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A day after a judge ruled to allow APS to raise rates on electric bills of Arizona homeowners, the utility is helpfully sharing some tips to lower heating costs, courtesy of Chas Roberts Air Conditioning and Heating:

Be Ready - Winter is on Its Way
Follow these easy tips to lower your heating bill this season

Phoenix, Ariz. - With temperatures already dipping into the 50’s and 60’s, Arizona’s winter will be here soon. Do you have the information you need to lower your heating costs this winter? In this challenging economy, it’s more important than ever to do everything you can achieve a lower heating bill. Here’s a list of easy tips to be safe and save money:

1. Clean filters - The most important thing you can do for a lower heating bill is to clean and replace your filters frequently. For optimum efficiency and filtration, replace disposable filters at least once a month. (source: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=heat_cool.pr_hvac)

2. Check it - Before you turn on the heat, have the system checked by a trained technician like those at Chas Roberts Air Conditioning and Heating. Regular maintenance is the most effective way to ensure a unit is running efficiently and safely, and offers the best opportunity for extending its life to ultimately lower your heating costs. (source: http://www.airconditioning-and-heating.com/maintenance-repairs-ac-hvac.php)

3. Turn down the heat - Set thermostats two degrees cooler in the winter and two degrees warmer in the summer to save costs. Every degree that you lower your thermostat in the winter (or raise it in the summer), can result in a three percent savings in energy costs. (source: http://blogs.consumerreports.org/home/2008/10/winter-heating.html?EXTKEY=I72RSHA)

4. Install a programmable thermostat - Keeping the thermostat low when you aren’t home and at night can help lower your heating bills. Avoid lowering it more than five degrees so the system doesn’t have to work so hard to return to your desired setting. A programmable thermostat can make it easy. (source: http://financialplan.about.com/od/savingmoney/a/HeatingCosts.htm)

5. Get the air moving - Using a ceiling fan in the winter can help lower heating costs by 10 percent. Because heat rises, the temperature near the ceiling is warmer. Using a ceiling fan in a clockwise direction so it gently pushes the air against the ceiling and down the walls helps circulate the warm air. (source: http://www.srpnet.com/energy/ask/fans.aspx)

Chas Roberts creates comfortable living environments for Arizona homeowners by providing quality installations and service of heating & air conditioning systems at competitive prices. Chas and Alice Roberts founded Chas Roberts Air Conditioning in 1942 and the business has been family owned and operated since day one. Today Chas Roberts, the largest HVAC provider in the state with eight locations including Phoenix, Scottsdale, Mesa, Queen Creek, Litchfield, Avondale, Sun City and Tucson, passes along its buying power to homeowners and backs its service with highly trained personnel and on-line scheduling capabilities. For more information, visit www.ChasRoberts.com.

Harkins Theatres’ will give out free popcorn and $1 drinks during 2010, provided you sport the chain’s special deal-granting t-shirt or beverage cup.

Called “Loyalty” cups and t-shirts, they’re an annual Harkins’ tradition. The cup gets you $1 soft drink refills each time you bring it with you to the movies. The t-shirt gets you a free medium popcorn every time you wear it to see a film at Harkins.

The 2010 models go on sale Thursday, Nov. 19, at all Harkins Theatres locations and online at www.harkinstheatres.com.Cups cost $4.50; t-shirts are $20. They’re good until Dec. 31, 2010.

For every Loyalty t-shirt purchased, Harkins will donate $1 to Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

The sale will be 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, at the Mesa Community College Red Mountain Campus in the parking lot of the Acacia Village, Power Road between McKellips and McDowell roads.

There will be all sorts of used books to choose from - including children’s books and textbooks.

For more information on Arizona Camp Sunrise, go to www.azcampsunrise.org.

You can read more about the sale, and how you can donate books, at our sister blog, Nerdvana.

Tickets to “Puss in Boots and Other Cat Tails,” a new production by longtime Mesa theatre company Stageworks, are just $5 a piece when you buy them in a “Family Four Pack.” (Otherwise, prices are $15 for adults and $14 for youth.) Just ask for the “Family Four Pack” deal when you purchase tickets over the phone or in person at the box office.

In addition to the story of the Parisian cat, Puss, who goes from a pauper’s pet to a palace cat, the play includes stories about legendary cats from West Africa, China and Mexico.

Shows are 7:30 p.m. Fridays, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays through Nov. 8 at Mesa Arts Center, 1 E. Main St. For tickets, directions or information, call (480) 644-6500 or visit www.mesaartscenter.com.

The Groupon deal gets you $60 worth of food and drink for just $30. But you must buy before the deal is up at midnight. For details on how Groupon works, click here.

Cork received a 2009 Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator magazine. For more on Cork, try visiting Tribune dining writer Jess Harter’s blog, The Dish, and doing a search for “Cork.” He’s written a lot about the place, which he calls a “gem” and “one of the Valley’s best.”

It’s part of the popular restaurant’s third anniversary celebration. No purchase is necessary, and there are no strings attached.

For details on how to score your free meal,  click here to go to Harter’s blog, The Dish.

The first 300 shoppers in line at the store on opening day will receive free H&M t-shirts. But the real deal is a little something called an “Access to Fashion Pass.” It’s essentially a gift card with anywhere from $10 to $500 on it. Each person gets one, so bring a friend and cross your fingers for cards loaded with big bucks.

H&M is located in The Scottsdale Quarter at 15169 N. Scottsdale Road. Reach the store at  (480) 607-8374.

Tickets are required for the 7:30 p.m. performance at Mesa Arts Center, but there is no charge for them, and no purchase is necessary.

The United States Marine Band.

Founded in 1798, the U.S. Marine Band has performed for every U.S. president since John Adams. Given the title “The President’s Own” by Thomas Jefferson, it performs a varied repertoire, including new works for wind ensemble, traditional concert band literature, orchestral works and, of course, spirited patriotic marches and popular favorites.

Led by Colonel Michael J. Colburn, the Marine Band performs in the style of its 17th director, John Philip Sousa, who initiated the concert tour tradition in 1891. The band is composed of world-class musicians, most of whom hold advanced degrees from top music schools.

For tickets and information, call (480) 644-6500 or visit www.mesaartscenter.com.

"The President's Own" United States Marine Corp Band, ca. 1798. Watercolor by Lt. Col. Donna Neary, USMCR, late twentieth century. United States Marine Corp Band, Washington, D.C.

At Macy’s, for example, the first 100 customers in the door on Halloween morning get a free $10 gift card to spend in the store. Click here for store locations and hours.

Other deals to be had over the holiday:

• Dress like a burrito, you can get a burrito for free at Chipotle restaurants. The deal is good 5 p.m. to closing on Halloween. Click here for details.
• Get a free Halloween-themed photo collage during Sears portrait studios’ Halloween Special. There’s no sitting fee, and the deal is good through Oct. 31. It’s a perfect way to remember your child in this year’s Halloween costume.
• Another Sears deal: Print this coupon to get $5 off any $20 or more toy purchase. The coupon mentions a free Mattel toy giveaway for in-store trick-or-treating on Oct. 31, but no Arizona stores are participating in that offer. The coupon is good through Nov. 1.
• Children get a free trick-or-treat pail, instruction in three hands-on activities, a balloon and candy during a free Halloween event at Michael’s craft stores. It takes place 10 a.m. to noon Oct. 31. Just show up; no purchase is necessary.
• Visit Taco Bell between 6 p.m. and midnight on Halloween, and you’ll get a free Black Jack Taco. All you have to do is ask; no costume or coupon is required.
• Like to bowl? You can print coupons for free games at Brunswick bowling centers in Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa and the rest of the Valley. They’re good through Nov. 24.
• Buy a nine- or 14-piece Flame Grilled Feast at El Pollo Loco Oct. 31 through Jan. 3, 2010, and you’ll get an eight-serving bundt cake for free. The cakes come in Chocolate Fudge or Lemon flavors. The feasts include citrus-marinated chicken, two large sides, tortillas and salsas.

The Ford Driving Skills for Life program will host four free driver-training sessions Nov. 11-12 at Firebird International Raceway in Chandler. The program will accept 100 teen drivers per session.

During the training, teens will work with professional instructors to improve skills in four key areas: hazard recognition, vehicle handling, space management and speed management. They will drive Ford vehicles specially outfitted to simulate wet or potentially dangerous driving conditions.

Sessions will be held 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Nov. 11 and 12.

The Ford program was created in 2003 in conjunction with the Governors Highway Safety Association. Other partners include Arizona Ford Dealers and the Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety.

Registration is limited to 100 teen drivers per session. For more information or to sign up, call (888) 987-8765 or www.drivingskillsforlife.com.

Buy $100 in gift cards at The Container Store, and you’ll get an extra $25 gift card free. The offer is good online or in the Scottsdale store through Dec. 24.

Another way to stretch your dollar: Everything in the store is 20 percent off through Nov. 1. To get the deal, print this coupon, enter the code “savenow” at online checkout, or mention the bar code “TN945572″ when you place an order by telephone.

Just as they did last month for National Cheese Pizza Day, the restaurant chain is now celebrating National Pizza Month by making a one-topping slice of pizza 99 cents (regularly $2.55 plus tax).

The offer is good for dine-in or takeout at all 10 Valley locations from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Information: www.aznypdpizza.com

Read the full story here.

Tribune file photo