Ok, so when I wrote the previous post about my crock potting genius, I didn’t realize today was a backwards WFMW where we ask for advice. Oops! So, now I’ll ask you dear readers to SOLVE MY PROBLEMS FOR ME!! I just paid some bills this morning, and our electric bill is crazy-high. It’s reee-diculous! So who’s got some tips for me on how to bring this baby down?? Besides “don’t leave all the lights on at one time” – I swear I am the light-turning-off-Nazi around here! Help me blogosphere! Heeeeeelp!
I must first admit that the most our bill has been is $95. We have a three bed/one bath home that’s encased in, well, brick. That alone has a lot to do with a lower bill. My advice would be the one you mentioned, keep the lights off if you’re not in the room but everyone knows that. We keep our heat at 70 degrees. It can still be chilly but it’s a lot easier to wrap up in another layer and grab a blanket than it is to pay a ridiculously high electric bill. That one may seem obvious too… My other suggestion would be to unplug unused appliances, or things that aren’t used very often. For us, this is our coffee pot, toaster, and desktop computer. Yours may be different. Everything that is plugged in is eating electricity even if it’s not on. If you have a second TV that just doesn’t get much use. Unplug it. Only use the coffee pot when company comes over? Unplug it. they also make “smart plugs” though I don’t think that’s the actual name of it. They are power strips. The first item you plug in sets the tone for everything else that’s plugged into the same strip. For example, say you have a home theater. You plug your TV into the first spot. Enjoy everything as you normally would. However, when you’re done, you turn off your TV and the power strip will cut the power for the other items. Something to look into. I’ve only found them online thus far though.
If you think your bill is abnormally high compared to past months, I would unplug…not just turn appliances off…and go check your meter. Then plug the big items back on and check again to see which is drawing more power.
Don’t forget that even thought the appliance is turned off, it still draws power for that instant on feature. Consider unplugging seldom used items.
Hang your laundry on the line. Air dry your dishes. Batch cook in the oven, or do all in one meals…meat, veg and dessert in the oven at the same time.
Also anything that heats up or cools down draws the most power. Keep refrigerator coils dust free, change A/C & furnace air filters, and consider a programmable thermostat to turn back your furnace heat while you sleep.
Good luck!
I’m not sure about the weather in Ohio….I’d be willing to bet that it’s a bit different from Texas, so I’m guessing that you’re having different issues. Anyway, we use our ceiling fans non-stop in the summer. And in the winter, we set them to go the other way for heat. In the winter we set the thermostat at around 65-68 degrees and in the summer between 75-80. If the weather is mild outside, don’t turn anything and just open the windows. You could also turn your refrigerator down to keep it from being so cold. And clean out your fridge if it’s really full. A full fridge has to work much harder to keep everything cool. If you’re appliances are old/older, perhaps looking into more energy efficient appliances would help. Only run the dishwasher and washing machine when they’re full.
THat’s about all I got right now. Hope it helps.
CLFs are supposed to really help. Plus they are better for the environment!
A helpful tip someone gave me was to turn off anything you think that might be generating electricity then have someone stand outside watching your meter as you begin to turn each one back on. This allows you to see what are the things that are using the most energy thus costing you the most. You can also buy one of those little devices that you plug your things into and it will tell you how much energy is being used. I prefer the free way!
Well, I’m in the south, so I don’t know if this will help you or not…but we installed some sort of film on our windows that blocks some heat and sun. It has helped a bit. We also use our ceiling fans all the time, so we can keep our AC set closer to 78. When it’s cold, we try to keep the heat set at 68, but it inches up to 70 when it’s super cold. We bought all those curly light bulbs. I hate them though. So I don’t know if we’ll keep getting them. Your crock pot helps!! It uses less electricity than the oven. Check for drafts…around doors, windows, even electrical outlets. Hmm….I think that’s all I have. Our bills have been blissfully low this winter, but we’re gearing up for summer when our bills go way up….
We keep our thermostat at 66… not so much to save energy, but because I can’t stand it any higher than that. The other day it was hovering around 68 and I said “It’s too hot in here!” and Kate’s face crumbled as she said “But I like it too hot in here.” So nevermind… maybe that’s not such a good idea after all.
I have had a consultant from the electrical company come over and give me explanations on how to cut my bill. This consult actually cost me nothing and even gave me a rebate on my bill. The electric company wants you to conserve energy too.
What I learned is that anything that heats up or cools down uses way more energy than just your lightbulbs. Now, that’s simple for me to consider. The dryer, the range, hot water heater, the freezer – those are your big ticket items. You can reduce electric use on your stand up freezer by filling it completely full (even using big buckets of ice helps). Using the microwave and crockpot uses less energy than the oven or stovetop. AC and electric heaters use TONS of energy.
Hope this helps. Also, I use more electricity in the winter (we have electric heat) so I have my bill averaged out all year so my bill always stays the same. It makes budgeting easier.
They have new light bulbs that are suppost to help with things like this. I also unplug things when I’m not using them. I read yesterday on msn green that over half of the energy used in our houses are used from things being left plugged in when they are not in use! I know it isn’t much but I hope it helps!
our house is ALL ELECTRIC! No gas furnace or stove for us. The old lady who we bought our house from used to work for the electric company so she got a great discount for her service. We, unfortunately, do not get the same service. We do the budget plan for us – because we do use less in the summertime than in the winter. It evens itself out that way.
In the meantime, I would check to make sure your house is well-insluated around doors and windows. Changing the lightbulbs reallyl helps too, but I know that has been mentioned before. Also, unplugging unused items instead of just turning them off helps to save energy. Ceiling fans to circulate, and programmable thermostats help too (but I think you already have that).
THis is pretty funny because I remember you used to leave the light on in your bedroom ALL THE TIME when you lived with your parents and your dad was the light-nazi then… and you used to get upset about him turing off your light all the time. My, how times have changed.
The clothes dryer is the biggest energy pig. Get one of those racks that lets you airdry clothes, even in the winter, and use a clothesline in the summer. Look out for the energy vampires, like the computer monitor. If the computer is off, but the monitor is still on, you are wasting energy. And turn the computer off whenever it isn’t being used.
I airdry a few things…but mostly not I have to admit.
Our bill is still high…but I do keep the heat really low and have a space heater for any place that needs to be really warm. That…and we wear more clothes mostly.
Actually…I think I need to see what everyone else said…maybe I need tips! haha
I forgot this one: Some people think that if you drop the heat quite a lot when you are away and then crank it only when you are home you save some $$. However, if you keep it at a steady temperature, the furnace actually works less.
OH…and…wash things in cold water. It really does work as well. If you are going to line-dry your whites, then you can even get away with washing whites in cold water. Cold water is cheaper than heated water.