Easy ways to save on your power bill - please share yours...

Make ALL indoor lights fluorescent or compact fluourescent. Then when you calculate the cost of kids leaving a light on for 8 hours, you may reallize bitching only makes you angry... Worked for me.

I was planning to switch from oil for winter heat to hydro-electric. I think that will cut my heating costs to 40-50% of oil. BUT I'm looking to cut that cost an additional factor by using a geo-thermal heat pump to heat and cool the house. Cost maybe $15,000 and Fed Gov't in Canada will rebate me a few thousand I think...

My heating bill currently in area of $2,000 per year; perhaps it would be $3,000 next winter with price of oil. So with geo-therm I'm should be able to run it for $1,000 or less per year in electricity (Not sure exactly yet)... Environment friendliness is a nice bonus...

 

Consider the biggest power-suckers you own first.

1. Air conditioning ... tune-up for older units? I don't think it's cost-effective to replace older units until they're dying; the price difference on hi-SEER ones is still too high.

Can you use a whole-house fan, or even ceiling fans, instead, at least some of the time? An attic fan will also help take heat out of your attic in the evening, so it won't continue to radiate into your house.

2. Do you have an extra refrigerator in your (120-degree) garage? If you don't have six kids, you probably don't need one. Freezers are less expensive somehow, as long as you rarely open them.

3. Do you have a swimming pool? I found that mine had a 2-hp motor!! The pool guy said that 1-hp was plenty for my pool. Also there are now variable-speed or some-such motors that are even better, and your utility may give a rebate to switch. Also, how many hours are you running it? Why that many, because you always did? Try reducing, especially in winter if you need to run it then.

4. I'm threatening to get one of those controllers that detect whether anyone is in a room and use it on the (350-watt!!) television. Some days I turn that thing off five times when no one is in the room.

 

Some of mine:

• I don't use digital picture frames. I don't have outlets off of wall switches so I unplug anything not in use.
• I use compact fluorescents everywhere I can.
• My outside garage light is motion activated. It shuts off after a few minutes.
• My outdoor yard lights are solar.
• Unplug anything with a transformer I'm not using.
• Ceiling fans instead of AC.
• I use the microwave instead of the gas oven when possible.
• Insulated attic.
• Installed programmable thermostat
• Installed Photovoltaic system sized for my use so end of year bill should be around.....$0.

 

1. I have an energy saver AC with a timer.

I have an attic fan. I'll be installing more insulation to the roof of the attic. The floor of the attic (ceiling of the house) is already insulated.

2. I have a coffin freezer in the garage to help me in buying in bulk. Replaced my kitchen refrigerator with an energy star. It has the freezer in a bottom drawer rather than the top.

3. No pool.

4. I live alone so I shut off anything when I leave the room. I also walk through the house in the dark at night so I don't have to turn on lights.

 

Pool pump on a timer, only run pump 2 hours per day summer and 1 hour every 2 days in winter.
Solar pool blanket no heater. Aquatain Liquid Pool Blanket used in peak season to reduce heat loss and evaporation and minimise solar blanket handling hassles
All light fitted with compact fluros even downlights and dimmable fixtures
LCD TV rather than plasma
Evaporative air conditioning with draught stopper baffle
Ceiling fans used before air conditioner
Natural gas flueless heater, 5 star rating only in living room
4 star upside down fridge
all fluro lights in garage including in auto garage door openers
no heat unless everyone has a jumper and socks on
Rock wool insulation in all external walls
Recycled paper insulation in ceiling
Automatic shutdown power board on PC equipment. Turns off all except main outlet if main outlet is drawing only standby current http://www.coolgreen.com.au/product.asp?pID=350&cID=27
Switch off ADSL modem over night, this isn't on automatic powerboard to allow wireless access when main PC is off.
Solar garden lights
Dry clothes on a under cover clothes line in courtyard
Hot water heater set to 65 degrees Celsius

Soon I'll have gas boosted solar hot water
Seriously considering an expandable 1kw/H PV solar installation depending on financial position in a few months

 

I have been using the following to figure out what I am paying for:
T.E.D. : Electricity Monitor, Energy Monitor, Power Monitor

Here are some of the unexpected energy draws:

1) Frigging Doorbell - Soon to be pulled.
2) An unexpected TV antenna amplifier in the attic. Previous Owner planned on a TV in every room. Got rid of that heating element.
3) Still trying to figure out why my AC takes 10 Watts when completely off. In the meantime, AC circuit breaker gets opened in non-AC months.
4) Still hunting down some mystery loads on circuit breaker L9B.
5) Automatic Garage Door Opener is a useless draw a lot of the time.
6) Identified biggest lighting draw is in the Kitchen. That will be first area to get LED lighting.

However, at the end of the day, figuring out how to do AC with vastly less power is a moral imperative (here in FL).

 

I have a magnetic induction element that I use for small, single-pot/pan meals. The heat is generated in the cookware itself so very little energy is lost to the environment without getting some work out of it. It saves double since less heat in the house also means less heat that has to be removed by the A/C system (which is set to 79F).

Ceiling fans are great, too. We didn't have to turn on the central air until last week, and I've heard compressors running in the neighborhood for the last month.

 

if you use a dishwasher, turn off the heat dry setting. i also turn it off when it hits the dry setting and open it up to let them air dry overnight. (always at night, too hot during the day and don't want to add to the a/c load)

here's a big one- make sure your dryer vent is clear! in our last apartment, it was very clogged. here it is clear, and the clothes take 1/3 the time to dry. imagine all the wasted energy.

 

Blocked dryers start fires!

 

run ac (need to run b/c of dog with cancer) on power save auto shuts off when reaches desired temp
dry clothes on a line
blinds are closed during the day to keep the heat and sunlight out

 

I've got heat reducing film on the east, south and west facing windows, but I'd like to replace it will better stuff. I also installed an awning over my largest south facing window that has reduced sun (and heat).

I clear the dryer vent on every load. Note: Check the mesh by running some water on it. If it beads up and rolls off, you need to wash it with soap and water as a build up of the dryer sheet chemicals have clogged up the little holes.

I bought a retractable clothes line and will be installing it as soon as school is out.

 

Godiva,

What's you PV capacity? Can you share a few pics?

 

Good ideas, everyone... I use a lot of the ones already mentioned (dry clothes outside, air dry dishes in the dishwasher, fluorescents everywhere, etc.), and have just these two other pointers to add:
- Bathroom strip lights... unscrew every other one (you can leave it in partially so there isn't an empty socket)... our strip has room for 7 bulbs, but even with just 2 fluorescents giving light, there's plenty of light because the mirrors reflect the light, making it seem brighter.
- Install manual on occupancy sensors.. a recent master bathroom remodel required this per code and I'm so glad we have them. I have them set for 1 minute, which is the perfect time for the light to stay on when I get up during the night so I can see to get back into bed, and then the light goes off.

 

i meant the dryer vent to outside... i always clean the lint trap.

 

Solar lights outside, there are even spot light ones.

Last Christmas, I used solar lights on my tree inside; solar panels at window during the day.

 

Insulated the house very very well.
Geothermal for heat/AC with high efficiency furnace as backup.
Those two factors gave us a heating bill this winter of $155 for the whole season (we live in Minnesota).
Lots of south facing windows. On warm, sunny days all shades are down to minimize heating, in winter we leave them open to maximize passive heating.
Combination of CFLs and LED lighting.
All monitors/TVs are flat screen (most LCD) which saves bunches over CRTs.

 

I have quite a few tips for existing homes on my web site. It's biased toward a hot southern climate - Westbrook House See "Existing House Energy Tips."

 

When we remodeled, we put a timer switch on the main bathroom electric heater.
Previous to this, the teens would walk in, crank up the heat, and then walk out, leaving the door open and often the exhaust fan running.

Now, it shuts off after 30 minutes, automatically!

You can get 15 minute timers, or other configurations, too, if this sort of thing would help.