Reducing My Utilities Bills

The fridge results

The fridge results are mixed. The new fridge returned the electricity level down below last years usage but not enough to offset higher electricity costs.

But, today I have started moving more lighting to LED based. The CFLs have been great on the energy side but, not on the life expectency side. So, today I picked up some of them my goal over the next month or so replace most of the lights in the house with them. They are more expensive but, there is almost no heat so it should help on the electric bill on that side too. The quality of the light has improved my wife did not mind the switch now.

The issue is that my efforts have plateaued. If the AC turns on I cross 200% plus of the baseline and when the AC is not on I can keep it below the 200% (or within a few KWHs). I still want to get it below 130% of baseline all year round.

Its a goal.

I need to find more ideas. After it comes down far enough then solar will be cheaper.

Aaron

A suprise jump in our electric bill stirs progress

In the last few months my electic bill steadly started to climb... Figured our my kitchen fridge that I knew I wanted to get rid of gave us a fairwell kick in the pants, forcing me to buy a new fridge.

Today we recieved our new energy star fridge. A Samsung (several folks I know who have them like them) and they were by far the best on energy saving that was not a many thousands of dollar fridge. On sale it was less then $1300.

Sorry about the lack of posts but, I major nieghbor incident (he illegally entered my home and vandalized it). He is convicted by my personal energy switched to home security and less on energy savings. He was ordered to pay restitution and fought it...

Now, I want to get back to saving money. I even talked about getting solar but, they guy spent so much time selling me on the idea I could not get a real answer on the cost.

Since, I started this energy saving process I have brough my bill down signifigantly however, I am looking for more ideas.

Aaron

A largely cool summer

It has been too long since my last post (family, life, work, teaching, flooring, etc).

A largely cool summer helped to keep the electric bills down. This summer was the summer of flooring. I installed bamboo floors over much of the house. Along with this put down a better underlayment under the floors which gives better insulation then the builders grade carpet pad.

This flooring should hopefully last 20+ years without the dust issues of the old carpet to improve air quality.

I bought the flooring at Costco and installed it myself saving  $10,000 or more dollars.

This was done to improve the house and keep thing enviromentaly sound in terms of home air quality and bamboo being renewable.

The kitchen fridge will be replaced within the month (this will be next major electicity saver).

I still need to look at replacing the AC units with more effiecient ones after that I am not sure what else we can do the the effiency side.

Aaron

 

Bye bye drips...

This last week was pumbing week. The dripping tub faucet started to drip faster (non-repairable). So, we replaced it and took care of all the known plumbing issues. Over the holidays we had a kid triggered accidentaly flood in one of our bathrooms (carpeted and upstairs). Only southern California would the builders carpet a bathroom.

I did the drywall repair and replaced the insulation in the garage where the water damage was.

Next week it tile week we are replacing all the toilets and tiling ALL the bathrooms. This will save use water and improve the house (better and more efficient toilets).

Note, the contractors and warehouse stores are hungry for business so you can negociate with them for really good pricing.

After this the new kitchen fridge.

Aaron

Too long since I posted last...

Not much new on the project front.

I am eyeing replacing our kitchen fridge over the next few months. I am hoping to keep the cost below $1500 while getting the highest effienciency I can in our size needs. It should help the electric bill which was the highest it has been in in 2 years (over $440 dollars). The problem is that the tempature here has been at records all month. Also, since the kids and my wife's schedule mean someone is home nearly all day.

After I take care of a few other expenses I am hoping in the next few years to put solar on the house also replace the AC units with more effiencent models.

Aaron

Hoping the weather cools off.

Happy Earth Day...

On this earth day help yourself and the earth by saving money by saving energy.

On this earth day (and every other) instead of donating to politics or religion invest that money in yourself and mankind and the earth by investing in enery savings for yourself and you community. Unlike politians the money will help you and the enviroment and unlike religion they will not be trying to convert others to thier beliefs. You will be show people how to improve thier own lives while doing something good for the enviroment and yours and thier wallets.

Aaron

My lowest bill ever in this house

2 Years ago: 37.29 Last year: 30.13 This year: 24.73

Look at the Average Daily KWH progress accourd to my electric bill.

$126 for my electric... my lowest bill ever in this house.

 

Where is all my electricity going?!?

Well now that I have mad so much progress, on non air conditioning months my kitchen fridge uses 101KWH per month which is more then an 8th of my usage last month.

My garage fridge which was bought much more recently uses less then 18 KWH per month.

Aaron

6 candelabra style light bulbs replaced

Costco sold these 40 Watt equivalent led light candelabra bulbs.  $19 dollars for 3 bulbs. I replaces all of them on a chandelier in our entry area these bulb are physically a pain to replace and my wife and kids leave them on often. Since the fixture defuses the light I though this would be another good place.

The bulbs definately meet the light need now to see what the family says. One minor note on ALL the led bulbs after you turn them off 95% of the light goes away insteadly but the remaining takes a while to stop glowing. My guess is there is a cap that takes its time discharging.

I am hoping that eventually the prices on LED bulbs will drop even further and they will be a viable replacement for all lights, until them I will focus on the ones that don't automatically shut off.

When I can find a 75 to 100 watt replacement for recessed lights which has a cool while light at a reasonable price I have 20 of them I would like to use to replace. And if there are smaller ones that I could use in ceiling fans that are dimmable then I can use 8 of them.

Aaron

One very small step backwards (my Natural Gas usage was higher)

I know it is statistically vey small but, it is the 1st year over year in a while that was not an improvement.

2.25 Therms per day this year vs 2.17 therms per day last year.

Aaron