‘Level pay’ helps save on energy bills
DEAR HELOISE: You had a letter from a reader looking for ways to save on his electricity bills, especially after he received one that went up $100. I learned from my parents many years ago to use the "level pay" payment process. Most utility companies offer this as a payment method, and it does two things.
First, your monthly bill will not jump up or down so erratically from month to month. Also, in the long run, you can save money. I’ve kept detailed utility bill records for 10 years, and I found that level pay saved me about 20 percent over the standard billing process. I use this for my natural gas utility as well.
Additionally, the reader should make sure he replaces all his incandescent light bulbs with
LED bulbs, especially any lights he uses frequently.
— Sean Cassidy, via email DEAR HELOISE: Your reply regarding a woman who passed away without leaving password information to family members is OK but incomplete.
Many software programs and web browsers have a built-in function that automatically prompts you to save a password into a "vault." One of the best and safest packages available is lastpass, which is very secure and stores not only passwords but pictures of driver’s licenses and passports, medical records, vision prescriptions, etc.
—Doug Hitchcock, via email
DEAR HELOISE: In the bathroom cellphones shouldn’t be placed on the floor, where they can come into contact with water or be stepped on. They need to be placed on a raised surface that would be easy to reach from the tub or floor in case of a fall.
—Ann T., via email
DEAR ANN: Phones have to be
carefully placed in the bathroom. I have received letters about how they have fallen into the toilet or a bathtub full of water. Try to put it in a safe spot away from the water.
— Heloise
DEAR HELOISE: I have an easier way to make lump-free gravy and have been doing it for years. While running water until it gets hot, put flour, as needed, in a deep cup or bowl. Use a small whisk while adding hot water to flour. Your gravy will be lumpfree.
—Christina, via email DEAR HELOISE: Here’s a tip for those who have a tiny crack on the top of a fingernail. My thumbnail is fragile at the end and wants to split. Clear polish made the nail worse because it dried it out. So I put liquid bandage on the affected area of the nail. It dries quickly and lasts a number of days. Maybe others will find this helpful. Thank you.