Future Die
My husband and I moved into a house that is all electric. Our old house had gas heat. So far, we HATE electric heat! It doesn't heat the house very well at all. The temp at night has been in the 40's and the heat seems to always run!
We have shut off the vents in the upstairs, because no one is ever up there. The heat is set on 65. What else can we do to save on our electric bill?
Answer
Insulate your attic and basement
Maintain glazing in window panes and caulk around windows to prevent air leaks. Use weather stripping where needed.
Use the damper in your fireplace
Weatherstrip around doors.
Install insulated drapery on your windows. Open drapes in the morning to let the sun in. Close when the sun goes down to keep the warmth inside.
Unplug all electronic chargers when not in use.
Use Smart Strips on all electronic equipment. This is a multi outlet devise you plug a bunch of things into and turn the strip off to cut off the current to all those electronics that are drawing electricity even when not turned on.
Use a Smart Strip in your kitchen for your microwave and small appliances. Turn it off after every meal.
Change all light bulbs to Compact Florescent Lights.
Wash only full loads of clothing in cold water. Do several loads in a row so you take advantage of the warm dryer.
Take shorter showers.
Is your dryer vent air tight?
Are all storm windows down?
I turn my heat down to 60 degrees at night and sleep under a cozy down filled duvet. It is heavenly.
I turn my heat down to 60 degrees when I leave the house.
Watch television in the dark at night.
Moist air keeps a house warmer than dry air. Add humidity to your home in the winter time.
If you are using your oven tonight, bake the potatoes for tomorrow night's dinner. A toaster oven uses less electricity than a conventional oven and I am a convert since a friend cooked some really delicious meals in that toaster oven of his. I now believe in toaster ovens.
Do not be fooled into thinking you are saving money on your electricity bill if you run appliances in the evening. The fact of the matter is that, yes, electricity is being saved, but the savings is only for the electricity company. Your electric bill is one flat rate per usage and it does not change rates according to the time of day you use your electricity. This is a common misconception most people are lead to believe, when, in fact you pay the same rate morning, noon and night.
Yeah, it is wise to use appliances on off peak hours, but it saves you not one dime on your bill.
Insulate your attic and basement
Maintain glazing in window panes and caulk around windows to prevent air leaks. Use weather stripping where needed.
Use the damper in your fireplace
Weatherstrip around doors.
Install insulated drapery on your windows. Open drapes in the morning to let the sun in. Close when the sun goes down to keep the warmth inside.
Unplug all electronic chargers when not in use.
Use Smart Strips on all electronic equipment. This is a multi outlet devise you plug a bunch of things into and turn the strip off to cut off the current to all those electronics that are drawing electricity even when not turned on.
Use a Smart Strip in your kitchen for your microwave and small appliances. Turn it off after every meal.
Change all light bulbs to Compact Florescent Lights.
Wash only full loads of clothing in cold water. Do several loads in a row so you take advantage of the warm dryer.
Take shorter showers.
Is your dryer vent air tight?
Are all storm windows down?
I turn my heat down to 60 degrees at night and sleep under a cozy down filled duvet. It is heavenly.
I turn my heat down to 60 degrees when I leave the house.
Watch television in the dark at night.
Moist air keeps a house warmer than dry air. Add humidity to your home in the winter time.
If you are using your oven tonight, bake the potatoes for tomorrow night's dinner. A toaster oven uses less electricity than a conventional oven and I am a convert since a friend cooked some really delicious meals in that toaster oven of his. I now believe in toaster ovens.
Do not be fooled into thinking you are saving money on your electricity bill if you run appliances in the evening. The fact of the matter is that, yes, electricity is being saved, but the savings is only for the electricity company. Your electric bill is one flat rate per usage and it does not change rates according to the time of day you use your electricity. This is a common misconception most people are lead to believe, when, in fact you pay the same rate morning, noon and night.
Yeah, it is wise to use appliances on off peak hours, but it saves you not one dime on your bill.
What do you do to keep warm during a winter storm without electric?
Q. We may be getting hit pretty good with a snow/ice storm. So we arent used to this weather around here at all! If we lose power, what do we do to heat the house? We have no kerosene heaters and I dont think the fumes would be good around my baby anyway. So other than bundle up.. ??
no fireplace and no wood burning stove. no electric.
no fireplace and no wood burning stove. no electric.
Answer
Do you have gas? Like for your water heater? That at least will give you warm water and a way to warm up (hot water bottles if you have them, if you don't then you can put rocks in hot water and let it get warm then put it in bed with you.) Also that means warm bottles and you can warm food in it.
Otherwise, what we do in that sort of situation is to everyone be in mommy and daddy's room. We close the door, bundle up with blankets, and get warm. The bodies in the room tend to make the room warmer. We've blocked windows with plastic so there's no drafts, so it really does get quite warm in there with just my husband and I, let alone my daughter and baby son. We also have a fireplace though so if it was really bad we'd probably camp out in the living room as a family and have the fire going.
If you haven't blocked your windows up yet, and have the plastic in the house, do it. If you don't have the plastic, then consider tarps, carpets, heavy blankets, etc. You can usually make one room in your house into a 'cocoon' where everyone can nestle in for warmth. Warm food will be your hardest problem. If your fridge goes out, leave it closed to keep food fresh, but eating cold food isn't going to help you stay warm as much. So if you have things like a kerosene camp stove or those little camp candle things you can heat some food up.
Hopefully you have enough in your house not to have to go out for at least 3 days, but if you do then look for cheap ways to heat food like a camp stove. The fumes aren't good for babies, you're right, but you can take it into a garage or another room (kitchen) and cook there and keep the baby in the family cocoon. Remember hats are a lifesaver for babies, as well as being laid against mom or dad (your body warmth will regulate theirs) so in a storm situation where the room is cold it isn't a bad idea at all to put the baby on your chest and let them sleep there.
Add: I do not recommend leaving your house in a storm with a baby. Not in a million years. You could try starting the car and getting the heater going and sitting in there, but even that doesn't seem wise to me. I mean... what if you drove to a friend's house an hour away and got stuck on the side of the road? Or tried to get to a motel and found it closed? Usually they beg people not to drive in an ice-storm, and being out stuck with no hope of someone coming along to find you for a day or two in a car is a LOT worse than being stuck in your home. With a baby, it's downright dangerous.
If you do need to go out for supplies or something, if there's two of you, one of you stay home with the baby. Again, an adult alone in a car stuck is better than adults and baby. Don't take a baby out in this weather unless there is absolutely no choice (as in, the house is burning down.)
Do you have gas? Like for your water heater? That at least will give you warm water and a way to warm up (hot water bottles if you have them, if you don't then you can put rocks in hot water and let it get warm then put it in bed with you.) Also that means warm bottles and you can warm food in it.
Otherwise, what we do in that sort of situation is to everyone be in mommy and daddy's room. We close the door, bundle up with blankets, and get warm. The bodies in the room tend to make the room warmer. We've blocked windows with plastic so there's no drafts, so it really does get quite warm in there with just my husband and I, let alone my daughter and baby son. We also have a fireplace though so if it was really bad we'd probably camp out in the living room as a family and have the fire going.
If you haven't blocked your windows up yet, and have the plastic in the house, do it. If you don't have the plastic, then consider tarps, carpets, heavy blankets, etc. You can usually make one room in your house into a 'cocoon' where everyone can nestle in for warmth. Warm food will be your hardest problem. If your fridge goes out, leave it closed to keep food fresh, but eating cold food isn't going to help you stay warm as much. So if you have things like a kerosene camp stove or those little camp candle things you can heat some food up.
Hopefully you have enough in your house not to have to go out for at least 3 days, but if you do then look for cheap ways to heat food like a camp stove. The fumes aren't good for babies, you're right, but you can take it into a garage or another room (kitchen) and cook there and keep the baby in the family cocoon. Remember hats are a lifesaver for babies, as well as being laid against mom or dad (your body warmth will regulate theirs) so in a storm situation where the room is cold it isn't a bad idea at all to put the baby on your chest and let them sleep there.
Add: I do not recommend leaving your house in a storm with a baby. Not in a million years. You could try starting the car and getting the heater going and sitting in there, but even that doesn't seem wise to me. I mean... what if you drove to a friend's house an hour away and got stuck on the side of the road? Or tried to get to a motel and found it closed? Usually they beg people not to drive in an ice-storm, and being out stuck with no hope of someone coming along to find you for a day or two in a car is a LOT worse than being stuck in your home. With a baby, it's downright dangerous.
If you do need to go out for supplies or something, if there's two of you, one of you stay home with the baby. Again, an adult alone in a car stuck is better than adults and baby. Don't take a baby out in this weather unless there is absolutely no choice (as in, the house is burning down.)
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Title Post: How to save on electric bill?
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Thank FOr Coming TO My Blog
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