Electric Bill Slashed:
How to Slash Electric Bill and Save Money
Information on how to slash the electric bill and save money has never been more important. The economy is going through tough times, people need jobs, carbon based fuels get more expensive, the planet is under threat from climate changes, excessive carbon emissions and greenhouse gases are produced daily, so alternative sources of energy are desperately needed. Green power, along with conservation, may provide the answers.
Welcome to this site where we provide approaches to getting your electric bill slashed. Why have you not taken steps to save on electricity bills to date? Probably because you have felt the installation costs would be prohibitively expensive. Or, perhaps you just haven’t had the right information to act. Hopefully the resources here will help you to slash the electric bill in a practical and meaningful way to save your pocketbook and the planet together.
Here are the reasons for you to act now:
1. Electric bills slashed drastically in the long run.
Though it may not seem like it in the beginning, green power can save you a lot of money in electricity bills in the long run. The positives about solar and wind energy are such you can utilize them for free, as long as you have the right tools and information.
2. Better for the environment
Since solar energy and wind energy are known to come from infinitely renewable sources, green power is believed to be the better choice for the environment. These sources don’t emit greenhouse gasses as a byproduct, or don’t require big power plants to be utilized, so the whole process is much simpler for the consumer. Imagine how easy your life would be once you stop relying on the electrical companies for your energy needs.
3. Potentially eliminate the need for fossil fuels
Last but not the least, green power can potentially eliminate the need for fossil fuel. Fossil fuel accounts for 70% of the environment’s degradation, and is only going to be more expensive, with rising costs and diminishing resources. Solar power costs are decreasing every day making it easier for you to be an electric power saver.
This site will help you get started today. Fortunately, there are a lot of do it yourself kits that can help you save on electricity bills. Whether you are leaning towards using wind energy, or installing solar panels in your home, investing in high quality materials is absolutely crucial, especially if you want to be able to make the most out of your investment and realize your ultimate goal of getting your electric bill slashed.
Your Questions About How To Save On Your Electric Bill
Sharon asks…
CFL’s vs. Standard Bulbs…?
How much more do CFL’s cost?
Do they really save that much $$$ on your electric bill?
Do they really last 10+ years?
Would it be woth it for me to switch out all my bulbs with CFL’s?
rel323 answers:
I use cfl’s and prefer them to standard lights. If you change one bulb your not going to notice any difference but if you change them all your electricity bill will go down. As for lasting 10 years, I havn’t had mine for 10 years and I would imagien they may be exxagerating a little bit, however they last WAY longer than standard bulbs. Also, on a side note I also prefer the type of light they emmit, I don’t like yellow light and cfl’s put out a very clean color spectrum of light.
Paul asks…
YOUR monthly savings in $$ w/ compact fluorescent bulbs?
I’d like to know what dollar amount people have saved from their monthly electric bill by replacing MOST, if not ALL, of their lightbulbs with Compact Fluorescent Bulbs. Of course, everyone’s electricity use and costs are different, as well as the number of bulbs you’re using and what you paid for them to begin with. I just want to know the difference, if any, that you’ve seen on your monthly bill…$1.00 less than before the bulbs? $20 less? Give as much details as you’d like – how many you use, whether you leave them on or turn them off, whatever you’d like. The final dollar amount in savings is what I’m most curious about. Thanks!!
I want to thank everyone for their answers so far, and I hope to get some more. Just for more detail – I’ve switched 6 bulbs and have 6 more to do today. That should take care of all the permanent fixtures in the apartment. I rent a small 2BR duplex/apartment, and I think this kind of a living situation will allow me to see more of a difference in my bill. I try to conserve energy in other ways – turning lights/appliances off when not home, keeping heat low when now home, etc. I also haven’t noticed a difference in light quality, and no hum, no flickering.
rel323 answers:
Depending on how many bulbs you use, you could be looking at around 15-20% lower electric bills… Only you know what your bills are, and you can do the math from here.
Way to go!!…
Donna asks…
Well..so much for going green. Did you catch NBC news last night?
They aired a story about those Eco-friendly-this -will-save-you-money-on-your-electric-bill light bulbs. Yessir,these babies last a lot longer than regular bulbs and use less energy. You all know the ones I mean: those curly light bulbs. The problem is that these bulbs contain MERCURY!!! Gasp! Oh no! NBC said don’t break one or you will have a serious problem. They showed a guy disposing of one like it was hazardous waste because, as the story reported IT IS hazardous waste. General Electric makes the ones I have in my home, NBC reported that there are approximately 4 million of these bulbs being used. Guess what? As good as they might be, they will burn out. Then what in the hell are we supposed to do with them? NBC reprted that they cannot go into a landfill but exactly how would anyone know? So like I said: So much for going green.
rel323 answers:
Yes you have to call out haz mat. The funny part to these bulbs are, you can not throw it in the trash, they must be recycled. I have to drive over 700 miles to find the nearest recycler that will take these bulbs that contain mercury.
Mandy asks…
question on eden pure heaters?
they claim that you can save 50% on your heating bill. i was wondering if this was true. and if so how much has it increased your electric bill? i am trying to heat a 1500 sq ft. house (2 story) and i would like to decrease my heating bills. (currently between 220.00-370.00/mo)
also, i was wondering if they will be going down on price once spring rolls around or if they stay the same price throughout the year.
thank you in advance for any answers
i am not trying to replace my furnace with it. i was just wondering if it would help me or hurt me financially.
rel323 answers:
Edenpure’s claims are an outright scam. They’re simply a 1500 watt electric heater, and put out no more heat than any other 1500 watt heater at Walmart or anywhere else.
The only way ANY electric heater will save you a penny on heating costs is if you are happy heating just a small area instead, and turn your heat DOWN in the rest of your house. Otherwise, electric heat is one of your most expensive choices. One of these 1500 watt heaters running continuously can cost more than $100 a month to run, depending on what you pay.
Buy an electric heater if you want to heat a small area, and don’t care what it costs to run. Otherwise, don’t get your home heating advice from Paul Harvey. He’s one of the main places these things have been advertised, and he’ll endorse anything for a buck. 
Laura asks…
hybrid electric cars and cost and building one?
i was wondering im only a teen.. i wondered if you are driving the electric cars/gas….yes you are saving money on gas… but how much oney are you having to spend on your home electric bill just to recharge your car.. different areas have different price in electric bills and where i live the price is pretty steep. .so just charing the car is going to cost you home wise….then of course you have to pay for all of the instalation of the elctric system.. you have to get the battery change out…i have heard that there rattled in these hybrid cars when the swtich from gas and go to electric…
my main question is…. are you really saving when you buy hybrid cars……..or should you wait on the hybrid cars to come out(later date) so all the kinks in the car are gone…
also wih building a car.. a group of kids and i have a dodge challenger(mine 09 suppercharged i got a new one cult enegry10 srt8 yayyyyme) but what we have done was get a used hhybrid car and took the battery out we have been working on the car for a while to get it to efficenly work on the challenger… it runs smooth and great…. the only problem is that you have to switch it over to hybrid or gas before you turn the car on…. we were wondering is there anyway we could get the car to switch over while the car is on say we are at a red light and want to to it back to gas… what would be a better way to have it.. its a diesel hybrid what we call it.. we did alot of modifacation to make sure it works properly and runs smooth because we still wanted a hot muscle car sound…
so is there anyway we can get the car to switch over while we are driving….
thank you very much,
the future of cars
sorry for my bad spelling
oh and we can get the car to get 23mpg on the electric and 17mpg for just the gas
rel323 answers:
You pay 1/4 as much (to go the same distance in the same car) for electric as you do for gas.
Installing a 220V 30A breaker doesn’t cost much at all. That can charge an electric car at 15 miles per hour (15 miles of range for each hour of charge). That’s as much as you need. For faster charging than that you need to install a special box.
Hybrid cars will get less expensive as the price of the batteries goes down. How much you save in gas depends on the price of gas and how much you drive. Can you predict what the price of gas will be in the next 7 years? Of course not, no one can. But I’ll tell you this, it aint going to go down. At $4.00 per gallon, your savings in gas usually out weighs the higher car payment.
Listen dude, we don’t know what components you’re using in your car or how you have it wired up. How are we supposed to know how to rewire your own creation? But I’ll tell you this, taking off from a red light, it’s better to have electric and diesel at the same time as opposed to just diesel.
People often think of hybridizing as a way of saving fuel, but that’s not actually the case. It’s a way of increasing the power without burning that much more fuel. Some car manufacturers use it as a way of getting super high gas mileage by using a super small engine and still having enough power to move. But you could just as easily use it as a speed mod. Like a super charger or nitrous, only instead of burning more fuel and shortening the life of your engine, you burn the same amount and lengthen the life of your engine.
Robert asks…
How hot is too hot to have the windows in your house open?
We want to save on electricity and open the windows but today is forecast to be a high of 87 degrees here in Florida. I don’t think there will be much of a breeze today. At what temperature do you think it is to hot to open the windows and turn off the A/C? I don’t want to walk around sweating my butt off, but saving money on the electric bill would be great…
Answers in Celsius don’t help because I’m not gonna take the time to convert it.
rel323 answers:
85 degrees…sometimes 75-80…it gets very humid here.
Betty asks…
will someone read my speech?
i had to write a speech for my speech class but i waited till the last min. and so i was wondering if it sounded ok?…im only a junior in high school so don’t expect it to be Perfect but its 2:30 in the mornig and i need to go to bed
Solar Power
Purpose Statement: The purpose of this speech is to persuade you to use solar power.
Introduction
I.Have you ever wondered how much you spend on your water heating bills and
your electric bills each year?
II.According to the residentialsolarpanels website, you can save up to 80% on
your water heating bills by installing a solar water heating system.
III.This speech is to persuade you to use solar power.
IV.In this speech I will share with you what solar power is, how it will help your
finances, and also how it will help the environment.
(Transition statement: let’s start off with…)
Body
I.What solar power is.
A.Solar power is basically the light and heat that comes from the sun.
1. This sores of power has been used for thousands of years for just those
things, light and heat.
2. It wasn’t until recently that we discovered that the power from the sun
could be used for electricity.
Deschu2
B.Also according to the solarenergy website solar power is a source of
life.
1. The light from the sun is food to the plants, and the plants are
food to not only to us but also to animals.
2. Another way it helps with life on earth is it is our main source of heat, if
we did not have the sun the earth would be to cold for there to be
life.
(Transition statement: Next I will tell you about…)
II.How using solar power can help you save money.
A.Probably the number one reason it will help save you money is the fact
that is its free! Unlike coal, oil, and gas.
B. Like I said earlier just by installing solar energy panels you can save up to
80% on your energy bills.
C.You need to make sure that you install your own solar panels because if
you have them installed for you, you will be spending thousands
more than you need.
(Transition statement: The last thing we will discuss is…)
III.How solar power helps the environment
A.According to WikiAnswers website solar power does not affect the
environment and by not affecting the environment it helps it.
1. In other words solar power does not let off any emissions of any kind,
Deschu3
like gas and coal does.
2. By not using the gas and coal and other things that do affect the
environment in a bad way, but instead using solar power ends up
helping the environment.
B.Also solar power is renewable in other words it wont run out like
nonrenewable sources such as fossil fuels.
(Transition statement: in conclusion…)
Conclusion
I.I hope that through this speech I have persuaded you to consider using
solar power.
II.Next time you get your electricity bill I hope you remember that you can
lower that cost by up to 80% by using solar power.
III.lets begin to make this world a better and cleaner place and use the resources
that God has given us. Thank you!
rel323 answers:
Hi.
I am a trained voice specialist (as well as Human Right’s Priest) who frequently helps people write speeches or prepare for presentations or performances( acting or singing).
I love helping kids.If you need help in the future and live in Marin,feel free to contact me for help. I sometimes help students for free.
I think your information was basic,clear and good.
Idea One:Content~
I would suggest giving your listeners a a reference resource list of local solar companies with good reputations, and give a sense of the range of prices it normally costs to solar equip homes or businesses( ie with photovoltaic panels,etc.) Money is a real issue for people these days and initial outlays of money sometimes keeps interested people from making a more environmentally conscious shift!
Idea Two: Mechanics~
I would also suggest putting in the bolding, spacing, and other reading tools you might need in order to help you give the speech with greater ease.
I hope it went well. If you have another before the end of the year be sure to ask for help earlier if you’d like. I’d be willing to give you some free assistance! Sincerely, Kaaren
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Your Questions About Electric Bills For Apartments
Helen asks…
Average monthly electric bill for apartments in Indiana?
My fiancee and I are looking at apartments in Indiana and we need to know how much the electric bill will cost for a one bedroom, one bath apartment. We would rather be comfortable than save money on the electric though. Thank you!
rel323 answers:
Probably $80 a month. It might be more since you mention “comfortable”. You need AC for July since it is hot and muggy.
Sharon asks…
i have a question about the electric bills for one bedroom apartments in IL?
i am about to move into a 1 bedroom apartment with another person. everything is included except electric. i have no idea what the average electric bill is for 2 people in a 1 bedroom. can anyone tell me, or give me an estimate.
i live in IL where the winters are extremely cold and summers are extremely hot.
rel323 answers:
The average amount is about $100 a month.
Maria asks…
I have a question about the electric bills for one bedroom apartments in IL?
i am about to move into a 1 bedroom apartment with another person. everything is included except electric. i have no idea what the average electric bill is for 2 people in a 1 bedroom. can anyone tell me, or give me an estimate.
i live in IL where the winters are extremely cold and summers are extremely hot.
rel323 answers:
That depends on what’s electric, like heat or the stove. My bills are fairly low when the A/C is off, at about $30.00 a month. However, I don’t use alot of electricity like stove, appliances or electronics.
In the summer, my bill can go up to $100.00 from the A/C. Winters are low, because I don’t have electric heating.
Hope this helps!
Nancy asks…
Are electric bills public information?
I’m looking into buying my first home, I asked the seller on average how much the electric and utility bills are during the summer. The price quoted seemed really low, lower than my apartment bills. Is there any way I verify for myself?
rel323 answers:
SURE. Call the electric company and tell them you’re renting or buying that place and want to know what the bills are. I do it all the time. REalize that your bills may vary greatly due to different habits, different electric devices, and increased costs.
Ken asks…
Do bills such as gas, electric, and cable affect credit score?
I’m going to be in charge of the bills in my apartment next year and want to know how they could affect my credit score. If i’m late by a few days or a week is my credit score going to get dinged automatically? I’ve read on an electric bill they may report and/or forward unpaid bills to a credit reporting agency. Does this insinuate they normally won’t for a bill a few days late?
rel323 answers:
In the past, common utility bills didn’t report to credit bureaus unless you were seriously delinquent in paying them. Now, some utility companies DO report, even if you’re current. For instance, my electric company started reporting to the credit bureaus last year and I’ve never missed a payment. It’s not just me. Friends and coworkers have noticed this same utility company popping up on their credit reports.
It will depend on the company. Generally, these sorts of bills won’t affect your credit score unless you’re late paying them. At that point, it’s at the company’s discretion to report late payments to the credit bureaus.
Ruth asks…
How much does gas and electric bills cost for an apartment?
so i just found a great apartment only thing is me and my roommate have to pay gas and electric. How much should i be thinking of paying a month for it?
rel323 answers:
Depends on where you live.
Here in New York…your talking about an extra $300-$400 a month. Elsewhere could be a lot lower.
Linda asks…
What should I expect to pay in electric bills for a studio apartment?
I am thinking of moving into my own apartment, just a studio or one bedroom in Denton, TX (just north of DFW.)
The biggest problem that I’m facing right now is that I don’t know if I can afford it because I don’t know how much to expect to pay in utilities (specifically electricity.) Can anyone give me a ball park estimate of what to expect?
rel323 answers:
Is heat and air conditioning all electric? Is water heater gas or electric? How much square footage is in the studio? (I guess around 500 square feet?) How much energy efficient is the studio? (good windows, energy star refrigerator, etcetera). Is the studio surrounded on both sides and above by other rooms that act as insulators? All these factor in.
You won’t get out for less than $100 is my guess. However, get power strips and turn everything off at the source when not home, also plan ahead before opening the refrigerator, turn off lights all the time, get energy saver bulbs, don’t make it too cool in summer, etcetera can save a LOT
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Your Questions About Help With Electric Bill In Ohio
Robert asks…
Is there anyplace I can get help in columbus ohio with paying my electric bill?
rel323 answers:
Yes. There is a publilcation on this very thing called Energy Assistance Programs: Help with Paying Your Utility Bills:
http://www.puco.ohio.gov/PUCO/Consumer/Information.cfm?id=4062
Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP)
http://www.puco.ohio.gov/PUCO/Consumer/Information.cfm?id=4062#HEAP
Jenny asks…
No hot water for 7 weeks ohio?
I live in Ohio and I have been out of hot water for 7 weeks. My landlord says he will send someone out and they do not show he says he cannot help if all these people do not show up. I want compensated for this time. I have kids and my Grandmother lives with me. I have to boil water for everything. My electric bill went up also. I want this fixed. I am planning to escrow my money but any help on what would be good compensation and if the courts will compensate. I have also been unable to use my garage he says he will clean it out it is filled with his moms things.
I am out because the hot water tank does not work needs a new one.
We have an outside basement like where the hot water tank is it is flooded with sewage and I paid to have a sump pump drain it out once and he needs to fix it it just fills back up again it will damage a new tank again and be back at square one if I do that. I do not have money to keep forking out for it to be drained and it is a little pricey to fix the sewage. That is why I have not put in a hot water tank myself which is also pricey around $500.
rel323 answers:
First and foremost is the safety and health of your family. You have the right to decent, safe, and sanitary housing free from any environmental hazards (raw sewage). I would seek legal guidance from an attorney, or call the Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation at 1-866-LAWOHIO (1-866-529-6446). Explain your problem to them and see what they say. Good luck!!!
Ruth asks…
how can i find out if i qualify for HEAP?
I live in Ohio and am a single mother with low income. My electric bill was INSANE last month and I can’t afford to pay it. Cinergy just turned into Duke Energy and I heard they hand out disconnection notices like candy. If you don’t know what HEAP is, it’s a program that gives a voucher to mail to the electric company to help pay the bill once a year. I have 2 kids (one 10 week old) and need to keep them out of the 90 something degree heat as long as I can. The central air was fighting with the furnace so it was constantly running all month until the complex had someone come out to fix it. I’m sure my next bill will come with a disconnection notice, I am hoping the month’s electric will be less since the AC is fixed.
rel323 answers:
Go or call your nearest foodstamp office or social services agency. I live nyc and in the FS office near me, they have an advertisement for HEAP. Good luck, hun.
Sharon asks…
Tenant vs Landlord vs Electric Company ?
I live in Ohio. And among other issues that I need addressed by a lawyer, our power keeps shutting off everyday a little after 4 and sometimes later. Consequently, our electric bill has skyrocketed to over 400 dollars in the past 3 months. To which I’ve had to get help to pay for through PIPP/HEAP. When I contacted our elec. company, they said that there may be a shared meter situation and it was obvious that something wasn’t right, even with everything that we run in the house, including a 110kw window A.C. The company said to contact my Landlord and when I did, he said that it was impossible. I’ve called him MULTIPLE times on this issue, as I have the Electric Company. Both refuse to do anything about it.
Over the past week and a half we’ve been monitoring the two other apartments attatched to our own — monitoring as in, seeing who comes home when the power shuts off. Turns out, everytime our neighboor who lives behind us comes home, shortly thereafter, our power goes off. Without fail, everyday. And at random on the weekends.
Now that we’ve confirmed that a neighboor is pulling our electric, our Landlord still denies up and down that it’s impossible for him to be pulling from us. And for further information to anyone reading this, where we live was originally 1 house converted into 3 apartments.
Since he’s refusing to do anything about it, am I able to get compensation for what we’ve paid toward our electric? What kind of action can I take legally if i’ve taken every step to getting it fixed (i.e., sending written notices and multiple conversations over the phone AND in person to both the electric company AND our landlord.)
rel323 answers:
If the landlords saying the three are on seperate lines…..ask him to see the 3 seperate meters…..
Helen asks…
i am looking for how to locate{ if there is one}a website for a federal program called heap,!?
we have a federal program that helps low income people with gas/electric bills,we call it heating asst.here in iowa,52556 is my zip code.my parents live in ohio,45885 is thier zip.there it is called ”heap” is there a web site maybe for this ???help!!
rel323 answers:
There is a program in Ohio. I copied the following off of the Dominion East Ohio Gas (natural gas supplier in Ohio) website…..
Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP)*
Available to qualified low-income customers, HEAP is a government program that provides a credit for your heating bill. Although HEAP pays part of your gas bill, it is not a guarantee against shutoff. The filing deadline is usually March 31. Applications are available at post offices and libraries, or by calling the Ohio HEAP office at 1-800-282-0880.
You can also check out www.Ohio.gov. I believe that the “heap” program falls under the Health and Family Services branch.
Good Luck!
I do not think that there is a federal branch of Government that handles this type of assistance. The feds let the individual state(s) handle this type of work.
Joseph asks…
freezing room addition!! what to do? HVAC HELP!!?
we added a master bed and bath last spring…it is 13×18. our house is very old (1902) but remodeled and reinsallated lately. we bought the house 5 yrs ago and has always been cold during ohio winters…we keep the thermostat at 67-68 while we are home…and programeable down to 60 overnight (we are warm and toasty tho because we all have electric mattress pads). our furnace is in laundry room near kitchen, and has only ONE cold air return for the WHOLE HOUSE…that cold air return is next to the furnace above the refrigerator….now I know there is NO WAY all the cold air is getting to that return because our house is VERY SPLIT UP. not open at all…..the new master addition is 4 rooms away from the kitchen and no way can that cold air get to that return…also we have a closed staircase that leads to 2 bedrooms upstairs…with NO registers or returns upstairs either….however it stays a comfortable 64-65 up there because of course all the hot air goes straight up to those rooms…….
our new master bedroom?? a whole new story!! it is freezing in there!!! we only added 1 floor register (knowing we could always add more) and one does not cut it…that room stays about 50degrees w the door shut…..w door open it stays about 55 but them makes the rest of the house very cold…normally rest of house is 67-68 but w the door open it stays 63-64 and feels like the front door is open!!!! I know we do not have near enough cold air returns……….but that new bedroom is very well insulated and very good windows and freezing!!! I have been closing the bedroom door just to keep the house warm…….but it is horrible I cannot use my bedroom because it is too cold….
so my husband is going to run 2 more vents this weekend..will this help???? a friend who is a HVAC said our furnace is plenty big enough to heat the whole house…the house is about 2000 sq ft….I have been using a space heater at times to warm it but I know that will make the electric bill skyrocket also…we already will have a $300 gas bill…dont want 200 electric as well……but whatever it take to be warm i guess…..my husband thinks we should add electric baseboard in the bedroom…but wouldnt that be on constantly and really run up the bills??? any help would be great of things we need to do..thanks!!!
I should add we have 3 small kids so I cannot keep the house too cold.
rel323 answers:
Adding the extra vents should help
Maria asks…
Who can I contact besides the landlord if I am have issues with my apartment?
My boyfriend and I moved into our apartment in January 2010. We saw the place before we moved in and provided them with the things we saw that needed fixed. Nothing was fixed. Before we signed our lease they told us to call every day once we moved in to “remind” them of what needed done. Well one of the things on our list was the sliding glass door. When it is shut all the way, there is a huge gap letting air in and out. We haven’t thought much of it until I received my August electric bill, which was 95.41 (we live in the state of Ohio which is supposed to be 8.27). Now we live in a one bedroom apartment, and keep the door to the bedroom shut and the bathroom shut all day until it is time to go to bed so the air can get to the bedroom (the ac is a window unit in living room, not central). We both work full time so we are not even here often. The air conditioner is set at 74 degrees, fan speed low, and on energy saver mode. The electric company has already re-read out meter and apparently it was correct, but obviously we are not using this much electricity. Also, when I spoke with the electric company we ran through a quick list of what is running in the apartment and she advised me that even if we ran the ac all day our electric bill should not run above $60 for cooling the entire unit (not just living room and kitchen like we normally do). Can anyone help me on what I can do here? I did look into putting my rent in escrow until repairs are made but I am not sure if it qualifies for escrow. I have contacted my landlord several times, they are supposed to send a maintenance man out soon. Thanks for reading this whole thing in advance! Hope someone can help us
rel323 answers:
You can do a 14/30 day notice. Contact your local housing authority and ask them. A 14/30 day notice gives your landlord 14 days to fix everything you put on the list and if he doesn’t you have 30 days to leave without being penalized and get your deposit back. You can also call local news for help to expose the slumlord.
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Your Questions About Lower Electric Bill Tips
Ruth asks…
Do you have some good tips to lower your electric bill?
If so, please share!
Ours has been around $500 for the last 3 months and I was recently informed by our neighbor that his has only been around $200. What are we doing wrong?!
Thanks guys! We have CFL light bulbs throughout the house. We aren’t doing too well on the thermostat though, we normally keep it the heat at 72-73 during the winter and a/c at 74ish during the summer. Yikes, I think we need to make some changes there.
Yes, everything’s electric, central heat and air. In central Texas, you can use the heater and a/c in the same day. That probably doesn’t help.
Kris, a little but not much, 200sqft difference maybe
No, Jennifer, no gas. 2000 sq ft and we both work
rel323 answers:
I can answer this since I work for an electric utility.
The best ways are to unplug appliances and things you don’t use often as things that are plugged in still draw in energy even if they are turned off.
Switch to CFL lightbulbs.
Set your thermostat to 78 in the summer and 68 in the winter when you are home. And raise it 3-4 degrees during the summer if you are gone during the day. And lower it 3 -4 degrees during the winter if you are gone during the day. Or you can buy a programmable thermostat that will adjust at different times of the day so you don’t have to mess with it.
Turn your water heater temp down to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Or you can even buy a timer for it and have it cut off during the day when you aren’t home or in the middle of the night when you are asleep. You can also buy a blanket for it to help keep the heat in.
Also if you live in an older home the windows aren’t as efficient and tend to leak a lot of air through. So outdoor air will go in and indoor air will go out.
Only use the cold water setting on your washer. It keeps from the water heater having to turn on to warm up more water. And always wash full loads. Try not to run your dryer for longer than necessary also.
Digital picture frames use as much energy as your washing machine or fridge.
We live in a 2500 sq ft home and our electric bill averages about $200 a month. My MIL lives in a 1500 sq ft house and hers is close to $500 a month. She keeps her A/C at 70 during the summer and winter, they have their water heater turned up to who knows what. I get scalded hands everytime I use her kitchen sink. And they leave lights on ALL the time.
Daniel asks…
how can i lower my electric bill it was £130 last month!?
tips, advice , tariffs.. and anything positive is grateful, many thanks.
its a detached house , gas heating 3 bedrooms , 3 people.
rel323 answers:
Also, turn down your heat if you are going to be gone for awhile (12 hours or more). Turning it down when you are going to be gone for just a short period doesn’t help much if at all
Steven asks…
How can I lower my Gas & Electric bill?
It’s $154 for just one month, for just me! I haven’t lived alone before and my family says that’s not a bad amount really, but it seems way too high. Pretty much everything runs off of gas which makes it a little more difficult. Gas alone is almost $100 of that bill. I’ve made a list of the things I’ve changed to try and lower it and would really appreciate extra tips from anyone else!
Wash clothes in cold water only
Not use the dishwasher and do dishes by hand
Turn down the thermostat to 55
Take shorter showers
Turn down water heater temp
Leave hallway doors closed to keep heat by bedrooms
Only leave the lights on in a room when I’m using it
I’m only so desperate because I’m a college student and living off loan money and I really need to make it last as long as I can.
rel323 answers:
A job would help
George asks…
Why could my electric bill be so high for mid november to mid december?
I rent a townhome in Northern Virginia. It was well maintained by the owners…they lived there until May, when we moved in. Our utilities have totaled around $200/month for gas and electric. Of course, electric was much higher than gas during the summer. Now, as the seasons change, the past couple months the gas has been a little more than electric…that is, until I got the statement for Mid-November to Mid-December. The previous electric bill was only $119. For this time frame, our electric is $179. In comparison, the gas is $152.
Why could the bill be so high? We have been guilty of leaving a light or two on, but that happened all summer too while we were running the A/C as well. (We have gas heat.) Anything I should be looking for? Maybe the filter? Something else?
And, any tips to lower future bills? Thanks.
rel323 answers:
Many electric companies estimate the bills for months then read the meter and accordingly
Betty asks…
Help on Electric bill…..?
Can anyone give me tips on how to keep my electric bill low?? What should the thermostat be set on, and stuff like that?? Thanks
rel323 answers:
When you leave the room shut the lights off
Laura asks…
Do u have any energy saving tips that u can share?
my power company paid a price hike, and now my electric bill is so high. what are some ways i can make my bill lower. or any energy saving tips? btw i live in a condo. i also heard that u still waste energy when u still have something plugged even though the power is off. is this true?
rel323 answers:
Turn down the temperature to your water heater. Turn off lights in rooms when you leave them. Turn down the heat to the house, slightly but not too much, when you leave. Use ceiling fans in the summer. Figure out which way is best for them to rotate. Keep your air filters clean. Leave clothes in the washer for a little while before drying them, so that any excess water can just drip off rather than having to be dried by the drier. Don’t feel you have to wash all of your clothes so often either. Some clothes need it after every wearing, but consider some that might not. Keep the house cooler at night, and use another blanket or cover. Consider how to more efficiently take a shower, so that you aren’t in there quite as long. When using the lavatory or sink in the kitchen, be conscious of the water running, not leaving it running any more than needed. (actually that’s more of a water conservation thing, unless the water is hot) Don’t leave the TV on unless you are actively watching it. Computers use a bit of energy too, so I turn mine off when not using it. And I’m not sure if this helps or not, but I open the downstairs vents in the winter, and keep the ones upstairs almost closed. It seems to keep the temperature more even on both floors allowing me to not have to have the upstairs so warm just to keep the downstairs warm. Make sure that whatever heats your house is efficient. I have a heat pump, which apparently is good to have, for both winter and summer. I also switched every single light bulb in the house to the energy saving type.
One other thing that you can do is again, just be conscious when you are cooking. Right when you can possibly turn off the heat on the stove or the oven, do it. When I cook frozen pizza in the oven, the first thing I do is to turn off the oven, not take the pizza out first, which is what most people do, sometimes forgetting to turn it off until way later. That’s all I can think of now. I’m really into saving money like that.
I live in a two story townhouse, which I suppose is just like a two story condo, and mine is all electric. My energy bill is around 70 dollars a month.
Thomas asks…
what is the average water bill for a pizza restaurant?
and electric bills what is the minimum? how high can it go ? how can i keep it low, need tips
rel323 answers:
These numbers vary tremendously, city by city. In order to put together a pro forma, you should contact the local utilities providor, and they will give you reliable estimates. Good luck!
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Your Questions About Electricity Conservation
Susan asks…
Can someone please help me find a WWI propaganda poster concerning electricity conservation?
I’ve been sick and out of school for 4 days in a row and tomorrow I’m going to have to do an enormous boat-load of work that all but 1 of my teachers has neglected to surrender. Anyway, for one of the assignments that my Government teacher gave me, I’m supposed to paste an analysis of 8 WWI propaganda posters (each concerning a specific topic). So far, I’ve completed all but 2- one of a topic of my choice, and one with the topic,”Conserving electricity.” Unfortunately, the site provided on the worksheet seems to lack a poster on that subject. So, if you could either review that site and maybe find something I missed or find one elsewhere, that’d be like way awesome. Right now it’s 1:42 AM and I have to be in my seat at school by 7:45. So, considering that this must be completed by tomorrow, I’m in serious crunch time right about now. Oh! the following link is to a poster that I thought wouldn’t work for conserving electricity, but I could be wrong. Would this work?
http://www.rare-posters.com/361.html
rel323 answers:
Yeah… That one might work… But it’s about conserving coal, not electricity.
I went to your original site and looked at all the posters there, you’re right, none on electricity conservation.
I’m wondering what percentage of U.S. Households even *had* electricity in 1919? Note that most of the posters involved conserving *food* (and others were mostly for liberty bonds). I tried a few other sites, but nothing on electricity conservation.
I suggest you use your coal one, and talk to the teacher on monday about how you (and others) couldn’t find one on saving electricity for world war one.
Laura asks…
suggest a slogan on conservation of electricity in hindi?
rel323 answers:
Bijli bade kaam ki pyare,
Door kare saare andhiyare!
Bijli bachao prakaash badhao,
har sankat se mukti paao !
Jal, dharti, Vriksha, gagan sab mil karte vidyut ka poshan,
inhe bacha le manav tu bhi, ruk jaega iska shoshan
Jab zarurat ho tabhi pankha va bulb jalana,
thoda thoda karke, khoob bijli hai bachana !
Nancy asks…
is conservation of electricity important.how and why?
rel323 answers:
Conservation is inportant not only in electricity but in every single day to day lif requirements….
However elctricity is a very important source in our life.if we conserve it we can save our mother earth n use it evn more futher in future …..as it had been in the newspaper about the black hole n moon coming closer to the earth ….its all because of lack of conservation of resources…..without electricty it will be similar as to be blind with darkness….so as for our daily uses…like charging ….n any other electronic items because they can oly run on current in the form of electricy….low watts bulbs should be utillised…n less of just switching on the light n leaving not only light but every thing ….it should be controlled….so as for our lifes n survivle…
We humans need to be more responsible n dedicated….for saving n conserving resources….
We need to be considerate n conserve it for our living …..
I hope it helped it ma words….teehee …
Joseph asks…
quotations on conservation of electricity
please tell me some good quotations/slogans on conservatation of electricity
rel323 answers:
Switch off the incandescents!
Unplug and save the planet.
Lisa asks…
Does anyone has a project or a website on electricity?
ie case study on conservation of Electricity
It should have a conclusion and plz if anyone has a website for electicity or pictures of electricity then I ‘ll will be very Thankful.
PLZ help me bcz I have to give it Tomorrow.
rel323 answers:
Here are some sites:
(1) http://www.chrisp.com/conservation/electricity.html
(2) http://www.ontariotenants.ca/apartment_living/electricity-savings.phtml
(3) http://ansuz.sooke.bc.ca/lebwog/2003081802.php
Hope this helps!
Carol asks…
If the law of Conservation is true, why are people concerned about energy uasge?
Much discussion has focused on the need to drive more efficient cars and use less electricity. If the law of Conservation is true, why are people concerned about energy uasge?
rel323 answers:
Because if you take the energy and waste it on something useless then someone else would lack this energy.
Daniel asks…
What is the difference between thermal energy and electricity?
The building I live in has thermal energy, and I would like to know the difference of this and electricity. The cost effectiveness and conservation wise.
rel323 answers:
No idea what you mean by “this building has thermal energy”.
Eectricity is one of the highest grades of energy, ‘lowest entropy’ so it can be converted to other forms with high efficiency, like 99% to mechanical energy, or 100% to heat energy.
Thermal energy is energy due to an objects temperature, the higher the temperature the lower its entropy [low entropy = more useful] The lower the temperature of something the less use the energy is.
Eg, the air has thermal energy, but you can’t do anything with that energy. For thermal energy to be of any use it has to be able to flow and for that there needs to be a temperature difference. Heat energy always flows from high temperatures to low.
If we allow heat energy to flow through an appropriate machine we can extract some of the energy as mechanical or electric energy. The greater the temperature difference the greater the % of heat energy that can be converted. In a power station for instance a temperature difference of maybe 700C between the superheated steam and the exhaust steam allows for as much as 50% of the energy to converted to mechanical energy. In a system with just 50 C difference the maximum % that can ever be converted is very low. Less than 8% [sorry forgot the exact equation]
The flip side of this is that it is foolish and wasteful to use high quality energy and convert it to low quality energy like room heat. Eg an electric strip heater. That is like using gold foil to wrap your food in when aluminium foil will do just fine.
[A better way to use electricity to heat a room is to use it in a heat pump, to pump heat from a lower temperature to a higher one. An efficient heat pump can deliver 5 times the energy you put in, eg a 500W heat pump can provide 2500W of heating, a 500W strip heater just 500W]
Guess the real difficulty in understanding is that there really is no energy shortage at all, it is the entropy that is the issue. Ie the quality of the energy! We are surrounded by lots of energy, because all objects around us are full of thermal and chemical energy, but that is energy we can not use because its entropy is too high. ALL things tend to greater entropy.
You can think of entropy as the randomness of a system, the more mixed up and random, the higher the entropy and the less useful it is. Eg. We find metal’s in nature all mixed up in ores, we use high quality energy to separate them so we can use them. They we mix them up again and dump them in a landfill….
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How do you make a home nuclear generator to power electricity?
Hey. I am tired of paying the electricity bill and got fined for taking my neighbours from his pond. Turned out he never watched tv or had a computer. When his bill went from £10 a month to £150 he got suspicious and found the cable and adaptor that I had connected to his fish pond in the back garden. Anyway thats another story. I did bury the cable but obviously he unearthed it.
I know some people use solar plates to provide electricity for their home, but this costs too much. I don’t have £25.000 to spare for this stuff. Also it is a rented place so I don’t even own the roof.
I was thinking of a nuclear generator that I can build at home and use to power my electricity usage off uranium or something. I am really good with building gadgets, and know where I can get weapons grade uranium from cheap. I just need advice or a walkthrough on how to build a mini nuclear power plant in my own kitchen.
Does Solar have a chance using this approach?
I am Nuclear Engineer and have always been interested in solar power. I have friends with it, but always thought it could not be practical for most of us because of cost. I love the approach Ed Begley and these people have taken. It is a great idea, and may be the way we can really take advantage of this wonderful energy supply.
go to http://renu.citizenre.com/index.php
What do you think?
