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.

When You Reach for the Switch

Oh yeah, you know what I'm going to say? Make sure you turn the lights out when you leave the room? Well, that's partially true. Turning out the lights when you leave the room, or better yet, use natural window light to see will save you a bundle. But that isn't what I was going to point out.

Behind that faceplate is a space that air can escape or invade. Light switches and outlets are easy to miss. They are small and unassuming. How many outlets and switches does your house have?

Insulators can be found at your local hardware store for a few dollars a pack. They are quick to install and over time the savings can add up.

One thing I found in this old home is that some of the covers were ill fitting and there were gaps in the plaster around them that could be sealed with patching medium.

I have no clue how much savings can be garnered. If anyone has a calculator for that I would love to post a link here, so send it on.

Power Tip #5 Pull on a sweater. Add a layer of long underwear. Shrug into a cardigan. Do whatever you have to do to mitigate the cold BEFORE turning the heat up.

Power Tip #6 Add more blankets to the bed and you may get away with turning the heat way down at night. If you live in a colder region a heated mattress pad or blanket may be in order. That's about eight hours of turning the heat down. That's 720 hours over a 90 day period. What could you save if you turned the heat back over time?

Stay tuned for more Power Tips over time. Each one, on it's own, may not lend a drastic change. Put them together and you will have a supercharged savings plan.