As they are there on a NATO2 visa, spouses of personnel serving in the US can work as long as they have the relevant document (Employment Authorisation) issued by the State Department on application. The comment about qualifications is true enough, however, but not insurmountable.
Heating and aircon bills can be v. expensive depending on where you are based, but signing up to the overseas fuel and light (X/Y scheme) can alleviate this. More paperwork, as you pay the bill and claim back from the Embassy, but cheaper in the long run. The contribution for a pool is indeed 10% of the relevant bill.
The LOA was reviewed recently and was cut by about 30% - to take effect in May as D-IFF Ident points out. The amount of the reduction is dependant on circumstances and is the third or fourth time a review has led to reductions in the last 3-4 years. Nothing to do with cost-cutting, of course....
Cheers
SBG