Day 31 Happy New Year

Happy New Year!

It has been 31 days and yet we keep finding ways to save electricity. Because it has been so beneficial for me and my family, I'll continue to blog household savings. In January, I'll be blogging ways to cut back on the heating bills. If any of my readers have experience in this area, I would welcome a quest post and link to your regular blog. Contact me at iNails at hotmail dot com.

I saved one of the biggest savers for last. If you heat with electricity, turning the heat back can save a bundle. We heat with a combination of oil and electricity so this has worked well for us. We were gifted a heated mattress pad which we warm up before bed. It costs pennies to use and keeps us toasty. I tend to turn it off once it's warm because I still haven't gotten used to the idea of sleeping on heating coils--that's another post.

I put in a programmable thermostat and programmed it to turn the heat way back starting a couple of hours before bed. Now, we really cut it back. At night the temp is set to 50 degrees. We bought some warm PJs and a sleep cap. I've even found I sleep much better when it is cold in the room. A bonus.

We have also curbed our use of the electric heat.

Don't forget, today is the last day to sign up for the monthly newsletter and get a chance to win.

Don't forget to register for the monthly newsletter. The button is to the right. At the end of December I am giving away a Kill-A-Watt meter and 2 microwave pizza trays. More goodies to come. All you have to do is register for the newsletter during the month of December to be eligible for the fishbowl style drawing.

Day 30 Saving Electricity

Okay, now that the holiday is almost behind me, I'll tackle the issue of holiday lights.

The lights are fun. Every year I look forward to going and looking at them. Once upon a time we would even put up quite a display of our own.

This year we did not put up lights outside. We set put to enjoy the most fantastic lights around. In fact, the light display we found ourselves going back to over and over again was on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. If you are familiar with the area just go south on the bypass road and hang a right at Pigman's BBQ and go straight. You can't miss it. But hurry, they come down on the 1st.

For me it's a better deal to let someone else put up the lights and pay the electric bill. I'll drive by and enjoy the scenery... and yes, throw a tip in the jar if provided. Or, the fish tank as the case would be here.



Don't forget to register for the monthly newsletter. The button is to the right. At the end of December I am giving away a Kill-A-Watt meter and 2 microwave pizza trays. More goodies to come. All you have to do is register for the newsletter during the month of December to be eligible for the fishbowl style drawing.

Day 29 As the Year Comes to Close

As the year comes to a close, I look back on accomplishments and look forward to new feats.

It's been very cold and I am pleased that we have learned to pull on a sweater instead of turning up the heat. We have learned to close doors and turn off lights.

I went back today to check my carbon footprint. What I found made me feel good about our efforts over the past year. Our previous reading was 11.8 CO2/yr and our new reading... Drum roll please..... Ta Dah...5.4 CO2/yr. We more than cut it in half! Wow.

That survey didn't include all of the little things we did such as giving ecofriendly gifts and sharing rides. It didn't include switching the Rv to solar.

So, go ahead, set a benchmark and see what your carbon footprint is. Then come back at the end of next year to see what a difference you have made.

Now, if diets were just that easy. I'll leave that for www.twitter.com/girlwithnoname A better body would be her area of expertise.

Don't forget to register for the monthly newsletter. The button is to the right. At the end of December I am giving away a Kill-A-Watt meter and 2 microwave pizza trays. More goodies to come. All you have to do is register for the newsletter during the month of December to be eligible for the fishbowl style drawing.

Day 28 Lowering my Electric Bill

Did you know that water heaters can wear jackets? I sure didn't. I'm investigating reducing my bill by buying a jacket for the water heater.

Don't forget to register for the monthly newsletter. The button is to the right. At the end of December I am giving away a Kill-A-Watt meter and 2 microwave pizza trays. More goodies to come. All you have to do is register for the newsletter during the month of December to be eligible for the fishbowl style drawing.

Day 27 Hail to the Cook

We love good food. Who doesn't?

I get sidetracked sometimes. And so here is an attempt to curb that and save some kWh!

Invariably, I'll preheat the oven and then leave it for a few minutes (or more) after it is preheated. Every minute the oven is cooking with nothing in it is a waste. Our oven/stove is electric. Boy was I surprised at how much I wasted.

So, I now have another use for the handy kitchen timer that stays clipped to my top most of the time. It will take some time to see if it makes a difference. I hope that 5 years from now I'll be evaluating my electric bill and we will be creating more electricity than we use--and selling it to the Electric Company.

Don't forget to register for the monthly newsletter. The button is to the right. At the end of December I am giving away a Kill-A-Watt meter and 2 microwave pizza trays. More goodies to come. All you have to do is register for the newsletter during the month of December to be eligible for the fishbowl style drawing.

Day 26 Save the Electricity

Okay, I know it is splitting hairs for some of you, but I have decided it is worth the effort for me to power down monitors overnight and on weekends. After tracking the usage with a meter, I have decided to adopt the habit. The laptop hard drive basically turns off automatically. The Desktop was a power hog--but NO more.

Don't forget to register for the monthly newsletter. The button is to the right. At the end of December I am giving away a Kill-A-Watt meter and 2 microwave pizza trays. More goodies to come. All you have to do is register for the newsletter during the month of December to be eligible for the fishbowl style drawing.

Day 25 Saving Electricity is Adding up Big.

It's Christmas day. And for me that means looking at everything I have to be thankful for. It turns out I have a lot to be thankful for.

Hard won rewards for noble efforts feel good. Sometimes what we attempt doesn't work out the way we intend, so when it does, well...it feels great.

It got me thinking about the electricity challenge. For today, we will enjoy the lights a little longer. We'll turn the heat a bit warmer and keep the ipod playing a little louder. It doesn't mean we have thrown care to the wind. We will just take a break and enjoy the benefits of saving all year.

I was looking over our power usage for the last 5 complete years, month by month. It's been a gradual reduction. Awesome.

Our usage went as follows: 2004/14060 kWh, 2005/10978 kWh, 2006/10627 kWh, 2007/10574 kWh, 2008/10009 kWh.

I've been comparing month-to-month averages and year to year. It's nice to track it because the data starts to add up. Up until this December I had a haphazard approach to tackling the electrical usage. Not anymore. I've worked out a system we can stick to. "The Electricity Diet" will stay with us. We haven't exhausted all the possibilities for saving.

My Christmas wish is for a windmill to power our use. Hear me, Santa?

Don't forget to register for the monthly newsletter. The button is to the right. At the end of December I am giving away a Kill-A-Watt meter and 2 microwave pizza trays. More goodies to come. All you have to do is register for the newsletter during the month of December to be eligible for the fishbowl style drawing.

Day 23 Save Electricity While You Sleep

I admit it, sometimes I fall asleep with the TV on. Until now, I never gave it much thought. So, okay, I don't really want to get up out of bed to unplug the TV before I fall asleep and sometimes I'm just so tired. Turns out my TV has a sleep timer on it. I can simply set the timer for 120 minutes and it will turn of when the time is up. So on nights when I'm peppy, sure, I'll get up and unplug the TV. But on the other nights- the ones when I drift off- it's okay because it will turn of automatically. Cool

Don't forget to register for the monthly newsletter. The button is to the right. At the end of December I am giving away a Kill-A-Watt meter and 2 microwave pizza trays. More goodies to come. All you have to do is register for the newsletter during the month of December to be eligible for the fishbowl style drawing.

Day 22 Save the Earth by Using Less

Don't forget to sign up for the monthly newsletter. Everyone who signs up this month is entered into a drawing fishbowl-style for a variety of goods related to the electricity saving theme.

To save water, time, electricity, and effort, only wash clothes when you have a full load. I'm realizing that I really don't need to run 14 cycles when 6 get the clothes plenty clean. To continue the effort, only dirty clothes get washed. If something has been worn once it may have another wearing in it before it gets washed. It's amazing how much laundry there is. many times a family member tried something on, took it off, and tossed it aside. Maybe it's dirty, maybe just wrinkled. Who knows? So in the hamper it went. No more! Only dirty clothes get washed from now on.

Don't forget to register for the monthly newsletter. The button is to the right. At the end of December I am giving away a Kill-A-Watt meter and 2 microwave pizza trays. More goodies to come. All you have to do is register for the newsletter during the month of December to be eligible for the fishbowl style drawing.

Day 21 Simple ways to Save on My Electric bill

It turns out that a cell charger uses quite a bit of power just being plugged in. That means when the phone is fully charged, well, every minute after that is a waste of electricity. The power drain is amazing and sickening at the same time.



Today I'm timing my phone to see how long it takes to charge and then unplug it. Once I know how long it takes, I'll be able to set a kitchen timer and then unplug the phone. I just love kitchen timers. not sure how much difference it will make. I sure won't be leaving it plugged in overnight anymore! I also found a cool lot of solar cell phone chargers and am snapping one up to use on the go and when camping.



Don't forget to register for the monthly newsletter. The button is to the right. At the end of December I am giving away a Kill-A-Watt meter and 2 microwave pizza trays. More goodies to come. All you have to do is register for the newsletter during the month of December to be eligible for the fishbowl style drawing.

Day 20 Cutting our Electric Bill

We have been trying to adopt new habits that will cut our dependence on the public electrical grid. So far it has been hard to remember all the new things to do each day and we are constantly reminding each other when we slip up. But i know it will get easier and become a way of life.

The habit for the day is for me to start unplugging things when I am done using them. I have to tell you that this one delights my Hubs, AKA "Mr. Safety." He would unplug the fridge when I wasn't looking if I wasn't careful. Ha! No, really, he has been trying to get me to unplug for years.


Don't forget to register for the monthly newsletter. The button is to the right. At the end of December I am giving away a Kill-A-Watt meter and 2 microwave pizza trays. More goodies to come. All you have to do is register for the newsletter during the month of December to be eligible for the fishbowl style drawing.

Day 19 Woohoo! The Savings are Heating Up.

Fans? It's winter here in Virginia!

Okay, I get it. And yes, I have ceiling fans.

Wow, was I surprised to find that reversing my ceiling fans could help with heating the house and reducing the electric bill. I don't have to run the portable heater as long with the fan reversed and pushing the warm air back down. I can't believe it. It really works.

So, come summer, I'll be reversing them again--to take advantage of the savings.

Don't forget to register for the monthly newsletter. The button is to the right. At the end of December I am giving away a Kill-A-Watt meter and 2 microwave pizza trays. More goodies to come. All you have to do is register for the newsletter during the month of December to be eligible for the fishbowl style drawing.

Day 18 Cutting Our Dependence on Electricity

Looking for ways to cut the electricity has become a bit of a CSI experience in our home. I'll find myself standing in front of an appliance, scratching my head, and wondering exactly what it costs to operate. Then, out come my trusty new friend, the Kill-A-Watt meter to measure the usage and set the issue to rest.

Some things aren't so simple to measure but yet we know they make a difference. Insulation, for instance, helps conserve but is difficult for homeowners to measure--without waiting for the fuel and electric bill.

Sadly, my home is an oldie and needs some attention in the insulation area. I found some great videos on YouTube.com that show it step by step. My hope is by bring the insulation up to par we will reduce the number of times the furnace cuts on and off, thus saving electricity. We may also be able to nix some of the electric heater usage.

Don't forget to register for the monthly newsletter. The button is to the right. At the end of December I am giving away a Kill-A-Watt meter and 2 microwave pizza trays. More goodies to come. All you have to do is register for the newsletter during the month of December to be eligible for the fishbowl style drawing.

Day 17 Save Electricity, Save Our Earth

The salon is super busy. There is a waiting list for last minute clients and I'm running shorter and shorter on time. EEEKKK.

We own an RV and during the summer it's a pretty cool source of fun for our family. I would rather camp in a tent but hubs isn't as much into that as I am. He enjoys the TV and a cold one from the handy fridge. And so we have the nifty rig parked in the yard when not on the road. But the batteries have to stay topped off (mostly so it's ready to use at a minute's notice) and there is the rub. It's another thing to plug into my home's electricity.

It feel so sinful when I find a way to get around the rules! He he he. I got a nifty trickle charger that has a small (12 inch x 12 inch) solar panel. Hubs altered it just a bit. After all, modification is his middle name. When we are not using the rig, the battery can stay topped up. This won't recharge a dead battery but it makes a nice accessory to help with the energy savings and electricity reduction plan around here.

Don't forget to register for the monthly newsletter. The button is to the right. At the end of December I am giving away a Kill-A-Watt meter and 2 microwave pizza trays. More goodies to come. All you have to do is register for the newsletter during the month of December to be eligible for the fishbowl style drawing.

Day 16 Electricity Reduction Made Simple

Simple is what I need these days. The Christmas holidays are here and I am NOT ready. No, it's not what you think. My gifts have all been purchased and they are neatly wrapped and stacked to make Christmas day easier. The plight this Christmas is that expenses have risen faster than income. As I look to formulate a budget for the year I am forced to make a few concessions. I'm not sure what they will be, but I know they must be far reaching to prepare for the year ahead.

The electricity challenge has helped take the edge off and I hope to keep up the habit once the month is over. Perhaps do a once a year checkup and add some new behaviors to the bag of tricks.

So, simple things are better these days. I've got a lot on my mind. This is where timers come into play. I like the idea of timers. Lights make it appear like someone is home to ward off burglars. Well, these little gadgets can also make sure that lights don't stay on too long. I like the idea of having outdoor lighting on timers. Likewise the entry door and bedroom light. I picked up extra "timer dogs" so that my outdoor lights could run through a couple of different cycles, which cut out an hour or so of lighting time. Yippee!

Don't forget to register for the monthly newsletter. The button is to the right. At the end of December I am giving away a Kill-A-Watt meter and 2 microwave pizza trays. More goodies to come. All you have to do is register for the newsletter during the month of December to be eligible for the fishbowl style drawing.

Day 15 Erin is Moving Forward to Saving

I know, this one seems a little silly. Even my hubs was like, "That's stretching it."

Don't care! I'm into the savings and the way I see it, this one will save some. I have scads of low voltage lights on one side of the house. All of these units have 18w bulbs in them. Back when they were installed, I wanted it , well, BRIGHT. The truth is I don't spend much time out there at night and they really don't need to be that bright. Several of the bulbs have burned out and it's time to fix them. This time I'm putting 4w bulbs in the light fixtures.

The savings may be small, but they are mine all the same.

Don't forget to register for the monthly newsletter. The button is to the right. At the end of December I am giving away a Kill-A-Watt meter and 2 microwave pizza trays. More goodies to come. All you have to do is register for the newsletter during the month of December to be eligible for the fishbowl style drawing.

Day 14 of Erin Snyder Dixon's Electricity Reduction Challenge

In areas where there is little ambient light, I am installing solar lighting. In trying to design the plan, I found that only half of my yard gets adequate midday sun to recharge the solar lights. That actually worked in my favor. Low voltage lights will remain on one side and solar will go on the other, and around the swimming pool.

The Solar post lights on either side of the driveway gate turned out very well and I think I will be happy with them. I'm not sure of the savings they should garner.

Don't forget to register for the monthly newsletter. The button is to the right. At the end of December I am giving away a Kill-A-Watt meter and 2 microwave pizza trays. More goodies to come. All you have to do is register for the newsletter during the month of December to be eligible for the fishbowl style drawing.

Day 13 and Counting the Electricity Savings

Hubby was really pleased with the results of the electricity challenge. Isn't it time to do an electricity challenge of your own? It's easy to pick a few key areas to concentrate on and...wham, the savings start to add up fast.

Around my home, it has become like a snowball gathering speed. Every day is getting a little easier to remember to turn out the lights. We are reaching for a sweater before we touch the thermostat, and we think before plugging something in.

Today I chose to work on making the outdoor lights a little less expensive. Yeah, yeah, I know. Electricity is cheap in Virginia--only 6.22 cents per kWh. But does that give me a licence to use with reckless abandon? Probably, but I won't.

The Dept. of Energy has a wealth of data and guidance. I found information on daylighting devices (dim the lights in proportion to the available light) and dusk-to-dawn sensors (on at night, off in day) and found exactly what I needed.

I have started to use screw-in type sensors that I found at Lowes Home Improvement. You can check sites like nextag to compare prices and availability for the different types of sensors.

I usually forget to turn the outdoor post lights off in the am. I'm hoping this will help keep the bill in check. By my rough calculations I should use roughly half the electricity on these items that I had previously used.

Don't forget to register for the monthly newsletter. The button is to the right. At the end of December I am giving away a Kill-A-Watt meter and 2 microwave pizza trays. More goodies to come. All you have to do is register for the newsletter during the month of December to be eligible for the fishbowl style drawing.

Day 11 Keep the Savings coming

Okay folks, it's time for a little wrap-up. The month is just starting to get in swing and I'm getting aquainted with the savings strategies.

My latest electric bill was just posted and already it's a 43 kWh reduction. That doesn't sound like much but we have posted record breaking low temps and it still adds up to a 6% reduction. Did I mention that this statement only covers 3 days of December? Wow! How much can I save in a month? You will just have to stay tuned to find out the results.

Today, I spent some time researching the best ways I can target our electricity usage. I've also been thinking about what to do over the next 2 months of blogging. After talking it over with clients, we decided that January should be dedicated to carrying on the electrical savings and reducing our heating costs. In February, we should begin a targeted attempt at reducing water usage before the summer months. It's so cool that everyone has gotten into this.

Day 10 Do the Save Electricity Happy Dance

It's so exciting. While I have no way of knowing how much energy I am saving, I still feel validated. Newsletter subscriptions are coming in. By the way, I do a SMALL newsletter every month chronicling ideas for saving money and the earth.

I am about a third of the way through the challenge. I'm finding so many ideas that I think I could continue for months...but not here. I'll try not to bore you to tears.

You may have noticed form my photo that I have an incredible amount of unruly hair. While drying it with the hair dryer is quite a workout for my arms, it makes a dent in my electrical usage. If I dry it all the way through, it takes about an hour. No, that doesn't happen very often. Usually I get it dry enough that it's passable.

My goal is to put down the hair dryer. I have hair that is best left to air dry anyway. Not everyone can do this. I'm lucky. Even with a different hairstyle, I could cut back on how many minutes I use the dryer. A handy kitchen timer could be set for the target time, thus giving me an idea of how long it has been running.

I can remember being a kid and my father making us girls stand outside while the electric meter spun gleefully round and round. I don't remember what he said. Hey, I was kid and went something like, "blah, blah, blahblah, blah...."

This goes for other beauty gadgets like the curling iron and rollers. The goal is to cut back. Even if I gave up using some of these items one day a month/week it would make a downward difference in my bill. That's what I'm after. Little changes with rewards I can measure!

Don’t forget that we are giving away prizes at the end of December. To be eligible simply register for our monthly newsletter on the right. We don’t spam and we NEVER share your email address. One of our lovely prizes is a Kill-A-Watt meter to help identify what gadgets really draw in current. Pass it along. More prizes coming.I will also be sending out tweets that go along with the challenge www.twitter.com/BeautyWriter saving electricity is truly a beautiful thing.

Day 9 Erin's Elecricity Challenge

This one probably goes without saying...except we don't actually DO it.

You guessed it! Turning the lights out when we leave the room. When prompted, I always respond with something like, "I was going right back in there." The truth is I get pretty sidetracked, hence the kitchen times clipped to my collar. Ha ha ha.

Repeat after me: "I do pledge to make an effort to turn out the lights in the room as I leave. I agree to thank the person who reminds me and not to make up an excuse. I also agree to use daylight if overhead lighting is not needed."

It doesn't seem like much, but in my house, it's huge. People can always tell when I'm home because the house id lit up like a Christmas tree. I go to one room for something and then flit off for something else. Before I know it there are lights on in every room! And don't even think about what happens if I need to run to do a quick errand. Oh my. This could save me a tone of money.

Don’t forget that we are giving away prizes at the end of December. To be eligible simply register for our monthly newsletter on the right. We don’t spam and we NEVER share your email address. One of our lovely prizes is a Kill-A-Watt meter to help identify what gadgets really draw in current. Pass it along. More prizes coming.I will also be sending out tweets that go along with the challenge www.twitter.com/BeautyWriter saving electricity is truly a beautiful thing.

Day 8 Counting Electrical Savings

This will take some getting used to. I intend to use the microwave more.

The microwave takes less energy than heating up the oven. I went online and purchased some cooking items made just for the microwave. http://tinyurl.com/6c5pqt

I'll give microwaving pizza a shot and see if my family diggs it. i can't promise I'll be cooking entire meals in it. After all, I love to cook and it brings me great joy.

It just means I'll be saving the oven for when I can cook several things at once. While I'm at it, I'll set one of my timers (everyone knows how much I love little digital kitchen timers) so that I don't leave it preheating too long.

The moral of the story is to use the appropriate tool for the job. Why heat up a TV dinner in the oven when it can be done in the microwave?

Don’t forget that we are giving away prizes at the end of December. To be eligible simply register for our monthly newsletter on the right. We don’t spam and we NEVER share your email address. One of our lovely prizes is a Kill-A-Watt meter to help identify what gadgets really draw in current. Pass it along. More prizes coming.I will also be sending out tweets that go along with the challenge www.twitter.com/BeautyWriter saving electricity is truly a beautiful thing.

Day 7 of My Fabulously New Low Electric Bill

Wow, I'm really getting into this now! You guys have been great spurring me on to find more prizes and new ways to cut my electric bill.

With current events on every one's mind, how we consume and what we consume is increasingly important. People who never clip coupons are suddenly doing so. So, I know a change is happening when folks who normally consume without much thought strike up conversations with me and want more information about the challenge. Hmmmm.

"What's this electricity challenge all about?"

You see, I am a writer by trade and I also run a salon spa. Normally I'm involved in covering beauty, fashion, and business issues. The Electricity challenge was born out of the starting of a personal blog. I never thought that so many people would identify with the challenge.

So, now I talk about energy as well as beauty as a daily routine. it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. hey, maybe I can turn the thermostat down another degree? Hmmm. Ideas, ad more ideas.

Today's electricity saving endeavor is quick and simple. I've purchased thermometers for the refrigerator and freezer. I placed them inside and waited 24 hours. Oh my goodness! I found that my freezer and fridge were WAY too cold. Was wondering about those frozen veggies in the fridge a few weeks back. Hmmmm, may have the answer.

So, I adjusted the temps down and intend to check it in a day or so. The cool thing about the thermometers is that they show a range in color so you don't have to guess what temperature the fridge or freezer should be to keep your stuff safe and fresh!

While I was at it I vacuumed the coils. Don't know if that helps, but it was something that needed to be done anyway.

Don’t forget that we are giving away prizes at the end of December. To be eligible simply register for our monthly newsletter on the right. We don’t spam and we NEVER share your email address. One of our lovely prizes is a Kill-A-Watt meter to help identify what gadgets really draw in current. Pass it along. More prizes coming.I will also be sending out tweets that go along with the challenge www.twitter.com/BeautyWriter saving electricity is truly a beautiful thing.

Day 6 Still Finding Ways to Save Money on the Electric Bill

Okay, I have to admit that I am a huge fan of hanging the clothes on the line to dry, but as winter sets in I can get a bit lazy. During the winter the items don't dry quite as fast. That means I must plan ahead for laundry.

To combat winter laundry I'm getting in the habit of popping it in the washing machine first thing in the morning and then handing it on the line soon after getting ready for my day. i think I like the idea of accomplishing something before I ever get to work!

By dinnertime the clothes are dry or almost dry. Even if I have to put them in the dryer for a few minutes, I've still saved a ton of money.

While we are on the subject: did you know there is a International Clothesline Week? go to http://www.hangtodry.com/ and mark your calendars for the first full week of June.

And did you know that the folks at EnergyStar don't rate clothes dryers because there is little difference between them and they all use huge amounts of power.

I just love that clothes last longer, smell fresher, and are not filled with extra chemicals from dryer sheets and fabric softeners. A big plus is also that I don't have to iron. I pop my hubby's shirts on a hanger and let them dry--they go straight to the closet in perfect shape every time.

Don’t forget that we are giving away prizes at the end of December. To be eligible simply register for our monthly newsletter on the right. We don’t spam and we NEVER share your email address. One of our lovely prizes is a Kill-A-Watt meter to help identify what gadgets really draw in current. Pass it along. More prizes coming.I will also be sending out tweets that go along with the challenge www.twitter.com/BeautyWriter saving electricity is truly a beautiful thing.

Day 5 Drastically Reducing My Electric Bill

Today I'm trying to incorporate a new habit. Opening the blinds in the morning to let in the sun. You see, it's winter and we need the warmth. In the summer, I will have to adjust which blinds are open and when for the AC to work effectively.

The sun streaming in from the east is fairly strong. Within several hours the rooms facing east are warmed. This allows me to cut back the heat even more. Sunlight is quite flattering and is free. I'll get in the habit of reading by the window instead of turning on another light.

Just before the sun goes down, I'll close them to prevent the heat from slipping out. I'm toying with the idea of an insulating insert behind the blinds. Because of allergies, we don't have curtains. I'll also look into more energy efficient, insulating blinds as the need arises to replace the ones we have.

Don’t forget that we are giving away prizes at the end of December. To be eligible simply register for our monthly newsletter on the right. We don’t spam and we NEVER share your email address. One of our lovely prizes is a Kill-A-Watt meter to help identify what gadgets really draw in current. Pass it along. More prizes coming.I will also be sending out tweets that go along with the challenge www.twitter.com/BeautyWriter saving electricity is truly a beautiful thing.

Day 4 Electricity Challenge- Continuing to Save Money

The computer is my friend! And the printer, fax, TV, stereo, ipod...

Over the years I got into the habit of leaving everything plugged in so they would always be charged. Some things I used often while others, maybe once a month.

I've invested in some smart power strips. Devices can be plugged in and then when not in use, i can simply flip the switch and STOP the phantom power drain at the source. The smart power strip can tell when I turn off the computer and it will turn off the printer and other peripherals.

The power strips I picked up also function as surge suppressors to protect my devices. Now that could save some money.

Don’t forget that we are giving away prizes at the end of December. To be eligible simply register for our monthly newsletter on the right. We don’t spam and we NEVER share your email address. One of our lovely prizes is a Kill-A-Watt meter to help identify what gadgets really draw in current. Pass it along. More prizes coming.I will also be sending out tweets that go along with the challenge www.twitter.com/BeautyWriter saving electricity is truly a beautiful thing.

Day 3 Electricity Challenge

I don't know about you but in our family, we run the exhaust fan in the bathroom, especially during and after showers. The trouble is it runs and runs and runs...

Running the exhaust also sucks the heat out of the house, as well as using more electricity than needed.

So, from now on we are going to make an effort to turn on the exhaust only when needed and turn it off promptly when done. I'm sure it will be an adjustment. And there are times we will forget.

Running it less could make a significant reduction in our heating oil use? Who knows? We will just have to see.

Maybe January should be dedicated to reducing heating costs. Could we really find 31 things?

I was thinking about a timer for the exhaust but think it would make me lazy. My goal is to be aware, not to let go of awareness.

Don’t forget that we are giving away prizes at the end of December. To be eligible simply register for our monthly newsletter on the right. We don’t spam and we NEVER share your email address. One of our lovely prizes is a Kill-A-Watt meter to help identify what gadgets really draw in current. Pass it along. More prizes coming.I will also be sending out tweets that go along with the challenge www.twitter.com/BeautyWriter saving electricity is truly a beautiful thing.

Day 2 Reducing My Electric Bill and Saving Money

CFLs and LED technology

A great debate has begun over the safety of using CFL bulbs in the home, considering that they contain a small amount of mercury. As a person who is chemically sensitive from previous overexposures to hazardous materials, I want things to be safe.

I have a choice if I want to use technology which requires less electricity: CFL bulbs or LED components.

CFLs contain varying amounts of mercury so they could be a hazard if broken in the home and not cleaned up properly. http://tinyurl.com/5rdf56 I am going to need to weigh the dangers carefully. http://tinyurl.com/yq8a6l Energy Star puts out an informational pdf to help. http://tinyurl.com/2elryb Unbroken CFLs should be recycled and broken CFLs should be cleaned up properly. Check out the links if you want to educate yourself on how to do it. The CFLs contain much less mercury than the fillings in my teeth. EEK, is that a good thing? The good news is that the amount of mercury is being reduced dramatically.

While CFLs are readily available, I may choose to use LEDs in areas where they may come in contact with children or pets and use CFLs where they are not likely to get broken. I am not sure; I will have to think on it a bit. I would love your input on the matter. For more info on LEDs go to http://tinyurl.com/6ns7zl

I’ve gone online, and discovered a site http://www.eartheasy.com/ , and ordered a few goodies to try. First, I scooped up an amber LED bug light http://tinyurl.com/68mfh3 for outside. At $14.95 it’s about three times more expensive than the traditional incandescent I normally use. However, it will use less electricity and that reduces mercury emissions into the air at the power plant side. Yippee! It's one good thing for the environment that will also help on the electric bill. Another source for LEDs is http://tinyurl.com/6krxb7, http://tinyurl.com/6c2dsa , and http://tinyurl.com/5rjrkm .

No matter what type of bulb you choose, you’ll probably like to know what type of savings to expect. Right? GE has a whole house calculator for CFLs http://tinyurl.com/64sltf

I’m changing the bulbs in my home (about 2300 sqft) and in my Salon. Some bulbs have already been changed, so I’ll have a head start. Last year I put in natural light fluorescents in the salon to help fight a vitamin D deficiency. A side is that the natural light bulbs lift mood and can prevent seasonal affective disorder, which can strike during the winter.

Benefits all around.

Don’t forget that we are giving away prizes at the end of December. To be eligible simply register for our monthly newsletter on the right. We don’t spam and we NEVER share your email address. One of our lovely prizes is a Kill-A-Watt meter to help identify what gadgets really draw in current. Pass it along. More prizes coming.
I will also be sending out tweets that go along with the challenge www.twitter.com/BeautyWriter saving electricity is truly a beautiful thing.

Electriciy Challenge Day 1 to Lower Bills

Today is not the beginning of a quest but the hyperextension of one that has been going on for many years. Over the next 31 days, I have promised myself to research ad carry through on the things I need to do to tweak my energy usage.

Yes, that is my meter on the left. I had it checked a few years ago and the power company needed to replace it. The trouble was-- it couldn't be done in a single day. This is how it sat for a week. It was too funny not to take a picture of. Somehow, I don't think binding is an effective way of keeping electric bill small?

Each day I will check in and share a bit of the journey.

I called the Power Company and they told me that last year I used 916 kWh during December. My goal is to reduce that. Here in VA the rate for electricity is low, a mere 6.22 cents per kWh. Even so, how low can it go?

In the past I have just implemented energy savings ideas with no strategy on how to get from point A to point B. Sure, they probably helped, but did I miss some? Quite likely!
My first stop is the energy audit. Some consumers in my area are eligible for a free audit through the power company through a pilot program—I am waiting for a call back to see if I qualify. However, while I wait, I am still researching.

The US Dept of Energy has great information on choosing a company to do an energy audit and what to do to get ready. http://tinyurl.com/6bb4lz For more information on energy audits go to http://tinyurl.com/6q3vqb

Our local news did a piece on energy audits and used Chopper10 to evaluate heat loss with heat seeking radar and some other fancy electronics. Wouldn’t it be cool to have that done?

Now, I have an idea of what they look for. I will contact some companies and see about having the audit performed, but for now, I will start my own.

Well, I am off to make a checklist of what to look for.

If your company offers related services please let me know and I will give you a shout out. I am also collecting prizes to award at the end of the month. Winners will be chosen at random from the names of those who sign up for our monthly newsletter (on the right) so go sign up now! We still need more prizes so donations are welcome and I will place a link to your business on my site. iNails hotmail dot com.

A lot to think about in a short period. See you all tomorrow.

Lower Your Electric Bill in 31 Days

December will be dedicated to lowering our dependence on the public electrical grid. Every day, I will be posting a different way to reduce your dependence on electricity and to lower your bill. So, go get your electric bill and look to see how many kwh you used last December. If it isn't listed, call your electric company and ask. This will be your starting point (assuming you haven't moved or increased your base load since last year).

Sign up for my newsletter with your email. No, I don't publish frequently and won't clog your email with offers! You can unsubscribe at any time. Just register your email address ans select the mailing list you want. At the end of December I will choose a winner from the new sign-ups! The prize has not been determined yet. I'm still scouting donors. If you have a relevant electricity/earth saving product and would like some free exposure, contact me at iNails at hotmail.com I would be happy to promote your item/website as a service to help readers.

We may end up with several prizes! Wouldn't that be fun?

While you are here leave a comment on the posts and let us know what you are doing to save.

So, help yourself and help the planet. Sign up for my newsletter and qualify to win prizes in December.

Register for Newsletter, Qualify for prizes!

Prizes are coming. Stay tuned. December is devoted to: 31 days to reduce your electric bill.

I have been researching and scouring the far reaches to bring you the info you need to go way down. So, go ahead sign up for my newsletter (published monthly) and you can win prizes in December.

Black Friday Strategies

The dishes are barely cleared from the Thanksgiving table and shoppers are already in high gear for Christmas shopping. Shoppers will likely shed a few calories in the chaos as well as their hard-earned dollars.

One thing keeps reverberating in my mind. Spending doesn't mean you are saving--if it's something you don't really need or want.
So the big question is: Do you really need it and/or do you really want it?

Advertisers are good at making us think we want something. They make us think that we will be happier, prettier, thinner, more loved, more popular, etc. if we just use a certain product/brand. The truth is that you just might be happier if you passed on that offer. The happiness of financial security may just outweigh what you will spend. And don't even get me started on what happens if we put that want on a credit card. I'll simply say that your savings disappear!

So, what am I doing on Black Friday? I'm staying home. You see, my shopping is almost done. I made a simple list of my gift giving needs. I chose smaller, more local (more on this in future posts), and consumable items that I know people will use. It may be a pound of favorite coffee, kitty treats, or a pampering item from my salon line of beauty care products.

Having the shopping stuff mostly behind me, I was free to enjoy sleeping in. I didn't have to get up and brave the clod to stand in line at 3am. If this brings you joy, then go for it! My husband and I went through some clothes to donate to a local charity (our favorite is Children's Hospital of The Kings Daughters), Raked some leaves and tended our organic garden, and hung freshly washed clothes on the line.

Enjoying time together as a couple also saves money. Couples who accomplish things together establish a foundation that prevents having to spend money on marriage counseling. I know you are laughing and may even think me a little un- American.

I'm not saving to stop buying gifts or stay home. I'm just saying to think and make a conscious choice before opening your wallet. If it brings true great joy, then go ahead. But only if you can afford to do it without going into debt.