| Author |
Across the Fence:  unplugging pays off!  |
|
|
harmonyfarm
True Blue Farmgirl
785 Posts
Debbie
Southeastern
Ohio
USA
785 Posts |
 Posted - Mar 18 2009 : 09:38:25 AM
|
I've been telling people for a while about unplugging nearly every appliance when it isn't being used to help lower our monthly electric bill. I'm happy to say our new bill arrived yesterday and it is $49.00 cheaper than last month...you might want to try this at home!
Debbie
"If you can't find the time to do it right...how will you find the time to do it over" |
|
|
sjs
True Blue Farmgirl
247 Posts
Stephanie
Oakland
CA
USA
247 Posts |
Posted - Mar 18 2009 : 10:06:24 AM
|
Oh my gosh, that's incredible. What all did you unplug?
--------------------
Learning to live is learning to let go.
Visit my food blog! http://www.wasabimon.com - natural cooking to live for.
|
 |
|
|
catscharm74
True Blue Farmgirl
4687 Posts
Heather
Texas
USA
4687 Posts |
Posted - Mar 18 2009 : 10:31:06 AM
|
Yes, it does. I did the same thing and my bill dropped $60. I unplugged my computer at night, 2 lamps we NEVER use, 1 phone, and something else. On top of that, I used my dryer only 1x a week, for less than 45 minutes. It is amazing!!!
Heather
Yee-Haw, I am a cowgirl!!!
|
|
|
|
ruralfarmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
4309 Posts
Rene'
Prosser
WA
USA
4309 Posts |
|
|
harmonyfarm
True Blue Farmgirl
785 Posts
Debbie
Southeastern
Ohio
USA
785 Posts |
Posted - Mar 18 2009 : 11:06:11 AM
|
I only keep plugged in...
a chest freezer
a refrigerator
2 alarm clocks
an answering machine
washer and dryer....everything else is unplugged until it is used.
Since the weather is getting warmer, I'll soon be unplugging the dryer also...can't wait to see how that effects the bill....
Debbie
"If you can't find the time to do it right...how will you find the time to do it over" |
|
|
|
babysmama
True Blue Farmgirl
931 Posts
Elizabeth
Iowa
931 Posts |
Posted - Mar 18 2009 : 1:21:21 PM
|
That's great! BZut I thought it only affected items that go into sleep mode or have a light on. For example, if a light is shut off it is not using any electricity at all. Anything with a small light on at all times (like my tv) or anything with a clock (like the stove and microwave) always use a little power but things that can shut completely off light a lamp or dryer shouldn't be using any power when they are turned off, right?
-Elizabeth |
|
|
|
Montrose Girl
Farmgirl Legend/Schoolmarm
1360 Posts
Laurie
Montrose
CO
1360 Posts |
Posted - Mar 19 2009 : 11:35:24 AM
|
The tv and dvd palyer are huge energy consumers. Also make sure not to leave the cell phone charger, or any charger unless you are using it plugged in. My electric bill is usually less than the monthly coop charge I get.
Best Growing |
|
|
|
MagnoliaWhisper
True Blue Farmgirl
2817 Posts
Heather
Haysville
Kansas
USA
2817 Posts |
Posted - Mar 19 2009 : 1:39:43 PM
|
For alarm clocks we are switching to wind up so we don't use electric with them, and for dryer we live in a small NYC apartment no where to dry outside, but Bed, Bath And Beyond had white wire drying racks, that don't take up near the space of the accordian style ones, and you can get many more clothes on them then the accordion ones. It has three tiers, works great! We've been using them for two years now. We have a couple of cheap accordion ones, that we keep on hand for the rare times when we need a extra rack. Answering machine, if you have magic jack or vonage, you don't need a machine, the phone messages go to your email! I like that better any way as we never listened to the machine, but I open almost all my email so it's easier that way.
http://www.heathersprairie.blogspot.com |
|
|
|
KD Earthwork
True Blue Farmgirl
210 Posts
Katie
Gualala
Calif.
USA
210 Posts |
Posted - Mar 20 2009 : 07:28:34 AM
|
That's how you live "Off the Grid" all the time.We put everything into power plugs then always switch them off when leaving.We just removed a large TV 20" and only used 5watts instead of 45watts a day.Different appliances have huge differences.One 20"TV can draw 500w another 20w.There doesn't seem to be any sense to this.If you try to buy a range for new house they all "plug in" plus often even if it's gas it has an electric fan in oven or something for an electric ignition.Most people just use old stoves they work great and don't need to be plugged in.
I tried to get our electrician to put all the plugs in a room on a separate switch so we could just turn that off when we left a room.He didn't understand.This would be a great idea for kitchen counters one swith that turned all those plugs off.Also florescent bulbs are a huge savings instead of a 60watt bulb it uses 6watts.Even small night lights can use too much power.We have one by our bed and I always remind my husband that it uses 25w not the six watt of the overhead lamp.They even make decrotive floescent bulbs.Oh, also dimmer switches pull constant power, I'm not sure how much.
Katie |
|
|
|
KayB
True Blue Farmgirl
540 Posts
Kay
Del City
Oklahoma
USA
540 Posts |
Posted - Mar 20 2009 : 11:08:51 AM
|
Do you have to unplug or can you just turn off the strip they're attached to? I had been told that you can do that to save power. But if it takes unplugging the power, strip, then so be it.
Life's a dance you learn as you go |
|
|
|
MagnoliaWhisper
True Blue Farmgirl
2817 Posts
Heather
Haysville
Kansas
USA
2817 Posts |
Posted - Mar 20 2009 : 2:53:05 PM
|
Turning off the power strip should do it, that's why there is power strips, so that it protects your stuff from being fried during a electric storm-turning the power completely off to that appliance. I believe most strips have insurance/warrenty if they don't.
Hmm, I can't remember much of this from school Katie, but maybe if you had used the electrical term, I'll have to ask my husband, but that I believe would of been called a parallel circuit that you wanted installed....if you can get some one to install it for you maybe if you tell them that they would understand.
IF you live off in the country out of city codes........you could possibly ask a high school tech teacher if he has a good student he could reccomend to you to come do the work for cheap. that's what we did when we had a home way out in the boonies......a friend of mine was taking it in votech in high school, we only had electric in one room! lol He came out and finished it. lol Since we were under no city codes it was fine. He did well and we never had a fire, my parents used what he put in for another 20 years before leaving that house!
And we did like it being a parallel circuit, that's what he put in for us, we just turned off one switch and it turned off all electric to the rest of the house, except for the one room that was already electrified, which we wouldn't of wanted to do that any way in there, since that was the kitchen-fridge! lol hahaha But.....our electric was get this.........11 dollars a month, and my mom used to complain! lol hahaha Seems funny now! We had a wood burning oven thankfully for cooking and heat and never had gas for anything. Of course we didn't have running water either! (a hand pump well was all we had, outside!)
http://www.heathersprairie.blogspot.com |
|
|
|
KD Earthwork
True Blue Farmgirl
210 Posts
Katie
Gualala
Calif.
USA
210 Posts |
Posted - Mar 25 2009 : 6:53:28 PM
|
| Wow, Great way to grow up.Thanks for the tip. Unfortunatly walls get closed in,hard to redo electrical lines...See what we can comfortably live with? People think they all have to have it the same,3bedroom,3bath 2300sq.ft.plus...It's one of the things I find inspiring about Mary Jane's books and Magazine is examples of alternative,comfortable living,even beautiful. |
|
|
|
Maryjane Lee
True Blue Farmgirl
2195 Posts
Maryjane
CA
USA
2195 Posts |
|
|
kpaints
True Blue Farmgirl
1564 Posts
karen
cheney
wa
1564 Posts |
|
|
Contrary Wife
True Blue Farmgirl
2164 Posts
Teresa Sue
Tekoa
WA
USA
2164 Posts |
Posted - Mar 26 2009 : 06:41:43 AM
|
If things like your toaster have lights that stay on, yes, unplug them. I unplug all my appliances, which aren't a lot cause I'm not a gadget kinda gal.
Teresa Sue
Farmgirl Sister #316
Planting Zone 3
"Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly." The Dalai Lama |
|
|
|
farmgirl blessings
True Blue Farmgirl
777 Posts
Lea
TN
777 Posts |
|
|
Mikki
True Blue Farmgirl
1510 Posts
Mikki
Austin
Indiana
USA
1510 Posts |
|
|
nampafarmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
494 Posts
Kim
Nampa
ID
USA
494 Posts |
Posted - Mar 26 2009 : 3:12:20 PM
|
I am going to unplug as well. I would be able to cut my normal bill by over 1/2. Debbie, I am curious,what is your normal bill before yu got 'unplugged'?
Kim
Farmgirl Sister # 302 |
|
|
|
harmonyfarm
True Blue Farmgirl
785 Posts
Debbie
Southeastern
Ohio
USA
785 Posts |
Posted - Mar 31 2009 : 07:52:59 AM
|
27 years ago, our electric bill was $35.00 a month. Now it ranges from $85.00 a month to $119.00 a month depending on the weather an whether we're using space heaters and heat tapes. But by unplugging we saved $49.00 a month...I'm so looking forward to see what difference there will be when I unplug the dryer for the summer....
"If you can't find the time to do it right...how will you find the time to do it over" |
|
|
|
harmonyfarm
True Blue Farmgirl
785 Posts
Debbie
Southeastern
Ohio
USA
785 Posts |
Posted - Apr 04 2009 : 11:40:46 AM
|
ok, the "unplugging" is going very well. I'm getting used to plugging things back in to use them, but I still cannot believe the savings. Speaking of savings. We turned off all the pilot lights on our gas cookstove and now light the burners with a camping lighter. We are saving 71 cents a day in propane costs by doing this. I know that doesn't sound like much but if you do the math...that's $259.15 a year....I keep scratching my head trying to figure out other ways to cut back. Today was a great day to hang out laundry...windy and warm. Looking forward to seeing how much not using the dryer will be on a future electric bill.....anybody got any other cost cutting ideas?
Debbie
"If you can't find the time to do it right...how will you find the time to do it over" |
|
|
|
Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
|
| |
Across the Fence: unplugging pays off! |
|
unplugging pays off!
