# A little effort and education yields results



## Sandor (Aug 16, 2006)

Just got the electric bill. Used 1190 kw/hrs. I noticed last year, during the same billing period (its on the bill), the usage was 2086 kwH. While I just started shacking up full time with "the women" within the last several months, the usage h_as nearly been cut in half_ compared to when I did not live here! This is with another person in the house full time (me) compared to last year (when we were dating). Also, the weather has been really hot for the last 6 weeks. Temps in mid 90's to over 100.

Changes I made were:

Educating the 2 kids about electricity. "Like yea, it does cost money to run the lights, tv, etc" They are good about it now.

Change general lighting over to compact florecents.

Intalled a cheap energy star window a/c unit that provides about 80 percent of the cooling needs.

Bought her an Energy Star washing machine for Christmas.

Dry clothes on the outside clothesline. This may have made the largest difference.

Thats it! Not a whole lot of effort or money to cut electricity use nearly in half, with one more person in the house.


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## spot (Aug 16, 2006)

I changed _every_ lightbulb in the house to compact fluorescents and nearly cut my bill in half just by doing that.

I am a big-time proponent of CFL's!  I tell everyone I can about them.
The $4 to $10 initial cost of the bulb is recouped within a few months.
They put out less heat than a standard bulb, so your A/C doesn't have to work as hard.
They last longer than a regular bulb.

Now I see that LED lighting is to CFL's what CFL's are to incandescents.
I may have to switch again.


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## MountainStoveGuy (Aug 16, 2006)

LED's arent quite there yet in home lighting, but there getting close. At there currnet price it would be the payback time frame close to what solar power would take. Its coming though.


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## elkimmeg (Aug 17, 2006)

Sandor did you know electricity is about 30% on energy usage in a home. We all can learn to shut off lights and applinaces when not being used. Keep up the good work


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## Mike (Sep 19, 2006)

Average electrical consumption in our house was just over 31kw/h per day in Aug 05.  This past Aug it was 10.5.
- got rid of the basement fridge (bought in 1955, still worked, but kept the local hydro turbines spinning)
- changed out the 70s fridge and freezer for energy efficient models
- changed all bulbs to CFLs (46 or 47 total)
- put power bars on all the hidden user..VCR/DVD/PC/TC/microwave/etc.  when they're off now they're really off (no LED clocks sucking the juice)
- monitored the dehumudifier so it's on when necessary

Electircal bill is down by just over 50 bucks/month.  Should go up in the winter but......  The changes are paying for themselves.

Building a file to tackle natural gas now, learning more about solar... I don't see the economics in solar power but could be for water heat.


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## BrotherBart (Sep 19, 2006)

Warming up said:
			
		

> Average electrical consumption in our house was just over 31kw/h per day in Aug 05.  This past Aug it was 10.5.
> - got rid of the basement fridge (bought in 1955, still worked, but kept the local hydro turbines spinning)
> - changed out the 70s fridge and freezer for energy efficient models
> - changed all bulbs to CFLs (46 or 47 total)
> ...



Tell me more about the power bars.


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## Mike (Sep 19, 2006)

I didn't think sbout this until I read it in a book on renewable energy/energy savings by William Kemp, can't remember the exact name of the book.  Heavy solar users do this to minimize the number of batteries they use.  It is not a big percentage at all but the if trying it to cut use, it all adds up.  They are called "phantom electricity users" and are all the electronics that have clocks, little red lights on the power buttons, etc that do nothing but suck low levels of electricity when they are plugged in but turned off.

I put power bars on everything.......TV/VCR/DVD all on one. PC/printer on another, etc.  Now when we shut down the TV, we power off the units too.  No little red lights or clocks.  Like I said it isn't a lot of power but it adds up.  Add in the kids'stuff all sucking 10 to 25 watts per hour doing nothing.

The power bars were just under 5 bucks on sale.  They pay for themselves.

It took some time to remember to always shut them off and we still forget some times but the electricity bill speaks for itself.


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## Sandor (Sep 19, 2006)

BrotherBart said:
			
		

> Warming up said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Ya don't eat them BB, they are also refered to as power strips.


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## BrotherBart (Sep 19, 2006)

Sandor:

"Ya don’t eat them BB, they are also refered to as power strips."

Darn. Always on the lookout for good food.


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## begreen (Sep 19, 2006)

Well, I guess you'll be hanging out at Dylan's till he's worked his way through that 100 pounds of spinach he picked up.


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## BrotherBart (Sep 19, 2006)

BeGreen said:
			
		

> Well, I guess you'll be hanging out at Dylan's till he's worked his way through that 100 pounds of spinach he picked up.



Been intending to call mom. Fifty years ago I had to listen to "Eat it. It won't kill you." when those boiled weeds were on my plate.

"Well mom, what ya got to say about it now? Huh?"


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## begreen (Sep 19, 2006)

Well, we grow our own, so this hasn't come up. But at least when you tell her it tastes like crap, there may be a real bit of truth in it.  :sick:


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## Mike (Sep 20, 2006)

Speaking about the truth re the spinach crap, I suppose you all heard about the ecoli spinach contamination a week or two ago.  Think it was at Wendy's.  Excuse the sick thinking.


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## velvetfoot (Sep 20, 2006)

All the compact flourescents I've gotten lately are dim upon startup and take a while to brighten up.  Not a big plus.


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## BrotherBart (Sep 20, 2006)

velvetfoot said:
			
		

> All the compact flourescents I've gotten lately are dim upon startup and take a while to brighten up.  Not a big plus.



I notice that with the last ones I got too.


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## begreen (Sep 20, 2006)

That is the nature of these bulbs. We have compact fluorescents in lights that stay on for an extended period of time. They don't make sense in a closet or bath where they will be on for only a few minutes.


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## Czech (Sep 20, 2006)

Not sure if it's true or not, but the maint guy at work here says to always 'burn 'em in'. By this, he means leave the newly installed CFL on for a day straight or so. Says it helps with life of bulb and shortens time to full brightness. I don't mind the slow brightness issue in the bathroon at night, kinda easy on the eyes if you're quick enough.


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## wg_bent (Sep 20, 2006)

Kind of funny story here.  

A little over a year ago, we noticed that our power consumption was REALLY high...One day my wife said in the same sentance something like...You know I really hate how bad the water pressure is in the house and this Electric bill really sucks"

The brain clicked and it dawned on me why both were true...Ahhhh it's related I shouted and left her wondering what the heck I was on to.  

Well to keep it short, we replaced the well pump and pipe...

My wife was watching the electric bill and since about June last year the price of electric went from like .06/kwh to .11 and said the monthly payment went up by 20 bucks, so we grumbled and went on with life.  Fast forward to this past Monday...She says to me hey...guess what... We have a 1300 dollar credit on our electric bill.  

Uhhh Darn...Uhhh Cool....Let's get that payment down...by over a hundred bucks a months.

We also have almost 100% CF bulbs in the house.  Now I just need to get more use of the clothes line going.  Maybe see if I can get my wife to buy into a Kitchen wood stove...right....(Just more justification to suggest that I'm obsessed)


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## velvetfoot (Sep 20, 2006)

The dehumidifier seemed to add a few kw-hrs to the last bill.


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