General Power Saving Tips

[usedteabag]

Hi guys,

Wow, feels like a while since I've been on here! Oh dear me...

This country mouse has to move to the city in just a few months time! I've only ever rented, never owned my own home, and whenever I've rented, I've always snatched up the deals where everything is included in the rent so I don't have to stress about too many bills; it's only ever been paying for internet/phone! Lucky duck. But this time, I found a place that's cheap in the rent but I pay everything, including electric. I have never done this so I'm pretty scared of being overwhelmed suddenly!

Here's the deal: it's a two level, 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom, and several common spaces. There's a deck and backyard, and a deep freeze (which, being an avid food freezer, I'm really excited about). I'm worried about a few things: the deep freeze, the fridge, and some other appliances like my crock pot and dehydrator. We are on oil heat, not electric.

I'm already pretty good about turning off excess lights, and all four of us living together are quite content to wear a sweater inside in the wintertime, too (I'm on wood stove heat here anyway, which can occasionally get inconsistent, so I'm used to it!). But any tips anyone has, I'd be so grateful! For example, is it true that simply unplugging appliances when not in use (like the toaster or microwave, for example) will save on electricity? Do table lamps use less energy than overheads? Anything you guys know--and I know you know a lot!--will be helpful.

 

[katev]

Great threads. I think only by a small action, we may save more and more. And who know, if 7 billions have 7 billion action, we may save the Earth, right?

 

[Britesea]

I made up some large bags from fabric remants that are color coded: Yellow for chicken, Magenta for beef, Green for veggies, etc. I try to keep my packages in the appropriate bags. It simplifies searching for things as I only have to look in one section of the freezer.

 

[lesliemorris85]

try to use LED-based lighting for all your lights. I know its kinda expensive but the initial cost will pay for itself in the long run since LEDs are incredibly durable. They are also very energy efficient so you wont be using as much power for your lights.

 

[Marianne]

Did I miss it? Hanging your laundry to dry will save you probably $20 a month. It all adds up, but the clothes dryer was our biggest energy glut. I dry clothes for 5 minutes with a couple of dry towels, then hang inside.

 

[Denim Deb]

And if you're buying a freezer, don't get one that's frost free. It uses more electricity and doesn't keep things as cold as one that you need to defrost.

 

[Britesea]

and chest freezers are better than uprights- Since cold air sinks, you lose some of your cold air every time you open the door of an upright compared to a chest freezer which keeps the cold air in.

 

[sumi]

My parents, or rather my dad, had a brilliant idea to save electricity. He got a local plumber/handyman to set up a very basic solar water heater for their house. The water got fed into a length of 2/3 inch black plastic pipe, which laid coiled up on the house's roof. If I have to guess, I'd say they used about 100 feet of pipe. In their home town where summer temperatures of 130*F is not unheard off, the water in that pipe got hot enough to burn you quite badly if you were not careful. I remember one day making a cup of coffee from the water straight off the roof and it was hot enough... They also bought and installed an electric water heater, which served mostly as a holding tank for the hot water, which got drained from the roof pipe into the heater, which kept it warm, since it was insulated. During the warmer months they never turned that water heater on and they had plenty hot water for bathing, washing dishes etc. The expense to the get the system set-up was not very high and the money saved in electricity was enormous in the long run.

If that is not an option, turning the heater off for a few hours every day, or when you're not home for extended periods, like when on vacation or out for a weekend, can also save a lot of money. I remember as a teen, we only switched ours on for about 3 hours in the evenings, so we could bath and do the dishes. That 3 hours was enough.

 

[Britesea]

In our family we say she would complain in Heaven that the glare off those streets of gold gave her a headache, lol

 

[Mini Horses]

My house is a 2 story with bedrooms/bath up. Master bdrm/bath is down. I put a pressure rod at bottom of stairs with clear plastic shower curtain to keep the gravity rise of heat up there. Doors are close to bedrooms, bath is in center & plenty warm enough to keep from freezing in extreme temps. Since I am only one here, saves heat & keeps heat down where I am. Heated mattress pad keeps tootsies warm at night!

Switch ceiling fans to reverse in winter. HW heater off all but couple hrs every other day. Plenty of HW for me..(50 gal tank)

I, too, have carafe for coffee to keep hot all day. AND It was a free one. LOL. I cook larger meals & used leftovers to reheat in MW, freeze for other days. My windows are Argon filled and have the E-glaze. I pull shades at night as added insulation for cold, open on sunny side in day for free solar heat. Summer, I leave shades down on sunny side to keep cooler. Porches full length of house front & back give shade in summer & open those window shades/windows depending on weather.

Laminate floors are left uncovered in summer & have large rugs in winter, lvgrm & dngrm. Bedrooms w/w carpet. Windows & ceiling fans keep house cool enough except in extremes for summer. I open windows at night for cool are, close in day when hot out. House holds temps very well.