Reducing My Utilities Bills

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

LED bulbs (kids and I like, wife does not)

My wife seems to be willing to live with them in unoccupied areas such as the laundry room and the kids bath also the outside light but, nowhere else.

The color is different and she does not care for it. So, until the light quality and brightness improve future, no more of these. Hopefully soon I can make further progress.

Aaron

PS I saw them ones in COSTCO but, they are too big for my light fixtures.

More LED based light bulbs bought...

The 1st ones my kids think are cool. Now the laundry room both lights are LED and one of the lights in the kids bathroom. The next group I think will go on the porch light and/or the master bathroom eventually I want all the non-occupancy sensor based lights to be LED based. But, I am not ready for these specific bulbs in the kitchen, hopefully in the next year or two I can get lights that are a bit brighter and not quite as narrow.

For now I prioritize the ones that are not occupancy sensor attached and are left one often by my wife and kids.

Aaron

The LED bulbs are in...

I installed one in the kids bathroom in a ressessed light, one in the guest bedroom in a directional fixture that sits on a dresser and the last will replace one of the bulbs in the laundry room.

All these rooms do not have occupancy sensor light switchs and all these rooms I find the kids or my wife leave the lights on.

Aaron 

Wind at homes...

Since wind turbines are cheap (relative to solar panels) I would like to see them get protection from home owners associations and government agency so home owners could put them on their homes without the heachaches. Combined with a solar panel that would offer more power cheaper with a better time spread over the day.

Aaron