Check Your Energy Company for Free Energy Kits

When I was a child and dinosaurs roamed the earth, Detroit Edison used to give away free light bulbs in an effort to make it even easier to use their product.  Now that I'm grown and pretty old, energy companies are giving away energy saving devices--not endlessly, but one to a customer.  Your energy company may be giving away stuff, too, especially if you are willing to submit to an energy audit, or some information on how you spend your energy.

First Energy Corporation, which includes Toledo Edison, the Illuminating Company and Ohio Edison, is offering a no-(extra) cost energy kit for each of its customers that includes nine compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), a smart strip/surge protector, a furnace filter whistle, and two LED night lights.  Energy Trust of Oregon, which includes Portland General Electric, Pacific Power, NW Natural and Cascade Natural Gas, gives away kits with unspecified power-saving goodies.

My childhood power company, now DTE Energy, has a custom-made pack of free devices for you once you share your "power use style" that you can request by filling out the profile on this page.   If you are a customer of Duke Energy, you can get an energy audit on your home that would entitle you to a free kit including compact fluorescent light bulbs.  San Diego Gas and Electric has a free energy kit that is all about the water energy saving, with three faucet aerators and a low-flow showerhead.

Check with your energy company to see if they have a program for residential users.

Get Your Culture Vulture On--Free Museum Passes

I realize that not many are lucky enough to have a wonderful museum like the Toledo Museum of Art free to them every day (except for special exhibits).  So we in Toledo like to bask/brag a bit.  In fact TMA is also letting active military personnel and their immediate families in free for one special exhibit, the Egypt Experience till September 4th. 

But lots of free opportunities await you at museums around the country.  On September 24, 2011, the Smithonian Museum in Washington, which is always free, sponsors a free museum day at various locations around the country.  Send them an application for a free ticket for two, and the holder can get in for free.

But many other museums have "free days" too.  The website Free Museum Day lists the free days for museums in Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, and San Diego.  They also list museums in those cities that are free all the time.

For military personnel and their families, museums in the Blue Star initiative (of which there are over 1500 in the U.S. and territories) are given free admission (up to five family members) between Memorial Day and Labor Day. 

Finally, holders of a Bank of America credit card are given free admission to over 150 museums around the country on certain days each month.  See the website for days in your area musuems.