Should I ditch my land-based home phone?

I was at a major electronics store looking to buy a 42" Philips plasma TV. The salesman told me the manufacturer's warranty would become invalid if I mounted the TV on the wall myself.  If I wanted any protection, he said, I had to use their store’s warranty plan.  I'd never heard of such a thing - especially since just about all flat screen TVs end up being mounted.  Any truth to this, or was it a sleazy sales tactic?
Scott S., Mukilteo, WA

Absolutely ridiculous! The information you were told is just flat-out wrong. I checked with Philips and the company sent me the following statement:

All of Phillips’ 42” FlatTVs are designed to be mounted using any VESA compliant mount, ensuring the product warranty extends to units that are mounted post purchase. These mounts can be found at most major electronic retail locations. Using the mount in no way voids the warranty or damages the television unit.

Sounds like you were dealing with a salesperson a little too eager to sell you that extended warranty. At many stores the sales staff are under a lot of pressure to push these service contracts –  they’re a big profit item for the retailer and the employee can earn a sizeable commission on each sale.

We recently replaced our 35-year-old home furnace with a new 93-percent efficient gas furnace. It cost $1,500 more than the standard furnace but the claims of saving money on our utility bills made the offer attractive. We got quite a shock when the electric bill came – this energy-efficient furnace drove our electric consumption up 20 percent! That more than offset the savings on our gas bill. What’s going on here?
Douglas P., Marlborough, Mass.

I’m going to assume that you’re not keeping the house any warmer than before.  Even so, there are a number of reasons why the new system uses more electricity, such as:

• Other equipment was installed, such as an air cleaner or humidifier.
• The system was set in the continuous fan mode rather than the automatic fan mode.
• Your thermostat is now set to operate differently.

• Your new furnace is larger than the old one.

When I asked the Gas Appliance Manufacturers Association (www.gamanet.org) about your situation, I was surprised to learn that the AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency) rating used to compare models does not directly factor in electrical usage. According to Chuck Murray at the Washington State University Energy Extension Service (www.energy.wsu.edu) the efficiency of those motors can vary greatly. “A high-efficiency motor might use 300 kw/hr a year,” Murray says, “while a low-efficiency motor could use 1,200 kw/hr a year.” That’s quite a difference.

If it makes you feel any better, your new furnace is probably 40 percent more efficient than the old one you replaced, which means it will burn less gas for the same amount of heat. I think it’s a safe assumption that natural gas prices will keep heading up in the years ahead. Also, your new furnace puts a lot less pollution into the air.

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