how can I keep my electric bill low? keep windows open or what. what helps the usage???
2007-09-18 13:44:30 · 3 answers · asked by Anonymous in Business & Finance ➔ Personal Finance
Turn off EVERYTHING when not in use. If you have an air conditioner, turn the setting up a few degrees. NEVER run the air conditioner with the windows open. Using fans with windows open is often better than air conditioning to save electricity.
2007-09-18 14:25:50 · answer #1 · answered by STEVEN F 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Change all your light bulbs to energy saving bulbs, if your hot water meter is electric - wash your clothes in cold water, not hot. Turn your computer screen off when not in use - in fact turn your computer off when not in use. Don't leave things like stereos and TVs on standby - turn them off. One thing that was really getting me was that I was falling asleep in front of the TV - I invested in some timers that turned my TV and DVD player off after whatever time I set. Be romantic - do things by candlelight where possible or just in the dark. Instead of putting the exhaust fan on when you're in the shower, open a window (as long as people can't see in), hand wash clothes and only put them in the machine for the spin cycle. If it's hot, go to the shops instead of putting your air con on. If it's going to be a hot day, close all the curtains and put your air con on for 15 mins at about 11am so the house will stay cooler longer and you won't have to turn the air con on again until later. Don't leave things plugged into the powerpoint if you can help it - especially phone chargers
A big one - check things that are easy to fix like the seals on your fridge door.
2007-09-19 00:24:42 · answer #2 · answered by Evieve 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have an energy meter that measures anything that you can plug into a socket and will tell you much juice something is using. If you really want to get down to details, this is great device. It only costs about $20.
Generally speaking, the biggest household electricity users are:
- air-conditioner
- dehumidifier
- hot-water tank (electric of course, not gas)
- older appliances (fridge, freezer, washer/dryer) - newer ones much better
According to my meter, some of these things cost as much as $1/day to run (your electrical rates may vary) so you'll want to run these things only when necessary.
Also, compact flourescents use much less energy than incandescent light bulbs.
Of course, always a good idea to turn off stuff you're not using like room lights, and shut down your PC at night.
2007-09-18 21:02:03 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋