Official SS Poll: What do you do to eliminate bills / cut down expenses?

[sumi]

Yeah he for sure isn't doing dishes! I guess I would have to figure out how to turn it off

I have an app for my electric company that shows electric usage by the hour, so I'll be able to tell quickly if it helps!

Your hot water heater should have a switch on the mains board, with the plugs, lights and everything else. That's where ours was anyway.

Do please make notes of the electricity saved and let us know how it worked?

 

[NH Homesteader]

Yes.... Mine aren't labeled... Lol. I'll figure it out! My electric bill is $160-185/month and it is ridiculous. It tends to be worse in winter because the blower for the boiler/heat takes a lot of energy. Funny the A/C running all day long takes less energy than that.

 

[sumi]

Just flick the switches one by one and see what happens?

I have a boiler for heat too. Used it sparingly, but still spent €500 on oil for winter. And the electricity use doubled with that going on too. No electric heaters, just the boiler. Fireplaces and wood burners are awesome, if you have them

 

[NH Homesteader]

Ours is a wood pellet boiler. Works great but not cheap. We will add a wood stove at some point, if we stay here. Very expensive winters here.

 

[Dianna Starr]

Been doing this with my water heater for years. Makes a big difference. Adding to this, limit the amount used DURING a shower. I wet down, turn water off, lather, then water on & rinse. (RV camping taught me this) My water heater, used this way, keeps enough hot for 2-3 days without flipping switch back on so long as I don't run dishwasher, lot of hot water for something else, etc. Next two BIG users of power -- clothes dryer & electric stove -- on day to day basis, that is. Of course, heat is always a concern IF electric.

So, clothesline, inside racks. Solar oven. Or cook in batches to freeze in smaller portions & reheat. As said, cook & use oven heat to warm house for that time of use. Cook far less in summer, limited AC use. I open windows when cool at night & close in day to keep cool inside -- shades on South windows (plus they are multi-pane, gas filled, e glazed, etc).

My whole house heat system is electric heat pump. I have a propane heater (looks like wood unit it replaced) which heats entire downstairs very nicely, far less expense. Upstairs I close off in winter as unused. It's always above freezing up there but cool for daily use. Rare use.

I don't get extreme or uncomfortable but use methods such as these to reduce use of utilities when possible.

 

[Dianna Starr]

right on
Mini Horses
im so glad you posted all of this info we live similarly like you plus we also lived in an RV we built our self out of a gray hound bus it has every thing filtered water system , inverter converter even a dish washer ,washer dryer , never used the dryer, i used the the dryer to store stuff in...lol..& grew an indoor garden in the big front windshield that worked great for our green house ,I always used the best solar dryer the sun..! ..lol.. we owned an rv repair company in FL & also here in AZ my husband was a tuff old biker dude who could repair any thing & was the best master A certified rv tech from FL to AZ, we lived the rv way to save up & pay cash for our place, most of the way we lived was all my idea since i have always been into being sufficient all my life & mostly invented what ever i needed , i never liked banks owning my home so no mortgage for us, im glad we did all we had and now own our own place free & clear, it was in need of lots of TLC, but we together could replace repair or invent any thing we needed so we picked up materials when ever we could a lot for free and just kept building to make it a livable home , But the land was the most important first step & if need be we could always live in the RV on our land which we did for 10 years , i have always believed your land is the most important first step to self sufficiency , then every ounce of work & money we put into our place is truly all ours & that is your main point of safety & security no matter what happens you still own your home..! filled with all your stuff HA

 

[sumi]

@Dianna Starr I'm with you there! I'd love to own a place mortgage free as well. With the properties priced low as they are here in Ireland at the moment, a place with lots of TLC needed may just happen for me sometime. I'd love to see pics of your renovation and projects etc, if you have some to share? Just head down to one of the social or random topic sections and hit the "Start a new thread" button and post away

 

[Dianna Starr]

I have been asking my husband to do that. He is convinced it'll take too much electricity to re-heat when we then it back on. Hmm... Haven't tried it yet but now I really must!

 

[Dianna Starr]

Ours is a wood pellet boiler. Works great but not cheap. We will add a wood stove at some point, if we stay here. Very expensive winters here.

 

[Dianna Starr]

first thing i would do is insulate that hot water heater really well...! then do it to it , it works well & the water stays hot for the most part & if its on for bathing every night, in the end it will cost less since the water is never very cold , but the insulation is most important...! to keep the water hot..! i bet the newer efficacy type hot water heaters would be even better & i look at it this way why gas , if your going for solar in the future , gas wont run on solar energy but the electric one will...! so wile saving up for a solar system this is the cheapest way to use what you already have & with out buying a instant on for hot water , so i wish you good luck ..!!!!!