if you use that furnace each day, then this money can come back to you ten fold quickly, if the product is worth the investment of course.
Finally, although we have said quite a few negative things here regarding products on the market that may not be beneficial to your home’s energy efficient needs, it is important to note that there are plenty of great companies and services out there that actually are capable of providing the highest quality service as well as lowering your costs for fuel.
In fact, if you think about it, solar panels wouldn’t be around if someone hadn’t thought to use the sun’s powers to heat us.
You also would not have plenty of the other things that we use each and every day to if someone hadn’t thought that this was a great idea and then made it happen.
Therefore, it does make good sense to insure that you do take the time to consider what the product is and what it is promising. While there are scams out there, there are also quite a few beneficial products on the market that can better your ability to save money on your home’s fuel needs too.