News from the Energy Store

Posted on: June 2007
By: TEC WebTeam

Ask Darlene & Ann Articles:

Refrigerators & Freezers Energy Saving Tips

If you're like most people, chances are your refrigerator/freezer is one of the largest energy users in your home, gobbling up about 8% of your household's annual energy costs. Why? Because it requires electricity to operate, and it's on 24 hours-a-day using between 100 and 200 kilowatt hours a month.

Keep It Maintained
A refrigerator works best when it has been properly maintained. Check the door seals and if one is cracked, or cold air is leaking out, the seal should be replaced.

Unplug It
Some people keep their old refrigerator or freezer in the garage, but if it isn't filled to capacity you could be wasting as much as 2400 kilowatt hours a year for an extra refrigerator, or up to 1200 kilowatt hours a year for an extra freezer, just by having it plugged in.

Use The Proper Temperature Settings
Check your thermostat controls. To work most efficiently your refrigerator should be set between 38°F and 40°F and the freezer at 0°F.

Go For High Efficiency
Newer more efficient refrigerators and freezers use half as much energy as many older models of the same size, so they cost half as much to operate. Be sure to compare cubic footage and purchase price, as well as estimated operating costs.
A 10-year old, 19 cubic foot refrigerator with a top freezer can use approximately 450 kilowatt hours per month while a new high-efficiency model may reduce that consumption by 50%. The yellow EnergyGuide label can help you in your decision making process.

Defrost Regularly
If you have a manual defrost freezer, don't forget to defrost it regularly. More than 1/4 inch of frost makes your freezer work harder to keep your food, and the frost, frozen.

Keep It Clean
Dirty condenser coils could lead you to higher operating costs. Coils, found on the back or bottom of the refrigerator, should be vacuumed and checked at least twice a year.

Keep It Level
A refrigerator that's not level may cause the door gasket to seal improperly letting the cold air leak out. Set a glass of water on the top and adjust the legs until the unit looks level.

Keep It Cool
Refrigerators should be kept in a well ventilated, dry and cool place. Refrigerators and freezers near ovens, stoves, water heaters, clothes dryers or other crowded or warm places work harder to keep things cold.

Keep It Closed
A refrigerator works more efficiently when you open the door as infrequently as possible. So make your decisions before you open the door and get everything you need quickly and at one time.

Keep Foods Covered
Covering foods will reduce moisture build-up on the inside of the refrigerator. Also, wipe moisture from bottles and other containers before placing them in the refrigerator.

Keep The Heat Out Of Your Refrigerator
Before you store leftovers in the refrigerator or freezer allow them to cool slightly. Your refrigerator or freezer won't have as hard to work to cool them.

Flip That Switch
You can save energy by keeping the EnergySaver switch turned on (which actually turns the anti-sweat heater off). Anti-sweat heaters prevent moisture build-up on the outside of a refrigerator. Check your owner's manual for directions on your model's switch.

Keep It Full
Refrigerators operate most efficiently when they are full, but not overloaded. It's true that frozen foods help to keep the air cool, but too much food in either compartment can prevent cold air from circulating properly. Refer to your owner's manual for the correct capacity.

Don't Cool It If You're Going To Throw It Away Anyway
Why cool something you'll probably throw out anyway? If you're going away for a few days, get rid of foods that are likely to spoil. If you are going to be gone for more than a month, consider cleaning out your refrigerator, or unplugging it and leaving the doors open. Some older models are impossible to open from the inside and are a hazard for children and pets. Also, older models may have difficulty restarting.

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Saving Energy Tips from the "Energy Hog"

Resource: EnergyHog.org

1. The initial purchase price
2. The cost of running the appliance for the next 8-20 years

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What IS high-definition and plasma TV?

Resource: Wikipedia.org
Article submitted by Kay Marshall

The TEC Energy Store now carries a line of high-quality TV's - in addition to DVD players and other great electronics. People are curious about these new high-tech TV's and often ask what the difference is between HDTV (high definition) and Plasma.

According to information gathered from retailers and Internet resources here is the basics you may need in order to better decide which type of TV fits into your home and lifestyle.

High Definition TV - HDTV

High-definition television (HDTV) is a television broadcasting system with a significantly higher resolution than traditional formats allow. HDTV is broadcast digitally, and therefore its introduction sometimes coincides with the introduction of digital television (DTV): this technology was first introduced in the USA during the 1990s, by the Digital HDTV Grand Alliance (grouping together AT&T, General Instrument, MIT, Philips, Sarnoff, Thomson, and Zenith.

High-definition television (HDTV) offers a much better picture quality than standard television. HD's greater clarity means the picture on screen is less blurred and less fuzzy. HD also brings other benefits - smoother motion, richer and more natural colors, surround sound and the chance for different equipment to work better together.

Currently 11% (or 33 million)of American households have HDTV's.

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Plasma TV

A plasma display panel (PDP) is a type of flat panel display now commonly used for large TV displays. Many tiny cells located between two panels of glass hold an inert mixture of noble gases (neon and xenon). The gas in the cells is electrically turned into a plasma which then excites phosphors to emit light.

Plasma TV's have:

• Slim, wall-mountable design
• Larger maximum practical size than LCD screens
• Wider viewing angle than LCD screens and better color consistency throughout this range
• Better contrast ratio than LCD, though LCDs are improving rapidly
• Faster response time than LCD, though LCDs are improving rapidly
• Able to achieve darker black than LCD
• Contains no mercury, unlike the back light of LCDs

Come in and visit us at the Energy Store and let us show you these new, great TV's... and remember, you can finance your purchase, with approved credit. Just tell Ann or Darlene to "Put it on my bill!"

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Resource: April Reese Sorrow and Elizabeth L. Andress, Ph.D.
National Center for Home Food Preservation - March 2004

Freezing is one of the easiest, most convenient and least time-consuming ways to preserve foods at home. The extreme cold stops growth of microorganisms and slows down changes that cause spoilage and affect quality in food.

The National Center for Home Food Preservation, hosted by the College of Family and Consumer Sciences at the University of Georgia, recently conducted a survey of home freezing practices. The survey revealed that 94.4 percent of respondents home freeze some type of food item. Plastic bags are the most frequently used packaging material for freezing food items.

Other containers suitable for freezing fruits and vegetables, however, are plastic freezer containers, or glass canning/freezing jars.

"Don't use paper cartons, like milk boxes," said Elizabeth Andress, director of the National Center for Home Food Preservation. "Many plastic containers that foods are packaged in for purchase, like yogurt, dips and sour cream, do not provide characteristics for preserving quality in the freezer. Freezer foil and coated paper are good for odd shaped foods."

Fruits should be washed and sorted before freezing. Discard those that are not yet ripe or of poor quality. Allowing fruit to soak in water will cause lose of nutrients and flavor.

"Stem, pit, peel or slice fruit as desired; prepare enough fruit for only a few packages at a time to prevent browning," Andress explained. "Do not use galvanized equipment in direct contact with fruit, the acid in the fruit dissolves zinc, which can be harmful in large amounts."

Use vegetables at peak flavor and texture. Whenever possible, harvest in the morning and freeze within a few hours. Wash vegetables thoroughly in cold water and sort according to size for blanching and packing. Blanching, which is scalding vegetables in boiling water or steam for a short period of time, should be done to ensure highest frozen food quality and shelf life.

Specific blanching times can be found at the Web site below.

Water blanching is the most widely recommended method for blanching vegetables. Use one gallon of water per pound of vegetables. Put the vegetables in a blanching basket and lower into vigorously boiling water. Place a lid on the pot and start counting blanching time as soon as the water returns to a boil.

As soon as blanching is complete, cool vegetables quickly to stop the cooking process by plunging the basket of vegetables immediately into a large quantity of cold water. Cooling vegetables should take as long as blanching. Drain vegetables completely after cooling.

"There are several ways to pack fruit for freezing, such as a syrup pack, sugar pack, dry pack or unsweetened pack," Andress said. "Most fruits have better texture and flavor if packed in sugar or syrup, however, sugar is not needed to preserve the fruit."

Sugar syrups can be made by dissolving sugar in water completely and then pouring it completely around and over fruit in the packed container. You may need to heat the water to get all of the sugar dissolved, but completely cool or even refrigerate the syrup to get it cold before using on fruit. Use 2¾ cups sugar to 4 cups of water for most fruits. For mild flavor or very sweet fruits, use 1¾ cups sugar per 4 cups of water. About ½ to 2/3 cups of syrup is needed per pint of fruit.

To make sugar packs, simply sprinkle sugar over the fruit and mix gently until the juice is drawn out and the sugar dissolved. Dry packing works best with berries and smaller fruits that give good flavor without sugar. Pack the fruit, seal and freeze.

Peaches, apples, pears and apricots darken quickly when exposed to air and can darken in thawing. Use ascorbic acid in the package to prevent discoloration of fruits during the freezing process.

"Ascorbic acid in a powder form is available at some drugstores or where freezing supplies are sold," Andress said. "Add ½ teaspoon (1500 milligrams) pure powdered ascorbic acid to cold syrup shortly before using, stir gently, not to add air. To use in sugar or dry packs, dissolve in 2 or 3 tablespoons of cold water and sprinkle over fruit just before adding sugar."

If you use a commercially sold fruit color preserver that is not pure ascorbic acid, follow the directions on the box.

Most foods require headspace between the packed food and closure to allow for expansion as food freezes. Headspace recommendations can be found at the Web site listed below.

All packaged food should be room temperature or cooler before putting in the freezer. Do not overload your freezer with too much warm food at one time. Quick freezing is best for frozen food quality. Spread the new packages around until they are frozen, then they can be stacked together if desired.

"Be sure to label all foods with name of food, date and type of pack," Andress said. "Most fruits and vegetables will remain high in quality for eight to 12 months. Longer storage will not make the food unfit for use, but may impair its quality."

It is a good idea to post a list of the frozen foods with freezing dates near the freezer and check the packages off the list as they are removed.

For more information on home-preserving fruits and vegetables or for recipes contact the National Center for Home Food Preservation online at http://www.homefoodpreservation.com.

April Reese Sorrow is a writer with the National Center for Home Food Preservation in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences, The University of Georgia, Athens.

Elizabeth L. Andress is an Extension Food Safety Specialist with the Cooperative Extension Service, Department of Foods and Nutrition, College of Family and Consumer Sciences, The University of Georgia, Athens.

It's Keen, Be'in GREEN!

A GREEN idea to help your air-conditioner work better, and save you money on your power bills!

According to the National Association of Home Builders, windows are one of the largest sources of heat or air conditioning loss due to their low insulating ability and high air leakage rates. As a result, windows are typically net energy losers, and can be responsible for losing 25 to 50 percent of the energy used to heat and cool homes.

Polywood interior shutters offer homeowners a beautiful and permanent way to create more insulated, energy-efficient windows that are also good for the environment. Polywood, an engineered wood substitute, has the appearance of wood without the problems commonly associated with wood such as cracking, warping, splitting or fading. It also receives high marks for both its classic good looks and its green qualities.

“Products like Polywood do not use up our natural resources and are a great alternative to wood shutters or mini blinds that need to be replaced every few years,” says Dix Jarman, CEO of Sunburst Shutters. “It is important for consumers to do their homework on this topic – even some synthetic products can be harmful to the environment if they are completely petroleum based. Polywood is made from recyclable synthetic material that is a by-product of natural gas, making it far more earth-friendly than other shutters.”

Some “green” products are manufactured in a way that protects the environment from pollution and waste, while others conserve energy and save valuable resources: Polywood shutters do both. Third-party thermal conductivity research comparing the energy efficiency of Polywood shutters to that of wood shutters and aluminum mini-blinds found that Polywood shutters are 70 percent more energy efficient than wood shutters and 1,600 percent more energy efficient than aluminum mini-blinds.

Compliment your Energy Store air-conditioner with energy-saving Polywood windows, and save!

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About Dishwasher Efficiency
The efficiency of a dishwasher is measured by a term called the energy factor. It is somewhat similar to the miles per gallon for a car, but in this case the measure is cycles per kilowatt-hour of electricity. The minimum allowed energy factor rating for standard capacity dishwashers is 0.46. About 80% of the total energy used by dishwashers goes towards heating the water. So the best way to improve the efficiency of a dishwasher is to reduce the amount of water needed to clean the dishes.

Federal law requires that EnergyGuide labels be placed on all new dishwashers. These labels are bright yellow with black lettering. When you're shopping for the best buy in a new appliance, using EnergyGuide labels can save you money. In addition to the EnergyGuide label, look for the ENERGY STAR label on dishwashers.

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"Darlene & Ann" Article!

Tips for buying a new freezer

There are two basic freezer styles: upright (front loading) and chest (top loading). Chest freezers are 10-25% more efficient than uprights because they are better insulated and air doesn't spill out when the door is opened. However, you should also consider convenience when selecting a freezer; chest models can be more difficult to organize.

Manual defrost freezers are more common than automatic defrost models. Manual defrost models consume 35-40% less energy than comparable automatic defrost models. Because a freezer is opened less frequently than a refrigerator, frost will not build up as quickly as it might in manual defrost refrigerators. Automatic defrost freezers may dehydrate frozen food, causing freezer burn.

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Other articles from the Energy Store

Cleaning Big-Screen TV's
Thanksgiving:Family gatherings and good food
You can Do It better with a Duet Washer & Dryer, by Whirlpool!
Preparing for winter
Housecleaning Tricks & Tips
Using your Dishwasher Efficiently
Safe Grilling is a HOT Topic!
When to replace your old air-conditioner
How to stay out of HOT WATER
Appliance Tips to make your energy efficient appliances more efficient.
Turkey Fryers: Fried Turkey? Forget it! UL says unsafe.
Neptune Washer and Dryer Series

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Taking Care of Leftovers

from an online article by:
Barbara Willenberg, Associate State of Missouri Nutrition Specialist and
Jo Britt-Rankin, State of Missouri Nutrition Specialist

Cool Leftovers Quickly

Leftover perishable foods like meat, fish, poultry, and foods containing eggs or dairy products, should be cooked quickly in the refrigerator or freezer. Don't worry, modern refrigerators and freezers were made to cool hot food.

• Divide large portions of hot food into small, shallow containers.
• Don't cool perishable leftovers on the kitchen counter or let them sit at room temperature. Warm, moist food is a good place for food-poisoning germs to grow.
• Eat leftovers in three to four days
• Use perishable leftovers within three to four days.
• Freeze them for longer storage.
• Throw out leftovers that smell bad or look moldy or slimy.
• Never taste old leftovers to see if they are safe.
• Heating leftovers that have spoiled will not make them safe.
• Some poisons made by food-poisoning germs are not destroyed by heat.
• Thaw leftovers in the refrigerator
• Always thaw frozen leftovers in the refrigerator.
• Heat leftovers until they are very hot. A covered pot will keep moisture in and make sure food heats all the way through.
• Bring gravy, soup and sauces to a full rolling boil.
• Leftovers can also be safely thawed in your microwave. Follow the direction in your instruction booklet.
• Cook and serve thawed food right away.
• Don't refreeze leftovers that have been thawed in your microwave.
  

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Cleaning Big-Screen TVs

Q: Is there a special method for cleaning big-screen TVs without leaving streaks?

A: Big screen TV's have a tendency to act like a big dust magnet. Regular household cleaners aren't recommended for electronic equipment. Instead, use a microfiber cloth or a dry, soft terry-cloth towel to remove dust and fingerprints. Wipe gently -- vigorous rubbing could damage the screen. You can also use a commercial spray specifically formulated for TV screens. Check with the manufacturer of your set for the proper cleaning method.

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What is the best way to take good care of your
electronic?

In doing some research on the best way to clean many types of electronic equipment, including yourcomputer, I found a product that I thought I would mention.

It's called Blow Off™ Electronics Cleaner and it is specially formulated to safely clean todays electronic equipment.

The company states that their product eliminates static charges and repels harmful dust.

"Blow Off™ Electronics Cleaner is a non-abrasive foaming cleaner which removes dust, fingerprints, and ink stains. Blow Off™ Electronics Cleaner optimizes performance and prolongs the life of your equipment".

This product was also highly recommended for the following:

Recommended For: PCs • Notebooks • Monitors/Screens • Keyboards • Printers • Scanners • TVs • VCRs • CD Players • DVD Players • Stereos • Copiers • Fax Machines • Telephones • Photo Equipment • Audio Equipment • Speakers • Musical Instruments • Vacuums • Appliances • Microwaves • Video Games • Shredders • Mailing Machines • Cash Registers • Sewing Machines • Portable Electronics • Plastic Screens • Display Covers • Cabinets • Desk Tops

For more information on this product please visit the link below:
Blow Off Cleaner

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Thanksgiving is a time for family gatherings and good food! This year cook on a new range from the Energy Store
...now 15% off!

You can ask us to "Put it on your bill", and, with approved credit, we'll be happy to do so.
We get a lot of inquires from non-Tombigbee Electric customers who come into the Energy Store and want to buy appliances. They see our banner that encourages all of our customers to put their major purchase on their bill. Many have asked if ONLY Tombigbee Electric customers can take advantage of this service. The answer is no.
Anyone who shops with us here at Tombigbee EC can apply for credit. We will be happy to set up an account for the purchase of any of our Energy Store items - both in-stock, or ordered. With approved credit ANYONE may ask us to... "Put it on my bill!"

November Article (2003)

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A clean kitchen is a “must.”

Cleaning Your Stove
When people cook, foods splatter. If not cleaned up, these spills will attract insects. They can also turn to
acid and damage the porcelain enamel of the range. Regular cleaning of your stove will eliminate these
problems as well as prevent burned food odors and the risk of fire.

Supplies Needed
• Ammonia or commercial oven cleaner
• Abrasive cleaner or baking soda
• Rubber gloves
• Rags or a sponge
• Scraper
• Dishwashing detergent

RANGE TOPS

Daily
• First, avoid spills. Don’t cook foods so fast they bubble over or splatter. Be careful when moving
food into and out of pans.
• Make wiping up the range cooktop a regular part of your cleanup each day. Pay attention to areas
where foods were cooked and clean under grids of gas ranges or the drip pans under electrical units
if there were spills.
Weekly
• Wipe the surfaces of the range or cooktop with a rag. Rinse often in soapy water.

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October Article (2003)

Keeps Clothes Looking Newer Longer

• Do Bigger Loads.

• Do Fewer Loads

• Use Less Energy, Save More Money.

• The Duet HT Washer Uses 68% Less Water

• The Duet HT Washer Uses7% Less Energy Than Conventional Washers.

• You Can Save up to $120 in Utility Bills Every Year.

No other washer can handle the capacity that the Duet washers and dryers can. With, approximately, 28% more capacity than the average conventional washer. Amazingly, the Duet Washer’s can wash up to 22 bath towels in a single load! The Duet Dryer, with a 7.0 cubic foot capaciity can match the washer towel per towel. No other dryer in its class can do that! They’re fantastic! The optional pedistals (shown in graphic above) add height for ease in loading and unloading!

For more information please come by, or phone us at 205.468.3325.

Ann Garrision

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Take a hint from our Squirrel friends and prepare for winter

Before the leaves drop from the trees in your yard this autumn, prepare your home for the cold weather that’s not so far behind. To start:

* Call a heating professional to service your furnace or heat pump and clean and change all filters and vents. This will make your heating system function efficiently and it could save your from making a mid-winter emergency call.

* Clean electric baseboard heaters to protect against fires and to prevent that burning dusty smell.

* Replace damaged or pulled-away shingles on your roof and check the seals on skylight to prevent leaks during storms.

* Stock up on batteries for flashlights and radios, and store canned food, a first-aid kit, water, blankets and other emergency supplies in case a storm causes a power outage.

*Test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and replace them if necessary. Most models are designed to last only about five years.

Housecleaning Tricks & Tips

• Black scuff marks on a floor are instantly wiped away with a small amount of baby oil or petroleum jelly on a cleaning rag. Afterward, be sure to wipe the floor thoroughly with a spray cleaner, or it will have a slippery spot.
  
• To remove gum from leather, just put a dab of peanut butter on the gum. In a bit, the gum will peel right off.
• Baking soda mixed with ground cinnamon or cloves makes a great carpet freshener.
• To clean pewter, rub the item with the outer leaves of a head of cabbage. Then buff with a soft cloth.
• Use a dryer softener sheet to wipe your television screen to remove static electricity.
• To clean mini-blinds or slats of shutters, use a clean paintbrush. It’s a lot cheaper than buying expensive blind-cleaning tools
• Use a small brush-type hair roller to clean radiators. Stick a pencil into the brush, making a handle and it’s a wonderful brush for hard-to-clean places!

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Using Your Dishwasher...
Efficiently

Read the owner's manual carefully to learn how to load the machine properly and how much detergent to use.

Run the dishwasher only with full loads. If you need to wash a smaller load, use the "quick wash" feature.
Take advantage of the "energy-saver" option, which allows dishes to air-dry instead of using the forced-air heater.
If dishes are heavily soiled, scrape them with a rubber spatula instead of rinsing. If you must rinse, use cold water.
Install pipe insulation on the hot water pipe going from the sink to the dishwasher.
Avoid using the "rinse-hold" feature - it uses three to seven gallons of hot water each time.

Maintaining your dishwasher:

If mineral deposits are building up inside your dishwasher, place a small container with one cup of vinegar in each rack. Doing this once a month will help dissolve existing deposits and prevent future build-up.

Cover any damaged tines with rubber tips.

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Safe Grilling is a Hot Topic!

Safe Grilling Tips
These few tips are sure to help make all of your grilling experiences safe ones... we cannot, however, guarantee that what you grill will be edible!
-- Be sure all utensils, plates, and cooking surfaces are clean, and your hands are washed well before handling food.
-- Take only as much food out of the cooler as you're going to immediately cook .
-- When meat is cooked, transfer to a clean plate or platter - never place cooked meat on a platter which held raw meat.
-- The USDA recommends fully cooking meats to ensure bacteria is destroyed. To be sure bacteria are destroyed, hamburgers and ribs should be cooked to 160° F or until the center is no longer pink and juices are clear. Cook ground poultry to 165° F and poultry parts to 180° F. Reheat pre-cooked meats until steaming hot.
-- Never reuse marinades that have come in contact with raw meat, chicken or fish, and don't put the cooked food back into an unwashed container or the dish that contained the marinade.

Happy Grilling!
From your friends at Tombigbee Electric!

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When you replace your older inefficient air conditioner with a new efficient air conditioner, you will save money on your air conditioning costs. How much you save depends on how often your run your air conditioner and the efficiencies of the old and new air conditioners. Not obvious is the fact that they need
maintenance routinely, just
like any other machine. The filter,
usually located behind the front grill,
needs to be washed.
Also, all air conditioning systems, large or small, need good air flow across the evap
orator coil and the condenser coil. Efficiency and performance drop rapidly as air flow decreases. Lose enough air flow and the unit will burn out.
Rodents can nest inside when not in use, and can foul up the unit in many ways. Wasps and hornets, as well as the honey bee find finned coils to be comfortable nesting places. Nests and dead insects can ruin the air conditioner.

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How to stay out of HOT WATER

An extra-hot, steamy shower might feel good on cold winter mornings,but if your family includes children, an elderly parent or a disabled person, you should probably turn down the heat. Lowering the water heater setting to 120 degrees can prevent scalding. It takes hot water just a few seconds to scald someone:

At 125 degrees Fahrenheit, scalding will occur in one and a half to two minutes.

At 130 degrees, it takes just 30 seconds.

Crank up the temperature to 135 degrees and scalding takes about 10 seconds.

Water heated to 140 degrees will scald in less than five seconds.

At 155 degrees, the damage takes a split second.

Even healthy adults will suffer from burns in a hot shower.
Play it safe! Lower the temperature and stay out of HOT WATER!

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How to Save Energy with
an energy efficient appliance

We love to help you cut your energy consumption. The various ways to help you save are surprisingly simple. Individually, they may not seem hugely important. Together, they can make all the difference in the world. It just makes sense to buy energy-efficient appliances, since 20 percent of all the energy used in your home goes into running them.

• Wash clothes in cold water. With today’s cold temperature detergents, most modern clothing cleans just as well in cold water.
• Wash in cold water on economy cycles.
• Always have a full load.
• 15 minutes of presoaking and 5 minutes of agitation get clothes cleaner than 15 minutes of agitation.
• Don’t over-dry clothes in the dryer.
  They actually last longer if you don’t.
• Use air dry cycles on lightweight loads.
• Hang all your clothes, underwear excluded, outside in the summer.
• If your steam iron no longer steams, it might be clogged with mineral deposits. Try cleaning with vinegar in the water reservoir, then set the iron flat on an oven rack, plug the iron in, with the setting at “STEAM.” By the time the vinegar is steamed out, your iron should be clean.
• Do laundry, vacuuming, cooking etc. early in the morning or late in the evening when the outdoor temperature is cooler.
• Turn off anything you're not using. This includes all equipment and appliances, televisions, VCR's, computers and LIGHTS!
  
  

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FRIED TURKEY? FORGET IT!
UL says that Turkey Friers unsafe

Celebrity chefs have whetted America's appetite for taste twists on traditional dishes like holiday turkey. But Underwriters Laboratories warns holiday cooks to leave the preparation of one newfangled favorite -- fried turkey -- to the TV gourmets.
Backyard turkey fryers, says UL, which rates appliances for electrical safety, are unsafe. "Based on our test findings, the fryers producing those great-tasting birds are not worth the risks," says John Drengenberg, UL consumer affairs manager. Here are the problems with turkey fryers, according to UL:

* Many units easily tip over, spilling five gallons of hot oil in the cooking pot.
* If the cooking pot is too full, oil may spill out when the turkey is put in. If spilled oil contacts the burner --which houses a flame -- fire could engulf the entire unit.
* Partially frozen turkeys placed into the fryer can cause the oil to spill.
* The units have no thermostat controls, so fryers can overheat and combust.
* The oil stays ultra-hot for hours.
*The sides of the pot, lid and handles, says UL, get "dangerously hot." So consider cooking your bird the old-fashioned way... in a new range from the Energy Store!

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No agitator -TurboClean™ system powers out stains.
Exclusive StainBrain™ - An on-screen guide that provides step-by-step stain-removal tips. Conservation - Save up to $100 per year. Using less energy and water, means lower utility bills.
It is America's # 1 selling high-efficiency washer!

For more information on our sale, please call 468.3325
... and ask for Ann.

Tombigbee Electric strives to bring you the very latest, and most efficient, home appliances. We're pleased to carry GE, Whirlpool, and Maytag appliances, as well as the awarding-winning Marathon water heaters. In this section of our Website you'll also find information on our custom-built (to specifics) computers and laptops by Howard Computers, and a page specifically for announcing any new brands in appliances, or home and office products that we think you'll love.

Take some time and look over all of our brands and their Websites. You simply can't beat the convenience of locating whatyou need and having it available right here in your hometown or community.

Ann Garrison, Energy Store sales manager, always comes up with just the right incentives for her customers. "We love to give our customers the opportunity to make the purchases they need, especially on major appliances," says Ann.

Don't forget...We have Marathon water heaters. These are one of the most energy efficient on the market. Our stock consists of GE, Whirlpool, Maytag, Marathon and Meco.

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Energy Store Co-Mgr.


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