electric bill

[Guest]

To keep electric bills low, these are some of the tips we have used

for the last nineteen years.

Install ceiling fans!!!

 (unless you are in a rental- then just use room fans) choose fans

with the SWITCH that reverses fan blade direction to take advantage

of the scientific fact that heat rises, and cold sinks (whether it is

in liquids, solids, or gasses). In the summer, just having the air

movement feels cooler, so set the fans at their highest speed

setting. If you have air conditioning, set the switch so that the

blades pull the air up from the ground and into the fan. Because

cold air sinks, this will draw the cooler air conditioned air up and

mix it with the warmer upper air, making the entire room feel

cooler. Fans on high speed in every large room can make the house

feel as much as 5 to 10 degrees cooler, so you can set the thermostat

5 degrees higher and still enjoy more comfort, with less electricity

being used on air conditioning. The ceiling fans use much less

electricity than either a heat pump or air conditioner

 In the winter, set fans at lower speed, and switch the fan blade

direction so that the warm air (heat rises, cold sinks) that collects

at the ceiling is pushed down to where you are, so you don’t have to

turn the thermostat up as high. If you use a wood stove or wood

stove insert in a fireplace, ceiling fans or room fans can be used to

push the warm air throughout the house.

Heavy insulated curtains or shutters-

 These can make a HUGE difference in your electric bill as well as

your comfort level in the house. Keep them closed during the hottest

part of the days in the summertime, and on cold days unless the

windows let sunshine in to warm the house. The first time I put

these up, I was shocked that the cold breezes that always seemed to

blow across the floors finally stopped, and I was comfortable for the

first time in the winter. I did not have air conditioning back then

either, so they made a HUGE difference in keeping the indoor

temperature cool in the summer also!

Switch to energy efficient light bulbs-

 Compact fluorescent bulbs fit standard size light bulb sockets and

provide more light for a fraction of the energy expended and can be

purchased in various light colors. (make sure to read directions-

some cannot be used in enclosed light fixtures.)

Clean or replace your furnace or air conditioner filter every 30

days!

 A plugged filter makes the furnace or a/c work harder and longer,

as well as causes extra wear and tear that causes them to break down

sooner.

Unplug appliances when they are not in use!

 When the US was suffering from power shortages a few years ago,

Idaho Power Company sent all subscribers a newsletter that explained

that all appliances that are plugged in use a small amount of power

even when they are not turned on, and recommended that they all be

unplugged when not in use.

 Use smaller televisions, and turn them off when not in use. The

bigger they are, the more power they use, and they heat up

contributing to the need for the air conditioner to run more.

 Do not run the clothes dryer too long, and choose the temperature

most appropriate for the fabrics of the clothing you are drying.

Example: perma-press and synthetic fiber clothing need a lower

temperature setting to appear their best. Even cotton t-shirts look

less wrinkly when dried on a lower temperature. If you hang them up,

you do not need them to be comletely dry, and they will look much

smoother and neater if hung up when they are approximatley 95% dry.

 Get rid of the extra freezer or refrigerator if possible unless it

is an energy efficient appliance. I found that as much as $25.00 a

month in power can be drawn by these extra appliances. If you need

to keep the extra fridge or freezer to keep your food budget down,

remember to keep the freezer full. A full freezer retains its’

coolness better with less energy. Even if you have to freeze milk

jugs of water that are only ¾ full to allow for the expansion of the

ice, it saves electricity.

Summertime-

 To save the most money, of course you can do without air

conditioning. Having a shady porch or screened porch can be a great

way to escape the heat, as can deciduous shade trees which shade the

house in the summer when they have leaves, but when they drop their

leaves in the winter allow sunshine to warm the house. There are,

however, many people with health problems who MUST use air

conditioning if they want to remain alive, so – remember that many

elderly or people with chronic health problems waves die every year

during heat. If you fit into those categories, please do NOT stop

using your air conditioning. For everyone else, during the daytime,

never turn the Air Conditioning thermostat to lower than 75 degrees

if you can help it. Only if it is physically impossible to sleep at

75 degrees, experiment with turning the temperature down one degree a

night below 75 until you are able to sleep well enough to work the

next day. Obviously the higher you keep the thermostat set, the less

money you will spend on electricity for air conditioning.

 If you live in a dry climate, install a swamp cooler which adds

moisture to the air, cooling it down. If you live in a moist

climate, install a dehumidifier

 Wear lighter weight clothing to sleep in, and remember that cotton

sheets that breathe, or woven satin sheets feel cooler than flannel

sheets and blankets in summer. The same holds true for comfortable

sleepwear in hot weather.

 Cook dinner in the microwave instead of heating up the house with

the big oven. Some countertop microwave/convection ovens can be

purchased relatively inexpensively and are not only a quicker way to

cook, but save energy, as well as not heating the house as much on

hot days, so the A/C doesn’t have to run as much. I found a

Tupperware Stack Cooker for $5.00 at a garage sale, and it is a great

way to cook 3 things all at once.

 When boiling water or pasts, put a lid on the pot. It holds the

heat in so it gets hotter faster, with less energy because the heat

cannot escape, so it builds inside the pan quicker.

 Turn hot water heater down 10 degrees if at all possible (if you

use a lot of hot water, this may not be okay. Also check your

dishwasher manual to make sure it will still be able to function

properly with cooler water. Some dishwashers heat their own water,

others need hot water from the hot water heater.)

 Hang laundry out to dry if you have time and a place you can do

it. If you live in a subdivision with a Homeowner’s Association and

have rules or even city laws against hanging laundry outside, use a

folding rack inside the house to let the clothes dry. As moisture

evaporates out of the clothes, it can also help cool the air a

little, just like a humidifier.

 Schedule your baking so that you only have to heat the oven once-

if you are making muffins and cookies, fix them one right after

another, so you don’t have to heat the oven up twice.

Wintertime-

 Keep the thermostat set for 65 daytime and if you like it colder at

night, set it for 60 (or what actually works for you).

 You can always wear flannel or sweat-type fabric pajamas, and/or

use more blankets at night, and wear a sweater during the day to

remain comfortable indoors.

 Hot chocolate and warm soups and stews also make your body

temperature stay up, so you can actually ENJOY these foods and

beverages without having to strip down to summer clothing after you

eat!

 Dress in layers so that you can adjust your clothing throughout the

day depending on your activity level, since more activity leads to

higher body temperature.

 If using wood-burning fireplace or stove or stove insert to heat

home, clean your chimney EVERY year to avoid house fires, or use CSL

logs to dry out chimney-fire causing creosote and tar buildup. (the

ad just ran on tv as I was posting regarding wood-burning home

heating, so I was actually able to remember what it was called!)

[Author]

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