Well we are in full swing on our study of conserving and trying to find ways to cut back. To really and truly only use what is necessary. Our first way of cutting back is on that awesome thing called an electric bill. YAY!
The munchkins have been working super hard at making sure lights are turned off when they leave a room, their thermostat is lowered when they are not in there. I have attempted to cut back on my usage by not running the dishwasher when it's not quite full and we switched all of our lighting in the evening to candles and oil lamps.
The first test day (no reminders about lights just living how we normally do) we used a little over 70 kwh. The next day we did a "no lights" day. lol. We used the candles for lighting and the oil lamps. We also turned our heat down to 68 degrees in the main areas and the bedrooms/bathroom we didn't heat until just before bedtime. I was super shocked to find out that we only used 34!
HOLY SMOKES! Once I saw the huge difference I decided to make a chart to keep track of what we use along with a little note section so we can mark down why things may of went up or down so that we can look back at what little things we did to change. After a month the kids will be putting the information down onto a posterboard so we can really see the totals and the big picture.
Electricity Charting
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4 comments:
Hi Stacey!
this is a very good idea! i am also trying to lessen the electric bill. it's just so much. Thanks again for these useful tips.
We've done something similar, and we noticed a big difference when we started line drying our clothes! Do you live in a deregulated state? If so, shop around for your electric provided...it is a huge savings. Here's a list of states: http://www.TheBudgetDiet.com/lower-your-electric-bill
You may enjoy all the articles I've written on saving electricity:
http://www.TheBudgetDiet.com/category/utility-bills
Good Luck!!!!
I think this is a great idea! Thanks for sharing. Its nice to see what others are doing to try and cut back. We may have to try this out too! I like the oil lamp suggestion for night time use. I look forward to seeing your progress. I hope you plan to post it here when you are done.
Best Wishes!
I'm so happy to hear that you guys enjoyed our little project as well. It's been a ton of fun so far. Not to mention to see the munchkins getting really into the project and trying to see how much more we can make the number drop.
@Pearl: Keep me posted on how it goes for you at trying to cut back on your electric bill.
@Budgetdiet: I don't think we have a deregulated state, but i'll look into it. Thanks for the info!
@Deborah: I absolutely LOVE the oil lamps. It gives each of the rooms a relaxing atmosphere in evenings. Although I do need to order some more wicks. The lamps I purchased only came with one. :( I'll for sure be posting on our progress and our final numbers once we finish it up.
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