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punisherthunder
Guest
Anyone here have a sizeable house? If so, what are some of the ways you keep your electric bill low?
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pensmama87
Guest
In our state we can switch providers, which is really helpful. I check typically in December and May.
Our heat is natural gas, but in the summer we set the A/C a bit higher - about 78. We close the vents in the basement since the cold air stays down there anyway. In the summer I’ll also line dry clothes.
We also keep pretty much everything unplugged when it’s not in use, the only exception being our computer and lamps. But small appliances stay unplugged.
As our old bulbs burn out I’ve been replacing them with LEDs. I like them more than CFLs and they last longer. During the day we almost never have any lights on - natural light is enough.
Our heat is natural gas, but in the summer we set the A/C a bit higher - about 78. We close the vents in the basement since the cold air stays down there anyway. In the summer I’ll also line dry clothes.
We also keep pretty much everything unplugged when it’s not in use, the only exception being our computer and lamps. But small appliances stay unplugged.
As our old bulbs burn out I’ve been replacing them with LEDs. I like them more than CFLs and they last longer. During the day we almost never have any lights on - natural light is enough.
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Rosebud77
Guest
Hot water bottles!
I use as little heating as I can and in winter light the range and cook on that instead of using electricity,
Like many older folk I aim to keep one room warm enough
It is a matter of thinking as other posters say.
I use as little heating as I can and in winter light the range and cook on that instead of using electricity,
Like many older folk I aim to keep one room warm enough
It is a matter of thinking as other posters say.
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Monte_RCMS
Guest
Gradual improvements.
House was built 40 years ago without proper sealing around the sill plate. So cold air in winter was flooding in. An electrician who was fixing major problems had to quit because his hands locked up from the extreme cold. So we sealed the sill plate area with a piece of 2x6 wood. And caulking. Also used that spray caulk … Great Stuff … around the basement windows. Took like six cans!
There was water leaking in. There was a sump pump … BUT IT WAS NOT CONNECTED. So we connected it!
Replace the normal living room and kitchen light bulbs we use all the time, with LED’s. A little at a time; a few at a time. When I get discount coupons in the mail. LEDs use about one tenth of the electricity of a regular light bulb. Spread it out over a couple of years.
Got a letter from the company that has the service contract for our heat pump. It is ancient and the house is cold all winter. So they offered a discount to replace it and we invited them to take a look and gave us a price to replace it and to include a propane burner. I said I loved the proposal but the price was high and counter offered with a much lower price. [Basically, they priced in a bunch of warrantees and I suggested they could offer the warrantees for free … which they did after they called the factory and got support from the factory.] So, we no longer have to cut firewood in winter. Yay. And the house is warm.
The new heat pump is much more powerful and very quiet. No more vibration.
What has happened is that the electric company, instead of merely reading our meter, sends two guys and a pickup truck over every month to inspect the meter to make sure we are not bypassing it. We are saving about $100 per month in electricity. Save $200 per month in winter. AND no more use of the wood stove.
There are some cracks where the ceiling joins the exterior walls, and I want to caulk them. The cracks allow cold air in.*
House was built 40 years ago without proper sealing around the sill plate. So cold air in winter was flooding in. An electrician who was fixing major problems had to quit because his hands locked up from the extreme cold. So we sealed the sill plate area with a piece of 2x6 wood. And caulking. Also used that spray caulk … Great Stuff … around the basement windows. Took like six cans!
There was water leaking in. There was a sump pump … BUT IT WAS NOT CONNECTED. So we connected it!
Replace the normal living room and kitchen light bulbs we use all the time, with LED’s. A little at a time; a few at a time. When I get discount coupons in the mail. LEDs use about one tenth of the electricity of a regular light bulb. Spread it out over a couple of years.
Got a letter from the company that has the service contract for our heat pump. It is ancient and the house is cold all winter. So they offered a discount to replace it and we invited them to take a look and gave us a price to replace it and to include a propane burner. I said I loved the proposal but the price was high and counter offered with a much lower price. [Basically, they priced in a bunch of warrantees and I suggested they could offer the warrantees for free … which they did after they called the factory and got support from the factory.] So, we no longer have to cut firewood in winter. Yay. And the house is warm.
The new heat pump is much more powerful and very quiet. No more vibration.
What has happened is that the electric company, instead of merely reading our meter, sends two guys and a pickup truck over every month to inspect the meter to make sure we are not bypassing it. We are saving about $100 per month in electricity. Save $200 per month in winter. AND no more use of the wood stove.
There are some cracks where the ceiling joins the exterior walls, and I want to caulk them. The cracks allow cold air in.*
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punisherthunder
Guest
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twf
Guest
Depends where your power use is. If you’re using a lot of AC, there are usually strategic times to open windows to let in cool air, while closing all windows and blinds in the heat of the day.
Don’t have that problem myself. As we live in Vancouver where the average house goes for $1.5 million, we live in an apartment and have minimal power use. Never use heat during the winter either- seems to be enough heat coming from other units. (And of course it helps that Vancouver doesn’t get that cold).
Don’t have that problem myself. As we live in Vancouver where the average house goes for $1.5 million, we live in an apartment and have minimal power use. Never use heat during the winter either- seems to be enough heat coming from other units. (And of course it helps that Vancouver doesn’t get that cold).
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pensmama87
Guest
I love living in a place with four seasons, but milder weather does have its perks!
I know where we live, using A/C like that is not recommended because it’s so humid here in the summer. If you open your windows, you let all the wet air in. In dryer areas it may be OK. We do try to avoid turning it on at all until June, and then turn it off hopefully in September (though we end up with a few really warm nights that way!)
I remember when we lived in an apartment building with a lot of units. The heat was building controlled, though in theory we could turn it up, down, or off in our unit. We had it turned off and it was still up around 85 degrees most days - unless we cracked a window. I felt terrible for doing it, but I didn’t really feel like roasting in my own bedroom.
The landlord didn’t see any need to fix it, either. 
Oh, as far as appliances go, if you have an electric oven, you can try as much as possible to cook multiple things at one time rather than turn it on several times throughout the day. Slow cookers also don’t need much power.
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Kay_Cee
Guest
I air dry things whenever possible.
I air dry my hair after shampooing. I air dry my dishes (some dishwashers come with a switch to turn off the electrical drying), and I air dry my clothes on a clothesline.
Actually, I have a gas clothes dryer, but switching to a clothesline when possible dropped my gas bill about $70 a month.
You can also unplug appliances not in use, like blenders, toasters, and radios.
Hope this helps!
I air dry my hair after shampooing. I air dry my dishes (some dishwashers come with a switch to turn off the electrical drying), and I air dry my clothes on a clothesline.
Actually, I have a gas clothes dryer, but switching to a clothesline when possible dropped my gas bill about $70 a month.
You can also unplug appliances not in use, like blenders, toasters, and radios.
Hope this helps!
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FollowChrist34
Guest
Where I live electricity is the most expensive kind of heat - gas and oil are cheaper. My house has a gas furnace.
But in general terms - we can pick up a lot of tips from the 19th century. Nobody had central heating, except the very rich near the end. That is why you see the drawings of the man in the skull cap and shawl in bed or sitting by the fire. The room he is in is probably about 55 degrees (lower at night).
I don’t try to keep the whole house comfy enough to walk around barefoot and in a tshirt/shorts. I just warm certain areas where people are, living room, computer/office, bedroom. Dress warmly. Another easy one that really works is shutting all doors (not all of the way - leave a crack open for air flow) that you can. I also have good luck with oil heaters, which I run near where I am at set on low or medium temperatures. But you have to watch them, they can be dangerous, fire hazard. Keep them away from all objects (check regularly), drapes, rugs, pillows, furniture. Plus expensive in terms of electricity. But in my case, they actually reduce the central heating (gas furnace) coming on by almost half - I would say even with the extra $25-30 a month on electricity, they save me about $100-200 on heating costs in total for the winter months… again I do run them at the lowest possible level I can stand though. When I get up and go into the kitchen or bathroom I notice the drop in temperature, but the areas where I spend time are very comfortable. When I get on the bus in the morning sometimes it feels like a sauna compared to where I have been. I am not used to highly heated areas; they feel kind of intense, not necessarily pleasant.
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Monte_RCMS
Guest
Primary heat was the ancient heat pump.
But, however, below 40º, it didn’t really work and an electric resistance heater took over. VERY EXPENSIVE!
So, we used the living room ceramic wood stove.
The house had three ADDITIONAL wood stoves! They have house fires all the time here.
With a couple of Sterling engine fans, the living room wood stove kept the place at 90º!
In two years, we burned every dead tree and tree branch with 100 feet!
So, the new heat pump [WITH automatic super high efficiency propane burner … and special chimney] is a GODSEND!
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Katherine438
Guest
The main thing that has made a huge difference in my electric bill is the new insulation that was used in my home when they were fixing it after Superstorm Sandy … they used blown in insulation … the house has never been warmer and my bills have taken a big drop.
An idea that we used before the house was damaged was putting in a gas-fed heater in a part of the house … it keeps that part of the house warm without having to increase the temperature in the house.
An idea that we used before the house was damaged was putting in a gas-fed heater in a part of the house … it keeps that part of the house warm without having to increase the temperature in the house.
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jeannetherese
Guest
I don’t heat during sleeping hours unless the temperature is approaching freezing and I’m watching out for my water pipes. If I do need to heat at night, I set the thermostat to 50.
In the morning, I plug in a small stand-alone heater on my bathroom counter, and warm the room while making coffee. I unplug this heater before leaving for work.
I never heat the house when I am away from home unless it is freezing outside; then, I keep it at 50.
So the only time my furnace gets a work out, it when I come home at night and this will warm the house enough for residual heat to keep me comfortable until bedtime.
Like others, the vampires stay unplugged (although I sometimes forget the microwave). Mom and dad taught me to turn off the lights when leaving a room and this became a life-long habit. I’m working my way towards emptying and extra fridge/freezer and will unplug it when it’s empty.
I oftentimes cook larger quantities of a meal course and then can reheat quickly without using lots of electricity. Stove and dryer doors are left open for a short time after using to draw excess heat into rooms.
I always clean my self-cleaning oven in the winter to put the heat generated to double use.
If I’m using my woodstove, I’m home for the day, and laundry is on a clothes rack to dry and maintain adequate moisture in the house.
Good luck!
In the morning, I plug in a small stand-alone heater on my bathroom counter, and warm the room while making coffee. I unplug this heater before leaving for work.
I never heat the house when I am away from home unless it is freezing outside; then, I keep it at 50.
So the only time my furnace gets a work out, it when I come home at night and this will warm the house enough for residual heat to keep me comfortable until bedtime.
Like others, the vampires stay unplugged (although I sometimes forget the microwave). Mom and dad taught me to turn off the lights when leaving a room and this became a life-long habit. I’m working my way towards emptying and extra fridge/freezer and will unplug it when it’s empty.
I oftentimes cook larger quantities of a meal course and then can reheat quickly without using lots of electricity. Stove and dryer doors are left open for a short time after using to draw excess heat into rooms.
I always clean my self-cleaning oven in the winter to put the heat generated to double use.
If I’m using my woodstove, I’m home for the day, and laundry is on a clothes rack to dry and maintain adequate moisture in the house.
Good luck!
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punisherthunder
Guest
It’s the opposite with me. Propane prices are so high! They quoted me $4.22 a gallon and I have a 500 gallon tank. To me, a woodburning fireplace is where it is at.
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Rau
Guest
Most modern appliances use extremely little power when connected but switched off on the appliance or in a standby state. So yes, this will save a tiny amount of money but it is the least effective of the money-saving ideas.
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bitterhope
Guest
Here too. Propane is outrageous!
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pensmama87
Guest
You’re probably right. It’s a habit I learned young and it doesn’t seem like much extra work to me to just go ahead and unplug the coffeepot after it’s done brewing. I don’t use the timer function on it anyway.
Part of it too is that so many of those things have lights. The lights may not use a lot of energy, but they are annoying, especially if they blink.
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Catholic1954
Guest
We put in a white roof. It’s 10-15 degrees cooler in the Summer.
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Rau
Guest
You have just given me an idea how to persuade my wife to replace our black car with (say) a white car. Petrol savings through less need to use the aircon!
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pensmama87
Guest
Oh, yes! We replaced our roof this summer too - went from a dark red to a very light gray. It definitely made a difference. And we have an attic fan that runs as well. Fans on low can also help circulate air to minimize the need for A/C. You’re running more things, but you can use less energy overall. Definitely worth it to check the numbers, though.
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E_7
Guest
Use Energy Star appliances.
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