Any ideas on ways to reduce my electric bill?

Question

We live in Texas so A/C is a necessisty. Is it cheaper to run window units than central air? We changed all our light bulbs to those new energy savers. I turn off anything I'm not using and only run dishwasher and washer/dryer during off peak hours. Anything I overlooked? Thanks alot for your help, it's greatly appreciated!

Answer 1

get a smaller house
install solar panels
better insulation
sleep in the nude
there are many places in houses that have like 6 lightbulbs (like in my bathroom) you can unscrew 5 of them
energy saving fridge.

lol, im just curious pobept, humans lived without AC for hundreds of years? which hundreds were those?

Answer 2

If the temp gets comfortable outside at night, or at least lower than the inside temp, get a whole house fan. They will pull all the cooler air into the house and vent the hot air out the attic vent, including the heat built up in the attic. Then you can run the A/C for awhile instead of non-stop.

When my A/C went out and I had wait a week for the repair during the heat of summer (100+) I hosed off the roof, and opened the garage door to vent off the heat build up in those areas. It worked.

I don't like stiff clothes-line dried laundry, but in summer I do "pre-dry" on a line, then while still damp run them through the drier. It cuts down drier time by about 2/3.

Ceiling fans are a lifesaver. Also, if you are on your computer a lot but like to listen to the stereo, invest in a good speaker system and sound card and play your music on the computer while you are on there, and cut out using a full stereo system elsewhere in the house.

Clean or replace your central heat/air filter often. I've noticed a huge difference in efficiency when I keep my filters in good shape.

Answer 3

if you can (I'm in Texas too, and totally get the AC bill & the heat) kick your thermostat up to as warm as you can take it. We try to keep it on 78-80 during the day, and then kick it down at night to where we can be cool.

Contact your energy provider for money saving tips as well. If you don't have curtains, get some, only run your washer/dryer (if they are inside) at night, don't use the oven unless you have to (nothing that adds heat to the house).

OH, and those window units will suck you dry! LOL Get rid of them, get them out of your windows too, because they're probably leaking your cool air outside.

Answer 4

it takes less electricity for a quality central ac unit than it does for several window units. besides the seal on the window unit is very inefficient.

decreasing wattage on the lightbulbs is also a help. if you have a bathroom fan, ceiling fan, etc vaccum the dust from the motors. also vaccum the dust from the back and underneath refrigerators and freezers a few times a year to make sure the air is circulating well. if there is dust build up the motor/compressor will have to work harder.

Answer 5

I JUST read that those wall "wart" things (chargers for cell phones, etc that have large block plugs) actually sap just as much energy when you're charging your appliance as when your not!! It can add up to 40% of your electric bill. I usually just leave these things plugged into the wall and connect the appliance into the end as needed. Now I have those things on a power strip and I can just turn the strip off when I'm not using it - let;s see what happens.

Answer 6

just a quick couple of hints that may help you out...
window units vs central air not really the big issue here the issue is that the conditions=ed air needs to remain in the home long enough for you to benefit from it.... yep... evaluate the insulation levels of your home. in addition to the insulation, most heating/cooling occurs through air leakage, it is referred to as infiltration/ex filtration rates or ACH (air changes per hour). get this taken care of first and whatever cooling source you use will operate cheaper and more efficiently. Having an energy audit done of your home is actually one of the most cost effective ways to cut your utility usage, not only to understand what issues you may have but also in recommending measures that would work for your home specifically.
As a final caveat i will tell you that ceiling fans used in conjunction with your heating/cooling systems is one of the most cost effective ways to go,

Answer 7

let me tell you something little girl, AC is not a necessary, it is simply nice to have, people lived with out AC for hundreds of years, so set AC to 80, turn out the lights when not need, that means in the day time, open the windows, wash dishes by hand, keep the refrigerator door closed, dry your clothes on an outside close line, turn off the computer, TV, Stereo!!

Answer 8

Have your meter outside changed to "time of day." Then use your major appliances in off-peak hours. I am sure your electric company can do this for you. Also, you could put a timer on your water heater so it isn't running when you don't need it. These are things we do, but, our electric bill is still ghastly.

Answer 9

first start buy washing your dishes by hand that help saving $$$$ also don't run your air all day only in the night i live in Chicago and it get hot here also and i try to save $$$ also so i have fan when a breeze comes by i try o leave the window opens before going to bed i try to take a nice bath so i don't feel the heat believe me its only 3 month but it gets hot like heck in here specially when you live in a second floor with 5to7 window where the sun is always shinning well good luck..

Answer 10

Don't use the dishwasher and clothing dryer at all!!!! If you want to see what these appliances do to your electric bill. Turn one on... go outside to your meter... see how fast it is spinning. Have someone turn it off and see how much it slows down. Wash your dishes by hand and hang your clothes out to dry.

Answer 11

The window AC unit is more efficient provided that you use it only for one room. If you need to be cool in more than one room then the central air is the better deal.