Average daily kWh?

[sweetproserpina]

Hello!

I'm on a kick to try and get my electric usage way down. Right now we're at 23.8 kWh/day, and I'd like to get us under 20 by the next electric bill.

The only thing that's getting me is all this canning I'm doing- I feel like the stove's on forever. Maybe I should just make freezer jam instead

What's your kWh/day?

Any one trying to 'power down', or try one of those kill-a-watt gadgets? Any surprises or big electricity hogs you didn't expect?

Cheers!,
-meg

 

[FarmerChick]

WOW you have a low kwh right now. Do you have AC on right now? just curious how you can get it so low..LOL

My kwh is about 50 per day right now. Pool and AC are big ones for me in NC.

I like this thread cause I am on a kick the last 6 mos. so far to decrease usage. Last year I used 70 kwh per day in July. So I have decreased a big chunk right now seriously monitoring my electric. Pool filter does not run most of the day like last year. AC is turned up higher than colder from last year....so I am saving.

TVs, microwaves. Get the power strip that shuts them off at the source. Any micro or tv or anything that has a clock, remote, that type of thing will draw phanton power "even" though off.

I haven't bought strips, but at night I unplug my micro and unplug the 2 tvs right now....it is easy access to do so cause I wanted to see if I could truly see a savings difference. So far yes.....

Get some CFL light bulbs when you need to replace any bulbs. These are a nice savings.

January 08 my electric rate increased...Boo...so even though I cut back great on kwh, the bill isn't as low as I wish...LOL...ya can't win.

And your water heater. Be sure it is insulated with a blanket and lower the temp as low as you can. In summer I turn the water heater down cause I don't require hot hot showers as much. In winter, I raise it a tad to get me hotter water. So little changes do add up when we can. Your water heater is one of the big charges per month. I did "a test" with my online power company and it showed that a water heater can use about $52 a month of my bill. My total bill for the month is about $140 (I am on fixed payments per year)----so when I have the money I am installing those "instant" hot water heaters like under the kitchen sink etc. to save me money there...have to research those and see what I can do.

What steps have you taken already?

 

[ticks]

I second the Energy Saver bulbs

 

[sweetproserpina]

Some steps we take:
-CFLs in our most used lights
-unplug any 'vampires'
- no air conditioning (we're lucky it's been a cooler summer)
- no small electric gadgets in the kitchen (except for the electric kettle which is more efficient than the stove)
-line dry all clothes (the birds who built a nest in the dryer vent helped me totally convert to this
-wash almost everything in cold water
-I use a laptop
- heating with wood in winter

Our big energy hogs:
- hot water heater, stove, oven (I cook a lot!)
- cistern pump for water
- hubby's power tools and desk top computer ( for business)
- basement chest freezer
- dehumidifier? (not sure how much it uses..)

We're a small household of just two, which helps keep things low, but we're home all the time b/c we work from home.

One step I want to try is to plan out my cooking better so I can only have the oven/stove on a few days a week.

 

[FarmerChick]

For that list you typed....I think you are doing VERY WELL at even about 25 kwh per day!!....you are about 1/2 me.

I honestly don't know where you could cut down much more than what you are doing ---but like the stove. Be sure to cook 2 of everything if you can and freeze it ....like when I make lasagna (which is rare..lol) I make 2 ---1 to eat a few times for meals and 1 to freeze. I cut the one to be frozen in individual serving sizes then it is so easy to defrost.

Also how old is your basement chest freezer. Older models are big users versus the new energy efficient models----so if this is older than maybe consider a new one??? just a thought.

If it was up to me I would love to get down to your 23 kwh per day...HA HA...but I don't think I can get that low----Tony insists on at least 74 for AC---he won't let me go much higher and such. And we have automatic night lights at the barns that I need for animal emergencies etc. at night....so some things I can't really change --yet!

 

[me&thegals]

Hi sweetproserpina--A couple ideas. Do you use a water bath canner? If so, check out the steam canners. I have 2 and they use WAY less water, so therefore way less energy to get them boiling.

Also, dehumidifiers use a TON of energy. We unplugged our perfectly good older one and got an energy star model because the old one was doubling our electric bill while in use.

Crockpot instead of stove. Like you say, planning out meals to cook a pile of food at once rather than spread out multiple times. A friend of ours built a solar cooker with cardboard and tinfoil (look online) and has used it to bake casseroles, bread, etc.

Sounds like you're already doing great!

 

[sweetproserpina]

A crockpot is a great idea! I got rid of mine when I moved east and haven't replaced it. I betcha I could find one second hand pretty easily..

My dehumidifier is brand new but it doesn't need to be on all the time, right? I think I'll unplug it during the day during high elec. usage.

I had lots of plans to build a solar oven- but it's been the rainiest summer in southern Ontario in just about ever. Even I think it's been excessive and I moved from Vancouver Maybe if it dries up I'll try it out!

I use a steam canner too- well, I share it with my mum. We scored it at a garage sale years ago. The lady who was selling it didn't even know what it was! I love the steam canner because it saves water too, and when you get your water trucked in, every drop counts!

Great tips everyone! You guys are the best!
Is anyone else trying to cut down?

I'm really hoping to reduce ours enough, so we won't feel the price pinch when I switch everything over to Bullfrog, the renewable elec. company 'round here. They charge 8.9cent/kWh, and our regular elec. company charges about 5.7 cents/kWh.

 

[me&thegals]

One more idea--do you have your hot water heater insulated? We got a really cheap cover for our recently. I don't know how much it has saved (our water is heated with LP), but I bet you could find that out online...

 

[FarmerChick]

They charge 8.9cent/kWh, and our regular elec. company charges about 5.7 cents/kWh.


*******OUCH




I pay 7.8889999996667 or something like that..LOL

 

[Colored Egg Farmer]

wow thats expensive.