I had a conversation with someone who has an electric bill of over $350 every month for a three bedroom house. Now while this might not seem like much to people with houses, I found a few areas where this person could cut down on the bill. Here are some of the problem areas I found:
- Kitchen light left on all night
- Television left on 24/7 (really!!!!)
- Fans left on all day
- No CFLs in use
- Radio left on all day (when no one is listening to it)
The kitchen lights are left on for ‘extra security’ in addition to that provided by the exterior lights. If these lights were just turned off at night there would be a great saving on the electric bill.
They do not use CFLs because they do not like the dim light that those bulbs produce. I have been using CFLs for a while now (even in the refrigerator!!!!!) and the latest generation of bulbs give great light. It might not be pure white like a regular fluorescent light but it is still quite bright and clean.
The television is left on ‘for the baby’. This is for a child who is not even two as yet and is entertained by her own shadow.
The fans are left on all day because the windows are left open and the air needs to circulate.
I think a few smart choices are needed to help with the energy savings possibilities in this home.
You know I have read a lot of info regarding the fact that babies should not watch TV until they have reached the age of two, something your friend might want to look into.
I completely agree with you on this point but this is a very set in his ways type of individual. He argues that the baby is watching educational programs (I saw that on a few days) but most of the time I have seen the baby ‘watching’ movies on HBO that contain inappropriate language. When I pointed this out..he said the baby does not understand the words. My response was that if she can understand the educational program who is to say she is not processing the foul language from the movies as well….to which there was no response.
Great comment on the improvements with CFL’s. If anyone else gave up on the first generation, take another look. They are brighter, and the “startup time” from flipping the switch to getting light has improved as well.
Also, doesn’t change the consumption level, but if you are in a state that has electric deregulation, don’t forget to check the competition. I’m at 11 cents a kilowatt hour now, and about to switch to 9.5 cents. Nothing to sneeze at.
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wow – that will definitely really eat a lot of electricity.
Technically you don’t really need to turn on the lights at all if you let light in during the day- probably the only time you will need to turn the lights on are maybe for 3 hours these days – right between the time the sun comes down and the time you go to bed.
Another tip on saving electricity is unplugging your appliances like your toaster, rice cooker, even microwave when you’re not using it. Some people like to have their microwaves on because it has the time – but you don’t really need it when you have your cell phone and other clocks you can use that run on batteries.
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I think it’s terrible that they’re leaving the TV on to “entertain” the baby. Be parents for crying out loud. Too much TV at a young age leads to autism. How about actually stay around your child and attend to them.
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I do agree about the television thing but I guess I cannot change his mind. BTW, the wife works outside the home and she does not approve of the baby watching television……but he works from home and allows it.
I know alot of us are guilty of wasting energy, and leaving things on when they should be turned off. I know personally that I leave my computer on 24/7, just for the convenience factor, or when I wake up, I can access my computer fast, and I don’t have to wait for it boot up. I think if we all can make changes and see exactly where we are wasting energy, we’d see some significant cuts in our final electrical bill for sure!
Till then,
Jean
Energy saving bulbs can make a huge difference (use 80% less power). In the uk the electric companies have to give them away free, can you get them in the US?
I totally agree with you here…
It is the ‘smart choices’ which, although seem very little on their own, can quickly add up and save you money!
… Sounds like following your tips would do great for the environment too – double thumbs up! 🙂
I think all of these tips are good, but it is important to remember that the ‘bottlenecks’ are the most important things to look at – mathematically. You could go an entire month without turing a light on, but use the dryer twice more than average and have the bill the same.
I started from the top and looked for ways to use the big things (stove, dryer, washer, Fridge, etc…) less or if possible even replace one or two of them with a more energy efficient model. You could live in darkness without TVs, computers, etc… on and have a decently better bill; but you could have an even better bill and not have to debate over reading in bed at night. Just my 2 cents.
Totally agree. There are lots of easy ways to make smart choices. A lot of them are staring you right in the face. It is just a matter of taking the time to change a bad habit into a good habit! Do a review of your household habits and try to change 1 or 2 habits at a time.
That is crazy. You should unplug all devices that you are not using. I even unplug my microwave when it is not in use. I have a watch, I don’t need the microwave on just for the time. Minimizing electricity use not only saves you money, but also helps the environment.