On the Agenda O n ly o n
SCLiving.coop
Mic Smith
Bonus videos
Off to war. Get a taste of what Civil War reenactments are all about with bonus videos taken during recent events, including the Battle of Aiken and the Battle of Fort Wagner.
Interactive features Make your voice heard. More than 5,000 (and counting) South Carolina Living readers have joined the campaign to stop Washington, D.C., bureaucrats from raising electricity bills by 50 percent or more. Have you? Find out more at SCLiving.coop. Calling all cooks. Got a recipe you’d like to share with our readers? Use the handy online form at SCLiving.coop/food/recipes to submit your best original dish. If we publish it, we’ll send you a $10 BI-LO gift card. Free newsletter. Sign up today for our email newsletter and get the latest stories, recipes, photos, videos and contest invitations from South Carolina Living delivered right to your inbox. Reader Reply Contest. Register now for your chance to win a two-night stay at The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort on St. Simons Island, Ga.
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Saving with smart strips As children, most of us were taught to
turn off the TV when leaving the room in order to save energy. But with many of today’s televisions, “off” doesn’t really mean off any more. Many TVs, DVD players, DVRs and cable or satellite boxes—not to mention computers, printers and phone chargers— consume small amounts of electricity even when they aren’t in use. These devices are commonly referred to as “energy vampires,” and they can be responsible for between 5 percent and 8 percent of a home’s annual energy bill. One easy way to manage this small, but steady, power drain is to use a smart strip with your home entertainment center. Smart strips, which allow consumers to manage the power drain created by home entertainment appliances, can cut electricity bills by as much as $70 a year.
Smart strips feature three outlet colors. Red outlets are always energized, making them perfect for satellite boxes or other appliances that need uninterrupted electricity to maintain programmed settings. The blue outlet serves as a control plug and is ideal for devices like a TV or computer. The remaining outlets, generally neutral or green in color, are sensitive to current flowing through the blue outlet, so turning off the TV or computer cuts power to them as well. Some smart strips can be made even smarter with timers or occupancy sensors that determine when to cut power to various devices. Smart strips are available online or at specialty electronic retailers. Payback generally can be achieved in less than one year, depending on the type of equipment the strips control and how often they are used. —brian sloboda
SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | April 2014 | scliving.coop
energy
efficiencytip
A well-designed landscape provides both energy efficiency and curb appeal for your home. Sunlight streaming through windows and bearing down on the roof can drive up air conditioner use. Use shade trees and shrubs in your landscaping plan to help reduce cooling costs. Source: Energy.gov
GONE FISHIN’ The Vektor Fish & Game Forecast provides feeding and migration times. Major periods can bracket the peak by an hour. Minor peaks, ½ hour before and after. Minor
AM Major
Minor
PM Major
April 17 1:16 6:31 8:46 1:31 18 1:46 7:01 9:46 2:16 19 2:31 7:31 11:01 3:01 20 3:46 8:16 — 4:16 21 9:31 12:31 — 5:31 22 11:46 1:31 — 7:01 23 8:31 2:31 1:46 8:16 24 9:16 3:01 3:16 9:16 25 3:31 10:01 4:16 10:01 26 4:01 10:31 10:46 5:01 27 4:31 11:16 11:31 5:46 28 5:01 11:46 — 6:31 29 12:01 5:31 7:16 12:16 30 12:31 5:46 8:01 12:46
May 1 1:52 7:07 9:37 2:22 2 2:37 7:37 10:22 2:52 3 3:07 7:52 11:07 3:37 4 4:07 8:22 12:22 4:22 5 5:37 8:52 — 5:22 6 10:37 1:22 — 6:22 7 9:22 2:22 1:37 7:37 8 9:37 2:52 3:22 8:52 9 3:22 10:07 4:22 9:37 10 3:52 10:37 10:37 5:07 11 4:22 11:07 11:07 5:52 12 4:52 11:37 11:52 6:37 13 — 5:22 7:22 12:22 14 — 5:52 8:07 12:52 15 1:07 6:22 8:52 1:37 16 1:52 6:52 9:37 2:07