We received our electricity bill this past weekend, and I’m happy to report that it was $61.32! Every time I get a bill, I am always inspired to see if there are more little changes I can make to lower our electricity usage – so long as they don’t cross over the “feeling deprived” line.
Some changes we’ve made that have made a difference:
-energy efficient light bulbs (of course)
-turning off lights after leaving a room
-turning the computer off at or before 10 pm, also when I know I’ll not be using it for long periods of time
-unplugging appliances after use
-limiting the number of appliances we use (the built in microwave serves as our kitchen clock)
-taking fewer showers
-running the dishwasher once a day
-washing all laundry with the cold cycle, using the dryer only for towels and diaper inserts
I feel like I’m forgetting something. Anyone who has something they’re doing that’s not on the list, please post in the comments below!
9 Comments
July 1, 2008 at 10:19 pm
do laundry and the dishes at night. isn’t electricity cheaper on off-peak hrs?
also, i saw you DIY challenges. you do know that i have a green cleaners workshop? i already have everything you’d need available at my house. let me know if you need help getting started or need some supplies. you can bet i scored them all for cheap!!
July 2, 2008 at 4:18 am
I try baking more than one thing at a time. If I am baking chicken, I will also bake potatoes. I try to cook enough at one time so that I will not have to use my oven every day. Doing this not only saves on running the oven, but also on cooling costs (if you have to run the a/c to cool your home back down).
I bake cakes in the microwave (yes, they are yummy!) I have learned that the quicker I can cook meals, the less energy it uses. I use my crock pot as much as possible. Since it is a small appliance, it takes much less energy than the stove. We eat lots of salads during the summer, no cooking at all!
I found your blog via Rockin’ Granola. I love it!!! Your writing style is so refreshing and I look forward to hearing what’s to come.
July 2, 2008 at 8:29 am
Rebecca: I’m not sure if it’s cheaper at night, from what I can gather from our statement, but I’ll give them a call and find out. Thanks for that tip!
Also, I know about the cleaners workshop, however, in the effort to be truly frugal, I’m just using a book I got from the library, and reusing old cleaning bottles that I’ve been collecting. I will recommend your workshop to others who might need something more.
Gina: So glad you found my blog! I look forward to your input. I don’t use the microwave because my husband said something about it changing the molecular structure of food, and that sort of freaked me out. The thing is, I wasn’t using it that much to begin with. We don’t have A/C, so I don’t have to worry about that – although it does make it awful hot in the kitchen.
I just read that vacuuming the coils on the back of the fridge at least once a year also helps (not sure of the specifics) so I think we’re going to pull that out this weekend and see what’s back there.
July 2, 2008 at 11:25 pm
i totally understand about wanting to save money, but be careful about reusing old cleaning bottles– there could be residues in them…. old food containers are a safer bet– like those plastic parmesan containers or ketchup squirt bottles.
another electricity saving tip: when you open the fridge, kow what you need and close it fast. zoe tends to open the ridge and just stad there and stare into it….. hat wastes a ton of power….
July 3, 2008 at 7:27 am
Seth opens the fridge a lot too. I’m thinking of getting a child-proof lock.
I have some ketchup bottles, and I washed the dish soap bottles out several times and ran all of them through the dishwasher. I also managed to get some spray bottles from the dollar store down the street. Some of the bottles I will end up using were containers from non-toxic Melalueca products. I put my dishwasher detergent in a glass jar that I found at Goodwill. So, I’m not worried. Thanks for the tip!
July 3, 2008 at 11:12 pm
oh man, i came back to read your replies and noticed that apparently most of the keys on my keyboard are on their last leg…..
i was thinking of you today as i was showering….. and being in the military…. my friends who served always said mornings consisted of a choice: shit, shower or shave? is that true? LOL
July 4, 2008 at 8:41 am
I think that phrase “shit, shower, shave” does sort of give the idea of the severity of military regimen, however, this wasn’t the case for either my husband or I – he was required to shave every morning. Boot camp is the most severe – one learns how to wash their hair and body in less than a minute. Regular military life (non-deployed) is much more similar to regular 9-5 in many ways. I imagine the soldiers in Iraq could probably identify more with the three s’s.
July 16, 2008 at 10:44 pm
did you ever follow up on whether electricity is cheaper at night? i am curious too. i guess i could call them myself.
July 17, 2008 at 8:23 am
Yes, sorry I didn’t report back! According to Milton at Portland General, night time is your best bet – in between 10 pm and 6 am. Since we go to bed at 10, I’ll probably be getting up early and doing dishes and laundry then!