So we are looking to cut our electric bill....

[ejpoeta]

Now, my husband is just finishing up redoing the roof. I can hear him banging away as we speak. He is putting a roof vent on the peak where it was all closed up before. We did not realize how much air flow affected the temperature in the house until he opened up the roof. It was so hot outside most of last week, yet it stayed relatively comfortable in the house. So bob bought a roof vent and we think this will decrease our need for air conditioning in the summer and might even help with heating in the winter.

We also (look at me.... I didn't do it but my husband did) installed two solar tubes. We already have a skylight in my bathroom which gives us lots of light so we hardly ever have to use artificial light in there. So my husband put one in the kitchen and in the other bathroom. We hope this will cut down on our need for artificial light in those two areas.

Now we are looking for other ways to save on our energy usage. We have CFLs in every place we can possibly put them already. I would love to get some LED lights but they are just too expensive!! Wondering at something we could put in our dining room lights that can be dimmed and put in enclosed fixture.

What other things could we do. I told my husband to put a clothes line outside and I will hang clothes. I used to hang clothes a long time ago but the line had been taken down and we never got around to putting one back up. I am sure there are other things. I wish we could afford solar panels or something to help.

[NMDemDist2]

1. power strips

use power strips to turn off electronics as they tend to stay on 'standby' and eat power even when not in use

i also have sheer curtains in all the southern windows so i still get light but it cuts down on the glare and heat gain

sounds like you're off to a good start!! you may want to check with your utility company website, they often offer an interactive page to make even more suggestions

:hi:

[ejpoeta]

4. thanks!! i want to put something on the one side of the house windows

because it is usually when the sun comes over the house in the afternoon and comes in through the windows it really gets hot in the house. I thought maybe some roman shades or something. and i told my husband about the smart power strips that will shut stuff off associated with the tv when you turn it off. But definitely just shutting off the power strips would probably help a lot right now. we hardly have the living room tv on as it is and could probably stand to keep it unplugged except when we are using it.

[Warpy]

8. That's the one power strip I don't turn off

because it takes about 5 minutes for the satellite system to boot up from a cold start. I do turn off all other power strips with electronics like computers and music gear. I live with CFLs and use an LED headlamp when I'm going into another room just to fetch something, rather than bothering to turn the lights on.

Why yes, I'm a miser!

[NEOhiodemocrat]

5. I second the use of power strips for energy savings

i saw this more than a year ago on here and was amazed at how much electricity it saved. My bill really went down. I use one on all the computer components, another on TV and all the accessories for it. Unbelievable savings with just those two areas taken off the stand-by usage. I recommend it to everyone!

[supernova]

2. Do laundry and dishes at off peak hours

I often set the dishes to wash while watching TV in the evening... ditto the laundry. In the summer, if it's convenient you can set up a clothes line or dry big items like bedspreads outdoors.

A/C - I have a heat pump and the past couple of years, I've set it to run only during the hottest part of the day. late evening and early morning I find I can do without it, except during the most oppressive summer days.

Make sure your water heater is insulated. That will keep it from coming on so much to maintain temp. Oh and set it to 120 degrees. it's still hot enough for dishes and laundry and no one will get scalded.

[ejpoeta]

3. i tend to try to run the dishwasher at night when i go to bed.

that is not always the case, but generally that is my goal. never thought about doing the laundry at night.... it usually takes me all day to do laundry as i want to make sure i have enough to do. but i am planning on putting up a clothes line and hanging clothes out to dry. as for the water heater, we have an on demand water heater that only heats the water as we are using it. i am hoping that the roof vent will help with the heat in the house. just replacing the windows has helped a lot!! being able to open windows and let air flow through has been a big help. (we did that a couple of years ago). we will be replacing the doors and screen doors this year as well as replacing siding. i think we are putting wrap around the house to to make it more airtight and block around the bottom. hopeful that will help too. up to now you could feel the air come through the walls. we have a 1996 doublewide on land.

thanks for the great ideas. sometimes you don't think about certain things.

[Kennah]

6. I plan to have our two skylights REMOVED

The heat that leaks out, and up, through them during the winter is very noticeable. I have contemplated solar tubes as replacements, but I'm not sure the increased light would be worth the heat loss.

We replaced the LP siding with insulated vinyl when we bought the house, and that made a huge difference. It was also a huge expense.

CFLs throughout, except for a couple of oddballs, and programmable thermostats on our baseboard electric heating units.

If I ever win the lottery, I'll do a gut and remodel. Spray foam insulation, GSHP, PVs, solar hot water, the works.

[GoCubsGo]

10. I don't think much heat is lost with the solar tubes, if any.

My great aunt and uncle had them in their home in Arizona. They were not much more than a foot wide in diameter, but they provided lots of light, and didn't affect keeping the place cool in the summer. I would install them in my great room if I could afford it. I have a wooded lot, and the back of the house doesn't get much light. The trees do a great job shading the house and keeping it cool, however. I also recommend double- or triple-pane windows when you can afford them.

[trud]

7. various

I don;t know if I lose heat through the skylight I have, but it makes a big difference in not needing lights on in the house and making the stair area seem more open. Mine has a shade, possibly one of those quilted shades could be used in the winter if this is a problem.

The LED lights I have seen have an ice blue light which I find headache-inducing.

[GoCubsGo]

9. Do you have a programmable thermostat?

It makes a world of difference. They are not really expensive, nor are they difficult to install. You can get a good one for under fifty bucks.

[WolverineDG]

11. Mine just paid for itself in the first month

Saw my bill & :wow: it was almost $80 less than last month AND that was with the A/C set at 76! I've since bumped it up to 80, so I wonder what the savings will be next month.

dg

[ejpoeta]

12. we do have a programmable thermostat. don't know how to use it.

i have tried to set it and it didn't seem I set it right. So I gave up. I am home all day. In the winter we have an outdoor wood burner. We have noticed our AC doesn't turn on much except in the afternoon after 1pm. I think if I could put shades on the one side of the house it would help immensely as it is when the sun comes over the house to the other side it glares in the window and heats it up in here. On the other side is woods and lots of trees that provide shade.