Boomers Gossip - Hydro Bills Go Up and Up

Save Electricity and Reduce Expenses

Recently, I reviewed the house electricity expenses and found out electricity expenses have gone up appallingly high. It is scary. For example:

Jul 2010 @$95, Sep @$189, Nov @$217 Jan 2011 @$342. Mar 2011 @$512.

What can we do to conserve electricity and reduce related expenses? There are several ways as follows:

1. Avoid Electricity Usage during on-peak hours

During winter weekdays, 7 a.m. - 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. - 9 p.m.

During summer weekdays, 11 a.m. -5 p.m.

on-peak hours @9.9cents/kWh

It is important to avoid on-peak hours, rates are almost double.

2. Use Electricity only during off-peak hours:
Winter - weekdays (9 p.m. - 7 a.m. off-peak hours)

Weekends and holidays (24 hours off-peak hours)

It is best to wash clothes during weekends and holidays
when 24 hour off-peak apply.

Summer - weekdays (7 p.m. - 7 a.m. off-peak hours)
off-peak @5.1 cents/kWh

3. Use Energy saving bulks

I have already replaced all bulks with the energy saving ones.

4. Use electricity efficient heater instead of baseboard heater

According to a energy technician the daily consumption the baseboard heater averages
to several dollars each day. Therefore, we decided to replace it with new energy
efficient heater.

5 Get a New Fridge

If your fridge is over 15 years old replace it with a new one. Probably you can save $125 each year.

6. Change our habit a little bit.
For example, in clothes washing, we only do our clothes washing when there is a full load of soiled/dirty clothes instead of half load of clothes. Wash them only during the off-peak hours. This would help to save the energy further.

7. Better Insulation to avoid heat escape

Windows are the usual places for heat escape. Check them and fix them if there is any leakage defects. The other areas where heat may escape from the house are the doors and attic. Sometimes, it is found in the walls In such cases, it is advisable to get your contractor to fix the problem if you are not a handyman.