Ideas to lower my electricity bill? Best time to use electricity?

Question

I'm looking for ideas to lower my electricity bill. I live in So CAL and its extremely hot.

I live in a 2 story home that is about 2500 sq ft and I we a pool. We have 7 in the household (5 teenagers). In the summer my electric bill runs about $630 to $710.

My upstairs room never really completely cools so I purchased a 12,000 BTU portable A/C, which I'm hoping will be less expensive than running my A/C. Any thoughts on this being cheaper?

Also, is it less expensive to run things outside of the peak hrs of (2pm-6pm) or is it the same cost?

Should I unplug items that aren't running, coffee pot, computer, curling iron, toaster, etc. when not in use or does it matter since it isn't turned on?

Thanks for your feedback, I did look through past questions for history but didn't quite answer all my questions.

LOOK FORWARD TO REPLIES. :)

So far lots of great answers. Just to note I set my a/c thermo.....to 78.

I'm also hearing that it doesn't matter when I run my electricity, charge is the same no matter what.

Answer 1

Question 1: The upstairs bedroom cooler maybe kind of tricky, it is all based upon where your thermostat is in the house (I'm assuming you have central air). Usually the thermostat is placed in the most central location of the house, so the house cools evenly. If your thermostat is in the downstairs portion of your house adding a cooler to the upstairs bedroom may in-fact increase your electric cost, because the thermostat controls the A/C and the lower levels usually cool quicker than the upper levels, thus not cooling the upper levels in a home quickly.

Question 2: I don't think it will save you any money to not run during peak hours, unless your electric co-op keeps track of that sort of thing. The items that use the most electricity during peak hours in the summer are not necessarily items you can unplug, or not use during those peak hours. For instance, your A/C, refrigerator, and freezer. These items work hardest during the hottest parts of the day, for the simple fact that they are combating the heat.

Question3: If an item is plugged in and not running it is not using electricity, however with most items today there is at least some small draw of power when the item is not in use. Most of the electric devises you've mentioned have clocks or timers running constantly; and though it may not be a large pull, it is a pull nonetheless. Another thing to consider is that some items require a large pull to restart, you may want to consider how much electricity is used to restart an item compaired to how much is used when an item sits idle. I would say that you could unplug items that are not used frequently, but if an item is plugged and un-plugged numerous times through out the day you're probably gonna lose money, and it would be better just leave those items idling.
Hope I've given you some of the answers you were looking
for.

Answer 2

Wow, and yikes... I've found and this might be tough with a load of teens in the house that I've cut my electric bill in half by running my major appliances seperately and at night or early in the am. ... Run either the washer OR the dryer but, not both at the same time.. Use cold water cycle when possible and hang to dry... I also run my dishwasher on time delay so it's running while we are asleep,(4am) the water is heated and no one is using it anyway...Also, turn down your water heater to 120 degrees instead of the highest setting- and it won't kick on so much... Replace all your electric bulbs with CFL bulbs each bulb you change can save you approx. $60 a yr... Unplug any unused appliance (toaster, cell phone chargers, anything not being used) Turn off the computer at night when no one's using it... If you run the A/C close your blinds/curtains to keep the warm sun out of the room the A/C will run more effieciently.. If you have ceiling fans use them w/ the A/C to circulate the cool air around the house or instead of A/C at night..If you can cook using a crock pot or other small appliances that don't heat up the kitchen and uses less energy... You can put a crock pot and leave it all day and not use as much energy as a full sized appliance and as a bonus dinner is ready when you come home.. ! That's all I can think of.. Good luck and be well.

Answer 3

I also have a 2 story house about 2600 sq. ft. My electric bill was that much last year and then I had my AC checked because the upstairs temp. was not holding at what I set it. My unit needed freon. I now have regular maint. on the AC unit, which is a split unit, ( controls for upstairs and for down) The upstairs now stays cool and my bill is half of what it was. My bill was so high because the AC ran way more than it should have trying to keep the upstairs cool. Have a reputable AC person just check your pressure and freon level and the temp. of the air coming out of the vents. You can also make sure your air filter is clean that returns the air to be cooled. Have your teens take their long hot humidity making showers only in the morning. :) The AC has to work hard to remove all that. ( I have 4 teen boys)

Answer 4

Do you have like a ceiling fan or a tower fan? If you do, use that during the peak time when it is hot. Keep your air on like 65-70 during the non peak hours and slightly higher during the peak hours. Unplugging unused appliances do help with the decrease in prices, but really would not matter if you have TV in every room. Unless, you can get all the teenagers to cooperate and unplug every TV that is not being used. But seriously think about getting a fan and not running the air so low. I live in GA, and it can get pretty hot. We didn't have A/C when I was growing up, but we had several box fans that we stuck in the window and the doors and it can get the house cool enough.

Answer 5

You said : All our lights have already been switched to compact fluorescent and use dimmers almost all the time. A resistor circuit is used in dimmers which wont reduce the electric bill, instead it adds up consumption. Secondly you said you put off refrigerator when not using.. But when you restart it it consumes more power to bring the temperature down. Instead you keep it on and do not open the doors too frequently. Replace your tube lights with LED lamps which consume 15 percent of the total. Do not keep electronic equipment in stand by or sleep mode. All the Best

Answer 6

I live in Philly in Pa you can get a off peak meter put in that will save you considerably. Call your electric company and ask about it. Check for proper insulation and ventilation in you attic. Check for a vent on both sides at the top of the attic.
Also a full refrigerator stays cold longer. If you have the room put a couple of gallons of water in it this will help hold the temperature down and the compressor won't run so much.

Answer 7

It doesn't matter if it's not turned on, unless there's some feature that keeps a device ready for instant use when it would otherwise have to warm up - some tv's are like that.

Using a room a/c in a small closed room instead of whole-house a/c is a lot cheaper -- that's INSTEAD, not in addition to.

Use lower-wattage bulbs? Make sure unused lights aren't turned on. raise the temperature of the thermostat?

Answer 8

Energy efficient appliances and light bulbs (CFL's). Turn off computers at night. Get a programmable thermostat. There are programs in some places where you can get your electric meter replaced with one that charges differently based on time of day electricity is used. Contact your utility company with questions about that. Just find ways of using less electricity.

Answer 9

Furnace
- Keep your furnace clean, lubricated and properly adjusted with annual maintenance. If your furnace is working at peak efficiency it will use less energy and cost less to operate.
- Clean or replace the filter every 1-2 months - a dirty filter reduces the airflow and forces the furnace to run longer to heat your home.
- Consider purchasing a new ENERGY STAR® qualified furnace with a variable speed motor.

Thermostat
- Lower your thermostat by 7 - 9 degrees Fahrenheit while you're sleeping at night and when no one is at home.
- Install an ENERGY STAR programmable thermostat. You can save 2% on your heating bill for every 2 degree F you turn down your thermostat. With an ENERGY STAR programmable thermostat to consistently lower your heat when you don’t need it, you could save up to $84 a year!

Laundry
- Switch to cold when doing your laundry. 85 – 90% of the energy used to wash your clothes is used to heat the water. By turning the dial to cold on your washing machine, you help the environment, save energy, and save money.
- Wash full loads.
- Choose a front loading washing machine. Not only does a front loading washing machine save water, it saves energy as well. It uses about 40% less water and about 50% less energy.

Pipes, ducts, fans and vents
- Plug gaps around pipes, ducts, fans and vents that go through walls, ceilings and floors from heated to unheated spaces.

Basement
- If you have an unfinished basement or crawlspace, check for leaks by looking for spider webs. If there is a web, there is a draft. A large amount of heat is also lost from an un-insulated basement.

Windows, doorframes, sills and joints
- Apply a sealant or caulk around windows, doorframes, sills and joints. On a windy day feel for leaks or use a couple of incense sticks to help identify leaks around windows, electrical outlets, vents and exterior doors. As well look for spider webs - if there is a web there is a draft.
- Keep return air grills and heating vents clear of furniture, rugs and drapes, so there is no interference with the flow of air through your home.

Weather-stripping
- Weather-stripping provides a barrier between the fixed and movable sections of doors and windows. Apply weather-stripping to operable windows, exterior doors, garage doors, and doors that lead to the attic.

Answer 10

I live in So Cal too so I feel ya.. first if items are turned off, you're not using up electricity.
yes you will see cost go down if you run your dish washer or washer/dryer after 8pm.
make sure all windows have proper window treatments like blinds.. they will retains heat well and keep your house cooler. Don't keep a/c going on auto all day long.. thats the bulk of your bill.. turn it on if you need it and turn if off when it gets cool.