Telecom Expense Management Featured Article
May 27, 2009
New Trends Define Reduced Domestic Spending
By Vivek NaikPew Research Center has announced the results of its latest survey, “Social & Demographic Trends,” saying that eight out of 10 U.S. adults have taken at least one kind of step to save or reduce domestic cash outflow because the economy is so bad.
Officials at the renowned firm say that no matter what ideas people come up with, they realize that they cannot completely do without technology, gadgetry and the electrical power in some form.
Pew (News - Alert) has collated technological and power related saving tips, and added a few of their own to the study
A significant number of people get three separate bills for their Internet, phone and cable connections, says the report. However, by approaching the service provider one can get all three services bundled in a single bill and the chances are high that savings could reach $20 per month. In case you happen to have more than one service provider billing you, surf around the neighbourhood and dig out the cheapest and best all-inclusive deal possible.
One could also ask peer groups to suggest the best deal since, as TMCnet reported, a high percentage of people turning to social networks to communicate, recommend and seek advice for all sorts of stuff. Some opt for flat limited usage packages, but most opt for the in vogue, rate ceilinged, and unlimited usage tariffs, reported TMCnet.
The company recommends cutting off or discontinuing the landline and exclusively using only the mobile phone since the landline billing is in any case anywhere between $30 to $50 per month and stopping the service could mean saving between $360 to $600 per year.
A similar trend has been reported earlier by TMCnet where many French citizens dumped traditional telephone services on the one hand, while taking up triple play and bundled IP offerings on the other hand.
Pew Research Center cautions that before cutting the chord check the indoor cell phone signal and if it is bad then contemplate buying a mobile signal booster device based on your own survey and peer group recommendations via social networks.
Use only Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs, advises the research group, since CFL’s use 75 percent less energy than a conventional bulb and last 10 times longer. An ENERGYSTAR (News - Alert) certified CFL saves nearly $30 during its usage time frame and ends up paying for itself in about 6 months.
CFL’s also help saving the environment, reported TMCnet, by emitting less mercury than traditional incandescent light bulbs because coal-based electricity generation is the single largest source of anthropogenic mercury emissions and CFLs use at least 70 percent less electricity. Discarding the bulbs, too, is safe because the internal mercury lining stays superficially bonded to the glass even after breakage.
The research organization strongly advocates purchasing ENERGY STAR compliant appliances when the time comes to change an old fridge or washing machine, and though these new technologies cost more while initially purchasing, they save up to $75 per annum in electricity bills and also help save the environment.
It is important to turn off devices that are not in use since these consume power even when on stand-by mode, say the survey team. A spend of $100 per year per household can be saved in this way. The highest stand-by power consumers are Televisions, Game consoles (WII, PS3, Xbox 360), DSL or Cable modems, Computers (laptop or pc), Printers, Microwave ovens, Sound systems, Cable or Satellite receivers, DVD players, VCRs, and Routers.
Purchase only one type of device power charger, reportedTMCnet, for multiple products by simply changing the connector tips. This method not only saves the cash that would otherwise have been spent on many power chargers, but also saves the environment at times of disposal.
Carpooling is a well known sensible way of saving cash. A World Wide Web way of smart carpooling, reported TMCnet, could be to use Mapflow’s Avego Futurefleet by registering free on its carpooling Web link.
Don’t forget to check out TMCnet’s White Paper Library, which provides a selection of in-depth information on relevant topics affecting the IP Communications industry. The library offers white papers, case studies and other documents which are free to registered users.
Vivek Naik is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of Vivek's articles, please visit his columnist page.
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