Below is my post you can also see on TopekaKidsRock.com today! Be sure to visit to see all the area events happening in and around Topeka this weekend!
Saving on your Electricity Bill
I am LOVING this weather, are you? It is not too cold and it is not too hot, it is perfect. Of course, from the money saving perspective, I really love this weather because neither my furnace nor my air conditioner are running which equals big savings for our household this month!
Soon enough I won't be saving so much money because at some point the air conditioner will have to come on. Every year in our house we make it a little game to see how low we can keep our electric bill. Last year we hit a record low in our 4 years of marriage and I am not sure we can top it this year! Here are a few things that help us from turning on our air conditioner earlier than necessary and allow us to run it as little as possible during the hot summer months.
Fans Fans Fans!
One of the greatest ways we have found to keep our electric bill low is to use fans. We use our whole house fan, ceiling fans, tower fans and even a window fan! If you have an attic fan this is such a great resource as well! We primarily use the window fan while the evenings are cool and the air conditioner is still not necessary. We have one in our dining room window and turn it on at night so it can pull the cold air in. We have seen this fan cool our house as much as 5 degrees over night! Mind you our house is not that big.
Use the Crock Pot and Grill
We all know that using our oven inevitably makes the kitchen hot and depending on the type of house you have this heat will disperse to other parts of your house. Using the crock pot or grill in the hotter months are great alternatives to the oven.
Use more natural light
Since the sun is up so long in the summer months we use as few lamps and overhead lights as possible. Believe it or not overhead lights and even lamps can generate heat and use additional electricity. So open up the windows and let the natural light in!
Use power strips
Okay, this won't keep your house cool, but it will help you save on electricity. Consider plugging things such as your computer, tv/stereo and even kitchen appliances into power strips. Even when your electronics are turned off they will still use electricity as long as they are still plugged in. So plug as many things as you can into power strips and simply turn them off at night. We have noticed a $10 decrease in our monthly electric bill just by doing this. It may not sound like a lot but over a year that is $120.00! That amount of money can go a long way!
If you have other ideas be sure to share them in the comments section!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
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We made the choice to invest in thermal curtains instead of regular ones. I got some at thrift stores or yard sales and a few at stores on clearance. Its a huge difference compared to the blinds that were here when we moved in. Our coldest months in the winter had a heating bill that was about $40 less each month than least year and we don't have a big place. If you have older windows in your home, consider getting the thermal lined curtains for your windows.
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