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 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 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.