Help me slay this electric bill?

[enjoy the ride]

me&thegals- I can just see them trying to bike to keep the power going for that video game. Sore thumbs and sore bums...............

 

[FarmerChick]

when it is only me in the house...hardly any power is used.
Nicole and Tony walk thru the door and the meter runs full speed!

 

[shareneh]

It's embarrassing to say but I used to take the kids' lights out of the sockets if I had to get after them to shut them off if they weren't using them. It happened a couple of times but now they thank me for getting after them on conserving energy.

My daughter sounds just like me when it comes to being frugal. I have also been known to take their heaters if they left them on. They had to beg to get them back. It seems harsh but in the long run everybody wins because they learn the lesson and you save the cash.

 

[me&thegals]

Hey--I agree! It sounds worse than it is. I've heard of parents taking off their kids' doors if they kept slamming them We just make our kids shut them silently about 10 times for "practice." My parents made us pay them a quarter when we left our lights on, and now they have 4 adult children who are hounding their kids to shut off the lights. It works!

 

[edjanuary39]

I read in consumer reports that they aren't as economical as they say. It was probably 2 years ago that I read that-late 2009. Ever since then I have had it In my mind they are bad. Now i happen to have taken that issue from the dr's office! As i read- some require premium pellets, supposed to produce less ash. .... Whichever you choose you'll have to store in a dry covered area, a potentially tall order given the 150 bags they gobble up in a year.- Oct. 2009 issue. Also to get any credits you have to have it professionally installed.but if you do go that route consumer reports rated Harmon P68 the highest, $3900, claimed input (BTU/hr) 68,000, claimed heating capacity(sq ft) 2200. Overall score- 87-excellent, excellent capacity, very good loading, very good cleaning, excellent controls.
Napoleon NPS40 continental CPS40 also rated super good and it is only 2350, 43000 input, 2000 heating capacity. Scored 85. Also worth mentioning- consumer reports said DONT buY- Lopi Leydon- shut down repeatedly after pellets jammed the auger. Shorter pellets didn't jam, but pellet size isn't usually marked on bags. Wow this is the energy savings issue, i would try to get ahold of it, lots of info here! Forgot i even had it! Even though its on the shelf next to the chair.

 

[ORChick]

I know this is an old thread, but - having just read through it - it has a lot of good advice. One point I'd like to add though is about lights: DH (the electricity guy) assures me that the the energy hogs are the things that create heat, and not so much those that create light. A lot of people tackle their energy overuse by religiously shutting off all the lights, and think they are doing their bit and so don't worry about high energy users like the clothes dryer or hot water heater. They need to think the opposite way - turn down the water heater and the thermostat, line dry clothes, and right there you have done enough that a few lights left on won't make much difference. We keep the thermostat at 64* during the day, and 58* at night, on an automatic timer; we both grew up in cold homes so happen to think that 64* is quite toasty most of the time . I can't line dry in the winter - no room inside, and too damp outside - so I always make sure that my washer is full - no partial loads - so as to get the most from each run through of both washer and dryer. I am reminded (by this thread) that I want to look into a timer for the hot water heater. And I have had an electric water kettle for years, and love it! I also try to remember to put any extra water (when making tea or whatever) into a thermos so that it needn't be heated twice. We are not so good about turning things off at the wall (pulling the plug) though we do have most things on power strips that get turned off if we are away from home for any length of time. And I second the suggestion about using smaller appliances - crock pot, toaster oven - instead of the big oven when possible. I have read recipes for potroast done in the oven! No, no - a POTroast is done in a POT, on the stove, or in the crock POT

 

[edjanuary39]

My husband is an electrical too, and I have heard the same things about power use. He although is in no big hurry to be conservative, and 1st to complain about the bill going up b/c of winter! In Oklahoma, I keep our thermostat at 74, I hate being cold and am still suffering in a sweater! I wouldn't think of turning the heat down at night! I did hear that keeping the thermostat should be kept at the same temp, maybe keeping it at a lower temp all the time, this keeps the heater or a/c from kicking on all the time and run time down. This info came from the electric company, and my husband backs it up, he also used to moonlight installing heating and cooling systems. If you keep your equipment clean and maintenanced regularly, then you have a more efficient system even if its old, especially if its old. They always get worse on usage as they age, so keeping it in good shape will help. We couldn't afford to upgrade to an energy efficient system right now, so we have to use what we have and this probably applies to many. So clean it out, change filters, use good filters- the cheap ones allow a lot of dust into the motor parts and this leads to resistance which =more amp draws. For those who haven't had the electrical speech- amp equal money, not volts. If I ever get that lecture again-I will scream! Lol! So look at your amp draws, and look at the condition of those big items, if the insides are dirty its drawing more amps and is less efficient. Microwave is a big one, and tend to wear out faster so end up drawing closer to the max amp load faster than most appliances. if you would like to hear his microwave speech, I can r3ecord it for you! I say this b+c I think this has been overlooked, and when you dont get these speeches, you forget! That's why I've heard them so much! Lol! also just to add more lecture. , you should never change the fuses with a different fuse. It has to be the same! Or you will end up ruining your appliance, wiring, or burning down your house, or if you go too small it won't work. Just thought I would add that

 

[hqueen13]

I can't say enough about good drapes, either. Before we bought our thermal curtains (they were on sale for 9.99 per panel, can't beat that price anywhere!) we started closing the decorative curtains in addition to closing the blinds, and even that little bit made a big difference. Once we got the thermals, it was huge. www.annaslenins.com is where we got ours, they're not the best quality but the price is right!!

 

[edjanuary39]

I've never heard of thermal drapes! That's awesome! I'm going to check it out!

 

[the funny farm6]

Before investing in the pellet stove please check with your insurence. We wernt allowed to put a wood/pellet/corn stove in the house. So we got a wood stove that hooks up outside.