How can I reduce our household electricity usage?

Question

I want to lower my monthly electrical usage and bill....We don't leave lights on when we're not in a room...and I use slow flow shower heads...we have electric heat/air, water, cooking.....so how can I reduce?

THANKS FOR THE TIPS EVERYONE!

Answer 1

Tips for Your House
Instructions
STEP 1: Install flow restrictors or low-flow showerheads and faucets. STEP 2: Set your water heater to 120 degrees F or "low." STEP 3: Wrap your water heater with a water heater blanket to cut down on water heating costs. STEP 4: Check for and repair any holes in your ceiling, floor, windows, walls, roof, pipes and plumbing. STEP 5: Repair dripping faucets. STEP 6: Wrap heating and cooling ducts with duct tape or mastic sealant. STEP 7: Turn off lights whenever you aren't using them. STEP 8: Close windows when heating or cooling. STEP 9: Replace incandescent lightbulbs with fluorescent bulbs. They provide the same quality and amount of light, but fluorescent bulbs use less energy and last longer. STEP 10: Set the furnace thermostat at 68 degrees F or lower in the winter, and the air conditioner at 78 degrees or higher in the summer. STEP 11: Shut off or turn down automatic appliances when going on an extended trip. Tips for the Kitchen
Instructions
STEP 1: Use the dishwasher only when you have full loads. Set it to 140 degrees F or "normal." STEP 2: Open the refrigerator only when necessary. STEP 3: Clean the refrigerator coils, located in the back or bottom of the refrigerator, regularly. STEP 4: Be sure to defrost refrigerators and freezers before ice buildup becomes 1/4-inch thick. STEP 5: Cook on range-top burners instead of in the oven whenever possible. STEP 6: Plan meals so that you can cook and bake several items at once. STEP 7: Preheat as little as possible. Tips for the Laundry Room
Instructions
STEP 1: Wash clothes only when you have a full load. STEP 2: Use cold water whenever possible in operating the washer. STEP 3: Clean the lint trap in the dryer after each use. STEP 4: Consider line drying laundry instead of using the dryer on warm days.

Answer 2

I've changed my carbon footprint albeit in ways I'd never have expected. Three years ago I was green concious but still left a pretty big print with my SUV and wasteful energy practice. I washed and dried clothes after only one wear, left the A/C on when I wasn't home and I drove my SUV everywhere, even to the corner market. This all changed when my frustration with US politics and predatory comercialism reached a point where I fled the country. Now I live in, of all places, China. Now I dont drive a car, I ride an electric bike. I dont wash my clothes until they need them and I line dry them (no dryers in so China), My new wife has driven home the need for water/power conservation, not out of any green agenda, but rather from a lifetime of being too poor to afford such luxuries. The fact that we can afford it is irrelevant, it's simply not necessary. I've learned the lesson that excessive energy consumption is a cultural disese. Yes, China is the most polluted place I have ever lived. The poor air quality sometime is so bad my eyes burn and the toxic waters have me swearing off fish and avoiding untreated drinking water. Don't blame the common person however, the problem again is a societal one. Deng Xiao Peng told the masses that to be rich is glorious and then he removed any barriers to unscrupulous methods of achieveing said glory. China is rising on the fumes and exhusts from ten thousand factories all dumping unhindered. Maybe the question being asked should be directed at a bigger entitiy. Say governments and mega corporations. The common man is doing what he can.

Answer 3

Have you considered using some of those kerosene heaters that are new and modern for indoor use and shutting down the electric heat? That would surely help in reducing electric bills. Some people think that the fumes would be too much for a family to smell but according to the manufactures, there are no fumes or odors. It is worth checking into.

Answer 4

Get LED or energy efficient bulbs. I prefer the warmth of incandescent bulbs for my reading but outdoor lighting, kitchen lighting, hallway lighting can all be changed.

Make sure your washer/dryer are energy efficient (front loads are more efficient).

Have your computer powered off when you're not using it (or in sleep mode). Same for your monitors.

Make sure you don't have heat leaking through your windows.

Add dimmers. You don't always need as much light as you do. You can open the shades during the day time too.

Make sure your chargers aren't plugged in when not in use. Yes, this is a small amount of draw but studies have shown that this wastes as much as 10-20% of electricity in the US when you combine all the devices together. You may think a charger not charging doesn't draw any electricity but it does.

Since most people won't believe me...
http://archive.chipcenter.com/TestandMeasurement/ed002.html

"Dujari says a typical wall wart, left plugged in with nothing connected to it, wastes from 1 W to 4 W. "If you put your hand on one of these bricks, it feels warm to the touch," he notes. "The wasted energy is converted to heat."

Answer 5

Switch all incandescent bulbs to florescent bulbs. Insulate the hot water pipes and put a hot water tank blanket on the tank. Lower the heat in rooms that are not being used or if it is a central thermostat lower it ti 68 F. Get the house insulated. use te stove only when necessary, use the microwave when you can. When using the air, set it to 74 F.

Answer 6

Honestly, if you google electric energy conserrvation tips you'll get all kinds of answers. Other than that, lower your thermostat to 72 make sure that there aren't any drafts around doors and windows. If doors are seeping cold air you can buy stripping to go around it or just put a towel at the bottom if that's where it's coming in. Check you attic insulation, maybe you can add another layer, that makes a big difference. If you can afford to do it installing independant thermostats for each floor or room in your house makes a huge difference. It will pay for itself in about 2 years. Try to avoid using your oven as much as possible, that uses a lot of energy.

Answer 7

If at all possible ..... get a gas line installed in the house and swith to gas appliances ....

If that is not possible .... as someone said ... you can perhaps install a secondary heat source. An unvented stove or fireplace is a great choice ... look into installed a LPG fireplace . In a strategic pace it could provide a great deal ofheating.

Also ..... consider a woodburning stove .... if wood is plentiful. Lots of times throughout the year in my area .... you will see people discarding tree limbs and cut branches for the trash.

Other alternatives are pellet stoves ..... kerosene heaters .... etc.

BTW ... with a 28% best answer rate .... you're one of the smartest people I know !

Answer 8

I bought some energy saving light bulbs. They look sort of like small flourescent lights but they're not. Look for them at Wal Mart. They cost more than the average light bulb but they last forever and my electric bill was under $100 for two months running and that was with the heat running as well!

Answer 9

Low energy lights, insulate and weather strip, hang clothes instead of using dryer (even if only partially dry then fluff in dryer) turn down hot water tank and put insulation wrap around pipes. Use microwave instead of stove (thaw things in microwave then finish cooking on stove).

Get programmable thermostat so you don't forget to turn down furnace. 40 or 50 degrees when not home (so pipes don't freeze). 65 - 68 while watching TV or on computer - wear socks and sweater or flannel shirt. 60 - 65 while in bed - use blankets and cuddle. Close off rooms and close heat register in rooms not used, only heat what is needed. Use ceiling fans - cheaper than A/C during hot weather and circulates warm air instead of heat rising to ceiling during cold weather.

There are many, many ideas. Ask your electric company for ideas. Some even have free home inspections to help you.

Answer 10

I found out the hard way how much electricity a dryer uses. I was without one for 6 weeks. Our electric bill was reduced by $75.00. So, Now I use it as little as possible. Of course its winter here so that makes it more difficult, but you can still hang a lot of shirts etc.