Looking for Ways to Cut the Electric Bill

Turn off the lights!"

"Close the door!"

We all grew up knowing some basic ways to keep that electric bill down. But there are some other little known ways to cut that bill that perhaps many of us don't know about.

I say "us", because this is one area I'm always learning about. So I'll explore some of the ways that at least I'm familiar with that some of you may or may not be aware of.

What most of us know

We do know that things that are "on" are using electricity. So we grew up learning to turn out lights, turn off the TV and keep the doors closed. We need to keep practicing that - become even vigilant about it -- and include items like turning off our computers, printers, and monitors when not in use. Look around and see what else is on, not being used, and turn it off.

Today, we are also exposed to "energy-saving" appliances and gadgets that are supposed to help us to keep that electric bill down. Refrigerators are big draws on electric. If you have an old refrig, you might consider upgrading to a newer model.

About refrigerators: I learned that "empty" refrigerators draw more electricity. For some reason they work harder when the refrig is near empty. Listen to your refrig. Is it on a lot? It might be because there's not much food in there. My theory is that when there are many items in there and they are all cold, they help to keep each other cold - just like an ice chest.

We've also got the new fluorescent lights that cut our bills. I have found that they actually do cut the electric bill a bit. The biggest perk I like about these new bulbs is that I don't have to replace these bulbs for YEARS! I like that... But if you think about the cost of these bulbs vs. the old bulbs, they seem expensive. Over all, I do believe they save quite a bit of money. I've bought these bulbs for about $3 a piece, and if they last about five to ten years, that's quite a savings on buying regular bulbs which I find I'm replacing a couple every month. Add to that the bit of savings in your electric bill, and it can add up. So these bulbs are a "go" on my budget.

An obvious way to save on the electric bill is solar or wind energy. Get off the grid completely! But for some of us, that investment is out of reach. I'm still working on it here, and hope to some day realize that dream!

What some of you may not know

One of the biggest pieces of information that I've learned about is "phantom" loads on our electric. I found this out when I was researching solar electric and how to get off the grid.

Phantom loads are all those appliances and gadgets that are plugged in but not really being used.

Examples:
Clocks on appliances like the microwave, coffee pot, stove
Satellite box is always on
Clocks in general
Telephone answering machines
Battery chargers
Cordless phones that have to be kept in the cradle to be charged

By doing an inventory in your home of items such as these, and then unplugging these when not in use, can really lower that electric bill! For example, I unplug the microwave and coffee pot when not in use. Do I REALLY need them plugged in all the time? Yes, it's a hassle at first to unplug and then plug in when I need to use them, but after awhile it becomes a habit and I don't even notice it.

Habits are hard to break, especially when they are convenience habits. Learning new habits can help to save some money!

What some may or may not know

Aside from my daily continuous draws on my electric consumption that I try to keep down, I have one huge draw -- my clothes dryer. I have resorted to using it ONLY in an "emergency" -- like when I have to have something dry NOW, or it's so cold outside and I'm feeling miserable.

I use my clothesline. And as long as I do, I keep my electric bill under or right around the $100 mark every month. I figure that by using my clothesline, I'm saving at LEAST $50 a month or MORE! Yes, hard to believe, but true.

I had my son go out to the electric meter one year to try to map my electric usage, and we turned off all the electric to the house, and turned each appliance/gadget on one at a time to see how much each appliance was using. When the dryer came up, it was spinning fast! That's when I repaired the clothesline.

Using the clothesline I have found to be fabulous! Not only does it make the clothes feel so fresh, but I learned that sun drying also kills any germs that may be lingering (like flu!). Putting a little fabric softener or vinegar in the wash will help keep the clothes soft.

There is a science to using a clothesline. In another blog, I tell about what I learned growing up and hanging out clothes with my mom and grandmother. Most people think "what is there to it?" But there really is some cool tricks to doing it.

Blogs About What I'm Doing to Survive

How I Got to this Point
How to Use a Clothesline
What I Use for Cleaners
My Really Basic Bare Bones Kitchen
My Working Lists