The Scoop
Go Solar
and Save
Sign up the sun—you can reduce
your power bill by as much as half
If your electric bill makes you feel light-headed, try switching to solar power. Yes, the initial outlay can run anywhere from $6,000 to $40,000
for a rooftop system—solar companies customize each home, depending
on things like the type of system you choose and the home’s size and loca-
tion—but rebates and tax incentives can slash costs. And the savings on
your bill can pay for the installation over time. Want a cheaper setup? Try
a power-purchase agreement: A solar provider owns, installs, maintains,
and insures panels, and customers pay a low, fixed rate for power. Retired
teacher Susan Moss, 62, of Whitman, Massachusetts, secured one of these
agreements to lease solar panels and expects to recoup her initial $2,500
cost (for installation and inspections) in about five years. A recent monthly
power bill was $92—less than half of what she paid before going solar.
Other older homeowners are also seeing the light: 84 percent of 50-plus
Americans have a favorable view of solar power, compared with 70 percent
of those under 30, a recent Pike Research survey finds. Moss likes seeing
her regular power meter spin back-
ward (really) when the sun shines:
“When it comes to stretching
my dollars, I hate giving what
little extra cash I have to
the electric company.”
—Laura Daily
LET YOUR KEYBOARD DO THE DIALING
Video calling is easier than ever—and often free
New York City resident Pete
Friedes sees all 10 of his grand-
kids on their birthdays, though
they’re scattered across
the country. But Friedes, 69,
doesn’t rack up airline miles:
He turns on his computer and
makes online video calls. One
in five Internet users 50-plus
has made calls online,
according to a new report
from Pew Research Center—
nearly triple the number it
was four years ago. And get-
ting connected is easy now
that so many services—
such as Skype (at skype
.com), Google Voice (find it
at google.com), iChat (check
out apple.com), and Yahoo!
Voice ( voice.yahoo.com)—
offer free software. (Calls
GRIN AND
MEAN IT
A smile is always welcome
in the workplace. But
don’t flash it if you don’t
feel it: According to a
Michigan State University
study, customer-service
employees who fake-
smile throughout the day
end up with a worse
mood and withdraw
from work, which affects
productivity. To get
genuinely cheery,
focus on positive memo-
ries—such as a recent
vacation or a delicious
dinner. In the study,
employees who did that
improved their mood
and withdrew less.
—Leslie Quander Wooldridge
CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT: ILLUSTRATION BY SIMON PEMBERTON; GETTY IMAGES; ILLUSTRATIONS BY CHRISTOPH HITZ
nationwide are typically free;
worldwide calls have low
fees.) Friedes and his wife,
Susan, use Skype: “It’s a fun
way to keep in touch with the
entire family.” —L.D.
