[OldTinGrl]

Well, it is definitely warming up in Texas and it won't be long before air conditioners will be working overtime. What little things do you do to help keep you electric bill down?

To be honest our last electric bill was very scary for us. Why? Because it was HUGE and we didn't have to use an AC or a heater. Honestly it was compariable to a mid-summer bill. It's all due to inflated fuel costs.

We've been unplugging electronics when not in use. Right now we're keeping our windows open. We turn lights off when leaving a room, we're using energy saver light bulbs, and we've stopped using the overhead lights and turning on a lamp(s). What do you do? What little things help keep that bill down?

Thanks for adding your input.

[sherilynne]

I am changing all my light to the florescent bulbs. I read that changing five will save you 80 bucks a year. So I am changing all of mine to them .It also said that standard light bulbs put off heat that increases your cooling bill.

An old trick my mom did was always cook in the morning instead of the late afternoon when temps are higher. Now to me I always thought why does that make a difference?

I am really interested in the "going green concept.

Thank you to the OP I would love to know the answers also

sherilynne

[BingoRudy]

Hanging clothes on the line instead of using the dryer cuts our bill down tremendously. Sometimes they get a little stiff from the line so then I just put them in the dryer for 5 min. to soften them and get lint off.

[Kmchamplin]

This may sound silly but I don't turn on lights when going to the bathroom at night or the hallway light (too bright for tired eyes) or when I take a shower (usually bright enough outside).

Close ALL shades when it is hot outside. Keep the air conditioning off for as long as possible. Plus who needs the air so cold that you actually have to put a sweatshirt on? Turn the temp up on the air to make it comfortable/tolerable.

[BStroh]

We planted some trees outside the south side of our house. They are finally getting bigger. Hopefully soon they will shade the house so our rooms don't heat up some much on the hot days of summer.
We also hang dry our clothes. Unplug chargers, coffee pots, etc. when not in use. Switch off your computer after use at the power strip.

[TigerGirl1226]

Our bill is stuck at about $250 a month. I know our house is drafty and we are working on it, but it sucks!!

[CM_ANGEL]

:goodpost2:

[lhart24]

I live alone so this may not work for all.. I do a load of laundry in the wash during the night.. then in the morning I toss it in the dryer. It runs while I am not there, so I dont have to tolerate the heat. By the time I return, it has cooled back down.

I also run my ceiling fans a lot to keep cool air moving.. and shut the doors and close the vents to rooms I dont use (second bedroom and bathroom)...

[CM_ANGEL]

Lhart---Just please be careful leaving your dryer on while u r away. That is how many house fires are started.

[NJMom]

We close off vents in rooms we barely use. I found that there was actually a vent in the basement so that one was closed off.

Turn off lights, tv, etc in rooms you are not in.

We got a brand new HVAC system. It's very energy efficient.

We use our ceiling fans a lot.

Change to energy efficient light bulbs.

Use a programmable thermostat.

Like Karen, I don't turn on the light when I use the toilet at night.

Big bay window lets in plenty of light. I have no lights on in my house right now and it's almost 7 pm.

Do only full loads of laundry in cold water.

Seal windows to keep heat in/ cold out (but make sure they can be easily unsealed in case of emergency or fire).

Trees and shrubs all around our house.

[snopea55]

I just saw a commercial last night that said 25% of your electricity is going to appliances that are TURNED OFF but PLUGGED IN !! OMG!! Unplug everything you are not using!!

[mandiedq]

Go to the mall, library, Starbucks (or other air conditioned establishment) or the pool on really hot days.

[QBMOM]

This may not be an option for some, but replacing appliances that are 8 or more years old, will cut your bill dramatically!

[targetaddict]

We're in Florida, and we've had some pretty hot days. I have been trying to keep the A/C off during the day and it's been fairly tolerable most of the day. Surprisingly, it gets the warmest in the house right around 7:30-8pm, which is when I kick the A/C on just for about an hour. I can't tell if it's made much of a difference, but I hope so!

We also started to hang dry about 1/2 of the laundry in the last month. Our most recent bill was $25 less than the month prior, which says a lot since it's getting warmer and warmer here.

Another new (to us) strategy is to reuse our bath towels to reduce the amount of laundry needing done. I like to dry the towels in the dryer b/c I like fluffy towels. I mean, I LOVE fluffy towels. So, it's a good compromise for us.

[slpjlc]

I thought the same thing about leaving the dryer on I always make sure to have everything off when I go somewhere. I am on the budget with ellectirc and its still 200 a month imagine what it would be it I wasnt

[GrannyGodley]

• Laundry your clothes in COLD water. Most of the time cold water and liquid soap will clean the clothes fine. You save on heating the hot water.
• Hang clothes to dry. You can do this inside on coat hangers from the shower rod for small wearables. Use a dryer rack for undies and such. Line dry sheets, etc. outside. Drying clothes inside the house during the winter will generate moisture in the air which makes a lower-set heat more comfortable and also is better for your breathing.
• Use fans to circulate air during the hot weather. You can tolerate a higher set thermostat for your air conditioning if the air is moving. Floor fans, and ceiling fans work for this.
• Avoid eating much sugar during hot weather. Your body converts the sugar into fuel which your body goes into gear to burn. So you start getting warmer.
• During the winter, cook moisture generating soups, etc. to heat the house. Bake to heat the house.
• During the summer, cook large batches that need long cooking. Rewarm quickly in microwave. The pre-cooked meals are convenient and one-cooking time uses th heat for several meals. During hot weather, the one-cooking time heats up only once saving on your AC and also saving on the fuel to cook. Microwaves are great for no-heat cooking.
• Cook up a batch of boiled chicken. Make chicken salad. Freeze meal portions of cooked chicken for other uses - salads, tacos, casseroles, quick-stir frys.
• Remember, to eat cold meals on hot days.
• Eat hot meals on cold days.

[Kmchamplin]

I'm really cringing at the amount of your bills. Our electric bill was only $44 here in MN and it actually went down from the month before (it was $51).

We have a 4 bedroom two level house. So it isn't tiny, but it isn't huge either. I think we have at least 2,000 square feet.

[mpayne]

• I set my washing machine to 6 minutes now, vs the 14 minute cycle we use to just always default to using. I leave the lid open and let the clothes soak a bit before closing it to finish the last bit of agitating and spin/rinse cycles.

• I keep lights off during the day when I'm home. Open the blinds and let natural light in. I rarely need to turn on lights during the day.

• Reusing bath towels. I can't get the whole family to do this just yet, but I have been doing it for years. I use mine at least 3 times, usually, before washing. I hang them up in the bathroom to dry between uses.

• If it ever gets consistently warm/dry here, I will start hanging laundry out to dry. I am also going to invest in an indoor "line" thingie like GG was talking about. I do A LOT of laundry, so I think this would help a lot.

• Only run the dishwasher when it's FULL

.

We are on an equal payment plan with our carrier, so our bill runs about $125/month. That's up from last year about $10/month. I'm going to really try to get it below $100.

[Kmchamplin]

Along with what Mpayne is saying....

Wash the larger bowls or pots to make room for many smaller items in the dishwasher.

Don't let your Dh load the dishwasher as he doesn't know how to load it properly.

I agree on reusing bath towels. Designate a hook for each person in the house for their towels to reuse or have them hang them up to dry in their bedrooms. Think about it...you should be clean once out of the shower and should be able to reuse towels.

[mpayne]

"Don't let your Dh load the dishwasher as he doesn't know how to load it properly."

AMEN!!! Ditto for teenagers.

[OldTinGrl]

Originally Posted by Kmchamplin

I'm really cringing at the amount of your bills. Our electric bill was only $44 here in MN and it actually went down from the month before (it was $51).

We have a 4 bedroom two level house. So it isn't tiny, but it isn't huge either. I think we have at least 2,000 square feet.

Good grief! I'd party like it's 1999 if my bill was $51. Our bill was $271 last month and our house is a little over 2000 sq. ft. Our home is 100% electric, it's new (4 yrs.), we have new appliances (energy saver), and when they were building our home, hub and I went through and insulated between all inner-room walls (so we know our home is well insulated).

My question...how on earth does your bill run so cheap??

Update: Our bill came for this month and it was down to $147..much, much better. It helps that we haven't needed a heater and of course no AC yet.

[JudyJoy]

If you can afford it add insulation to the attic and start adding thermal pane windows. We have my mom's house 1880s era [still in good shape] My daughter and DH are renting. We added three thermal windows on south side. DH was in south side room and said he could feel the wind next to the window. We will save up rent and do the north side next. Our house was $71 for electric and $98 for gas [two dif. companies] 1500 Sq. Feet Aluminum siding and thermal windows. We use a evaporative cooler for cooling as colorado is dry and it costs less tha A.C..

[Kmchamplin]

Our house was built in 1978. We have a refridgerator, two deep freezers (both running and with food in them), a dishwasher (15 yrs old), gas stove, washing machine, gas dryer, 3 TV's (two usually on at night ~ I don't watch hunting shows ), 3 lap tops (all running at night for homework or surfing~ sat outside for 14 hours to get great prices on these ~ DS,12, bought one with his own money), gas for heat (big help), etc.

Maybe it is because we have the stove, dryer and heat running all on gas. But our gas bill wasn't over $75 last month.

I turn off every light possilbe in the house if no on is using them. My DH is the WORST! In the morning he will have on the hallway, bathroom, dining room, kitchen, and staiway lights! He drives me nuts!

They do say that if you are out of the room for more than 1 mintue it is cost effective to turn it off. I watched it on MythBusters.

[lhart24]

Another thing... as I was thinking of this.. re seal around your doors.. Lots of air is leaked out around the outer doors. A roll of the seal stuff doesnt cost much but can cut down on the amount of air in and out of the home...

[lhart24]

Oh and on the dryer thing... Actually it is technically running while I am there (I shower and get ready).. but I dont have to sit in the heat of it the rest of the day... Didnt think of that when I typed it.. but thanks for the advice..

When I leave my house the only thing left on is the ceiling fans to keep air circulating...