| Author |
Across the Fence:  What are you doing to cut back?  |
|
|
Sitnalta
True Blue Farmgirl
4208 Posts
Jessica
NJ
USA
4208 Posts |
 Posted - Aug 03 2009 : 1:15:52 PM
|
For whatever reason, electric was insane this month. I am not sure why as we haven't been using the a/c a whole lot. (I leave it set at 80 unless I am out of the house then I bump it up to 90 or whatever the highest setting is so that it doesn't turn on while I am gone.)
Laundry is down to one day a week and even though, I am doing smaller loads sizes, this does make more loads per day. (The washer doesn't do oversized or large loads well.)
We keep the lights off until it gets dark and the only thing that runs all day long is the t.v.
I am stumped as to what else to do to keep this under control.
What are you all doing to hang in there and cut costs until this recession fades??
hugs
Jessie
People are like stained-glass windows.
They sparkle and shine when the sun is out,
but when the darkness sets in,
their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.
www.messiejessie2.blogspot.com |
|
|
willowtreecreek
True Blue Farmgirl
4813 Posts
Julie
Russell
AR
USA
4813 Posts |
Posted - Aug 03 2009 : 1:27:31 PM
|
Just FYI - EVERYTHING that is plugged in is drawing some electricity weather it is on or not! Cell phone chargers are a huge one that people forget about. Other tips to lower you electric is to turn off your computer during the night and to turn off your water heater when you arent using it. We switch ours off after the morning showers and dont turn it on again till the evening.
Farmgirl Sister #17
Blog
www.willowtreecreek.wordpress.com
|
 |
|
|
Cabinprincess
True Blue Farmgirl
682 Posts
Melody June
Athens
TX
USA
682 Posts |
Posted - Aug 03 2009 : 3:08:07 PM
|
I knew our electric charges were going up last summer so we converted our hot water heater and kitchen stove to gas. Though gas is high, it's nothing like electricity. I had the poles out back for a clothes line so I cleaned them up and repainted them a sweet light blue and my son re strung them for me so I can dry on the line. I stopped using the dishwasher and wash and dry by hand. So far we have saved enough that is has more than paid for the stove and hot water heater in just the past 8 months.
I do have a wood cook stove that is not hooked up and has just been for looks in my kitchen. I'm having pipes installed next month and will use it for heat and cooking this winter to now try to cut down on gas costs. My family laughs and says pretty soon I will be living like Ma Kettle. I really don't mind doing things the simple way, but I want to do them because I want to not because our government over spends and I have to.
Oh yes, and bartering instead of buying.
Smiles, Melody June
God's gift to you are your talents, your gift to Him is how you use them. |
|
|
|
marcy jo
True Blue Farmgirl
453 Posts
Marcy
Wawaka
Indiana
USA
453 Posts |
Posted - Aug 03 2009 : 3:37:00 PM
|
Jessie you can put your computer and other stuff that sucks electricity on a surge strip and when your done turn off the surge strip as well as the other things plugged into it. Even when the computer is off it still draws electricity. Anything that has a timer like a coffee pot or microwave with a clock does too. We did this and it really helped. Until DH stays on the computer playing games all night!!! Oh well! Good luck!!
Marcy #257
http://marcysmarket.blogspot.com |
|
|
|
Beverly Gill
True Blue Farmgirl
1114 Posts
Beverly
Marlborough
USA
1114 Posts |
Posted - Aug 03 2009 : 5:18:20 PM
|
change your lightbulbs to the new ones....and as mentioned have nothing plugged into the wall unless you are using it.
Beverly |
|
|
|
nubidane
True Blue Farmgirl
2875 Posts
Lisa
Georgetown
OH
2875 Posts |
Posted - Aug 03 2009 : 6:21:11 PM
|
THis is such a sore spot with me. We have , in the past year, replaced our hot water heater to a smaller, EnergyStar model, which, if hubby & I (only the 2 of us) take a 5 minute shower each on Sunday, runs out of hot water.. SOOO, it is small. Plus we just replaced an old second refrigerator that we use for some adult beverages & holiday extra dishes. We bought a puny little refrigerator(again Energy Star rated) that does a pathetic job at best, in fact, hubby put his weekend brews in a cooler with ice.
Add to that the fact that that we have NO dryer, use NO AC(even though we have it) & heat with wood all winter.
Last months bill was $140. Before the new fridge.
This month!!! $195!!!!!!!! After the new fridge & still no AC. It honks me off big time. Not to mention that we have re-done all of our breaker boxes(this place used to be an artists studio & had some commercial hook ups, so we had to make sure we were not being charged the commercial rate)
Neighbor up the road has window AC units that they run CONSTANTLY & their bill is $120.. I am so mad, I just do not know what to do.
This is just plain bull!
Short of being off the gird, I do everything else know to man to keep our bill down, & still we have a higher bill than people that use energy liberally... I am beginning to think conspiracy(wink) |
|
|
|
laurzgot
True Blue Farmgirl
1673 Posts
Laurie
Alvin
Texas
USA
1673 Posts |
Posted - Aug 03 2009 : 6:27:53 PM
|
We've done might near all of the above. The new lightbulbs are a good investment. We use serge strips and then turn them off. Good luck.
Laurie
suburban countrygirl at heart |
|
|
|
Sitnalta
True Blue Farmgirl
4208 Posts
Jessica
NJ
USA
4208 Posts |
Posted - Aug 03 2009 : 6:52:40 PM
|
Im hearing you Lisa. I just dont get it. Im digging the conspiracy theory.lol
hugs
Jessie
People are like stained-glass windows.
They sparkle and shine when the sun is out,
but when the darkness sets in,
their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.
www.messiejessie2.blogspot.com |
|
|
|
nubidane
True Blue Farmgirl
2875 Posts
Lisa
Georgetown
OH
2875 Posts |
Posted - Aug 03 2009 : 7:09:52 PM
|
Thanks Jessie
I don't mean to sound like a whiner, but I pride myself on being very frugal in the household. & to have the highest bill in the area, while sweating it out on 100+ degree days (not this yr, but last yr for sure) really makes me stop & say WHHATT! |
|
|
|
Bear5
True Blue Farmgirl
13055 Posts
Louisiana/Texas
USA
13055 Posts |
Posted - Aug 03 2009 : 7:57:07 PM
|
I've changed the light bulbs to the new ones. I wash clothes, or at least try to, at least once a week. It's a beginning.
Marly
"It's only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth- and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up- that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had." Elisabeth Kurler-Ross |
|
|
|
Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
|
|
Beverly Gill
True Blue Farmgirl
1114 Posts
Beverly
Marlborough
USA
1114 Posts |
Posted - Aug 04 2009 : 12:45:44 AM
|
Good advice Alee....I agree...something isn't right..I'm not sure if it would be worth your while but the electric company may have a person who can come to your house and go thorough your house and check and give you tips on where you can save even more.
Another way when you think about it is have the refrigerator dial at the right temperature....why use more energy if you don't have to---when your refrigerator is half empty anyway.
Good luck---and remember to unplug things that you are not using.Even the small things.
Beverly
|
|
|
|
dutchy
True Blue Farmgirl
4427 Posts
4427 Posts |
Posted - Aug 04 2009 : 05:07:21 AM
|
The new (to you in the USA) lightbulbs, we have them for years now and they do a wonderful job!
Laundry once a week, I have no AC to that is good. Turn the puter off at night always and often pull the plugs too. Never leave the chargers in longer than needed (just the one on my landline phone). The dvd player is unplugged due to the clock on it. Hardly use the player anyways so why bother with it, lol.
I cook on gas so that is a lot cheaper than electric. Last year I received a hugs amount back, so they lowered my monthly rate. Will see whether I get something back this year. They more than halved it!! I received some 600 dollars! SO payed too much and the lower monthly bill is easier to maintain, lol.
(ps I live alone so that helps too)
Hugs from Marian/Dutchy, a farmgirl from the Netherlands :)
My personal blog:
http://just-me-a-dutch-girl.blogspot.com/
Almost daily updates on me and mine :)
|
|
|
|
nubidane
True Blue Farmgirl
2875 Posts
Lisa
Georgetown
OH
2875 Posts |
Posted - Aug 04 2009 : 05:17:23 AM
|
| THanks for the tips you guys, but we have already had the elctric guys out here several times & they swear everything is OK. We have a brand new meter, & hooked everything up to one box, another $300(there used to be 3 here) & that was supposed to help. Also, as far as them going through the house & looking for tips like keeping windows sound(which are also new), insulation etc, that really should not matter since we do not use the AC or furnace. We use the new squiggly light bulbs. I do not unplug my computer & TV every night, but I know nor do my neighbors. IT is beyond frustrating, & I really do not know what else to do. |
|
|
|
Beverly Gill
True Blue Farmgirl
1114 Posts
Beverly
Marlborough
USA
1114 Posts |
Posted - Aug 04 2009 : 05:57:45 AM
|
Is your house bigger then the house you are referring to?
Do you have kids and they don't? Do you have a freezer....an old freezer? Also, do you stay up later then them and use electricity longer?
I would seriously look into your community and see if there is a global warming group, which in the past I have helped start here in Marlboro.....I would ask their advice on tips. Maybe just maybe could that new refrigerator be a lemon?????And it is using nore energy then it is supposed to?
I am pretty sure that there is a little gadget that you can get at the Home Depot and it goes around and checks everything in your home----how much energy it uses......its about $10.00. Maybe even the electric company would lend you one. Good luck Beverly |
|
|
|
Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
|
|
LauriP
True Blue Farmgirl
239 Posts
Laurianne
Hertford
North Carolina
USA
239 Posts |
Posted - Aug 04 2009 : 06:35:22 AM
|
I try really hard to wash my clothes maybe every 4 days -- not that I'm a washing freak, it's jus' that I don't have that many clothes LOL!! -- But we use very little elec., 'cept this summer with the excessive heat & humidity..it does seem, tho, that the elec. here is just a little cheaper than up in Va. - we never had a bill under $125, an' our highest here was $140 so far. No big elec. things goin' full bore..we have 2 window air units that cool the entire cabin. Use the washer & dryer very little, and have new fridge, so we do what we can to economize.
I heat w/wood in winter, run one fan in the dining room to move the heat around, so that's barely any elec. use. I hate high energy bills, and we do what we can to keep it that way. Oh - the new light bulbs that are energy efficient are, I think, a lot better than the old ones. Yeah, costly at first, but the monthly bills from our elec. Co-Op show that it does help.
This may not help ya'll with some major elec. problems, but it's what we do here.
Laurianne |
|
|
|
Bellepepper
True Blue Farmgirl
1207 Posts
Belle
Coffeyville
KS
USA
1207 Posts |
Posted - Aug 04 2009 : 09:09:06 AM
|
Check your electric bill to see how many killowatts you used and how much $ per killowatt. Could be that you are being charged more for the same or less usage. You think it is bad now, wait until the Cap and Trade bill is passed in the Senate and goes into effect. They say it will raise our electric bills by as much as $3000 a year per household.
Belle |
|
|
|
melanie47601
True Blue Farmgirl
1949 Posts
Melanie
Boonville
IN
USA
1949 Posts |
Posted - Aug 04 2009 : 09:55:53 AM
|
I am slowly converting to the new bulbs. Those little buggars are expensive so I buy them as the old ones burn out. Awhile back my dryer died so I invested in the new front load energy star washer/dryer set. I wish I could go without the a/c but it's just not happening in this mobile home. But I have trying to make it a point to hose out the coils every other month to keep it running more smoothly. I have also started taking shorter, cooler showers. Something else I did but didn't really think it would have much of an impact on my bill was shut off the pilot light to the furnace. I just got the new bill in the mail. Shutting off the pilot light has saved me almost $7 this month!
Melanie
Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit the floor each morning the devil says "Oh Crap, She's up!"
Blog~ http://wheelsarealwaysturning.blogspot.com/
Swap Blog~ http://mels-swapshop.blogspot.com/ |
|
|
|
Tapestry
True Blue Farmgirl
1223 Posts
Cheryl
Wisconsin
USA
1223 Posts |
Posted - Aug 04 2009 : 10:48:51 AM
|
Belle mentioned the Cap and Trade bill so I hopped on over to the U.S. Senate to check out the bill's status. The first time around it was defeated by a sounding majority in the Senate. A revised version has had a 2nd reading on the Senate floor and is on the calendar for the next session of Congress. I'm going to post the link to this bill here so that all can read and evaluate what they think of this bill. My opinion and my contact to my Senators will be to vote NO on this bill. It is expected from what I read that it will be hugely expensive in the present time as companies scramble to meet the new regulations. Only the poorest people in the top 1/5 of the nation will receive tax credits to help them offset the increased cost of fuel and goods sold. Remember the price of EVERYTHING will rise with this as the cost to ship goods to stores will rise as producers pass costs on to consumers to offset their increased spending to meet these regulations. Single people with no children whose income exceeds $23,000/yrly would not receive the tax credit. Couples with 2 children who earn more than $42,000 a yr. would not receive the credit. While I think we can all agree much needs to be done to make us all more energy conscious and environmentally aware for the sake of our planet and our children right now people are struggling with the current economic crisis and simply cannot afford a program of this size and cost at this time. That's my opinion for what its worth. Here's the link so you can make up your own minds.
It's in pdf format. http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/102xx/doc10262/hr2454.pdf
Happy farmgirl sister #353
Look for rainbows instead of mud puddles
http://fantasm01.imagekind.com/
http://tapestrysimaginings.blogspot.com/ |
|
|
|
prairie_princess
True Blue Farmgirl
613 Posts
Elizabeth
Carpenter
WY
USA
613 Posts |
Posted - Aug 04 2009 : 11:40:49 AM
|
thanks for the link, cheryl. my hubby and i are also frustrated beyond belief with this cap and trade bill.... we've figured that if some of the energy stuff goes through, we'll never be able to sell our house. it was built in 1917 and it will cost as much to get it up to the energy standards within that bill as it will to sell it! luckily, if this is the case, i'm glad we are living where we are if we will indeed be living here forever if we can't sell it...
what i do? have been doing most of this the 3 years we've lived here:
-use clothesline in warm months.... i'm also considering drying clothes inside for the cold months.
-only wash clothes when i absolutely have to... i think i went two weeks this time!
-switched to the energy efficient light bulbs
-only use window swamp cooler and fan at night - i have a routine to keep the house cool during the day... right when i get up early in the morning, close the windows, shades, and turn off fans. it seems to retain the coolness in the house by keeping it dark, so use darker shades or curtains!
- got rid of satellite tv, only use local rabbit ears now and hardly turn on the tv anyway
- only turn on lights after it gets dark... even then, we usually light kerosene lamps since they feel more "romantic"
- besides DH going to work, plan our trips to town (30 miles) to conserve gas... only go grocery shopping once a month
- keep the thermostat set at 63 during the day, 59 during the night in the cold months... to keep warm i will bake and conserve the stove's heat when i can
- we are hoping to get a woodstove this winter and not use the indoor heater... or buy kerosene heaters that will heat a room (found them at the local antique stores and flea markets)
i'm sure there is alot more, but this is what i can think of as of now...
"Only two things that money can't buy, that's true love and homegrown tomatoes."
- Guy Clark
"The man who has planted a garden feels he has done something for the good of the world."
- Charles Dudley Warner |
|
|
|
prairie_princess
True Blue Farmgirl
613 Posts
Elizabeth
Carpenter
WY
USA
613 Posts |
Posted - Aug 04 2009 : 11:43:17 AM
|
oh! i remembered a couple more things...
i've primarily been shopping for clothes at thrift stores for more than two years now... and i LOVE it!!!
swap my cd's and books on paperbackswap.com and swapacd.com. it's amazing how much you can find on there! this is also recycling!
"Only two things that money can't buy, that's true love and homegrown tomatoes."
- Guy Clark
"The man who has planted a garden feels he has done something for the good of the world."
- Charles Dudley Warner |
|
|
| |
Across the Fence: What are you doing to cut back? |
|
What are you doing to cut back?
