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 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 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.