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sumer Tielpopts Best Travel Deals Don't wait to start saving. Travel Well for Less now, with this must-have travel resource. ~ESTM TRAVEL DEALS TiEn tisrr:rccpits 2001 for.mtt,art tnvrl pIanrtirtg This completely updated edidon of Best Travel Deais gives you the expert tips and strategies you need to travel in the style and comfort you deserve - at a price you can afford. Inside this 340-page travel planning guide, you'll find: ✓ 10 ways to make travel cheaper ✓ Stnte~ies for landinD a good seat on any airline ✓ Tips for choosing the pecfect tour or cruise ✓ S[ra[egies for gettino the most out of your frequent-ftyer miles ✓When to buy (or not buy) car- rent,al insurance ...and morc! This cdition includes an all-ne.v Rcference Section, making it easicr than ever for you to get quick answers to the most frequently askcd travel questions! On sale now wherever books and [magazines are sold, or mall the coupon below. - - ~ mm ~ 7 To order Best Travel Deals 2001, please send a ~ check or money orderfor $9.95 plus $3.50 ship- ~ I ping and handling, payable to Consumer Reports. ~ I Prod# P7as aozasz 1 I NAME I ' ADORESS APT. ' ' cm ' STATE ZIP Consumer Reports Best Travel Deals 2001 ' C°' PO Box 10637, Des Maines, IA 50336-0637 L ~ ~ .1 Ohio have succeeded in pressing utilities for the kinds of preferential terms big pur- chasers have been able to extract. By auth- orizing public officials to bargain for them, homeowners and small businesses are better able to ensure the reliability and accountability that they could not command on their own. Before aggregation can occur in the rest of the country, how- ever, each state must pass legislation- a Community Choice law-that gives municipalities the power to negotiate for electricity in the same way that most of them can now negotiate cable-TV deals or contract for trash-collection services. ► Don't short-circuit the environment. In their rush to ensure a ready supply of reli- able local power, state authorities risk cutting corners that could put the environment at risk. In NewYork, for examp(e, state author- ities Put a program to install netiv gas-fired generating plants on the fast track, accelerat- ing the normal public-hearing process and avoiding a Cull environmental-impact review. If that new capacity proves inadequate to avoid an electricity shortfall, the state might allow private owners of potentially more heavily-polluting diesel generators to mal:e up the difference. ► Give the wholesale electricity market a publio-sector watchdog with teeth. It's long been the job of che Federal Energy Rea- ulatory Commission (FEFC) to monitor the reliability of the nation's electricity- transmission system and to ensure that no price manipulation occurs. But the agency hasn't demonstrated much willingness so f ir ro step up to the new challenges of po(ic- ing a deregulated markct. In California, for examp(e, FERC declined to investigate many al(eg,uions of price gouging, choosing to look only at the Eew instances that occurred during times when supply was cri[ica(ly low. FERC cannot be effective in its over- sight role unless it obligates the industry to deliver power to consumers at a price commensurate with the actual costs it incurs to generate and transmit it. SIX THINGS YOU CAN DO While waiting for public officials to act, there are simple steps you can take to curb your electricity bills. ► Seal leaky ducts. Hot, humid air gets drawn into your home through ductwork leaks, dissipating the cool air your air con- ditioner cranks out. Because as much as 40 percent of what you spend to cool or heat your home can be lost through probtematic ducts, it pays to sea( and insulate them carefully, including any that pass through unheated or un-air-conditioned garages, basements, attics, or crawl spaces. You can also keep cool air indoors by caulking or adding weather stripping around doors and windows. ► Buy energy-efficient appliances. Most new major home appliances are required to carry an Energy Guide tag that spells out the projected annual cost of operation in terms of electricity consumed. If you are in the market for an air conditioner, refrig- erator, dishwasher, or clothes washer, it pays to choose an energy-efficient model. A refrig- erator that consumes a thriEty 500 kilowatt- hours of electricity each year will cost 40 percent less to operate over the course of a year than an inefficient model that uses 830 l:ilowatt-hours. (For information on choos- ing an energy-efficient central air conditioner, see our Nlay 2001 issue or log on to our web site at tivnvtiuConsumerReports.org, where we also report on a wide range of energy- efficient appliances throughout the year.) ► Limit your use of appliances that throw ofE heat. You can augment the electricity- saving potential of your energy-efficient appliances by running your oven, dishwasher, or clothes dryer during the coolcr hours oE the day, when your air conditioner doesn't have to %vork overtime to overcome the heat they, generate. And, of course set your air- conditioner thermostat higher. For each degree you raise it, you can cut your cooling bilis by 3 percent. ► Add insulation to your attic. Attics trap hot air, driving up the tcmperature in the rooms bclow and pumping up coo(ing costs. For homes in warm-weather cities like N(iami or Los Angeles, thr U.S. Department of Energy recommends insulating with the eyuivalent of a blanket of fiberglass about 12 inches thick. ► Switch to low-cost fluorescent lighting. Replace your most commonly used standard incandescent bulbs with new energy-efficient contpact fluorescent lights. The new bulbs cost more, but they can last up to ten times longer and can reduce lighting costs by 75 percent. ► Get an energy audit. To find other ways to cut electricity use, ask your electric company whether it offers free energy audits. Private firms also perform much the same service for a fee. You can locate a certi- fied energy-audit consultant by logging on to the nonProfit Residential Energy Services Nenvork (►vww.natresr►et.org). Erpect to pay $200 to $300 for a comprehensive home survey. But it can pay for itself many times over if you put to use the sound advice about what's watt. 0. 56 CONSUMEH REPORTS 0 JUNE 2001