Reducing expenses

[Mattemma]

Sorry computer issues,double post!

 

[tortoise]

I put the internet thingy and cable box on timers. Internet on 7 a.m. - 11 p.m., cable on 5 p.m. - 11 p.m. Bonus - not having to listen to the elctronic humming/fan noise all day. So much more calm, I'm enjoying it. I'll have to turn the timers off on the weekends, but I think it is worth it for saving electricity and my sanity. I have my computer, lamp and cell phone charger on a power strip and have been shutting it off when I'm not using it. I am curious to see if it makes a difference in the electric bill (compared to last year).

 

[tortoise]

OK... I pulled out the Kill-A-Watt, calculator, and electric bill. We have the lower electric rate between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m.

Last month, we used 11.2 kwh/day daytime (weekdays). This includes heat. 7.2 kwh are from cable box, internet, an outlet timer, my laptop, and lamp. The rest are intermittent things - the occasional music or TV watching, cooking during the day.

Now I have a number to work from. I thought those timers were a good idea. Not exactly.

By putting a timer (12 hrs day, 12 hrs night) on the internet thing (12 hrs day, 4 hrs night), it actually would cost MORE than leaving the internet thing on 12 hrs day, 12 hrs night! Total cost of putting the internet thing on a timer = $12/year. Whoops. Taking that off the timer now.

But putting a timer on the cable box will save $2.00/month = $24/year. Jeez, that seems insignificant!

Cutting back on my computer use (print reference photos rather than keeping my computer on!) - down to 4 hours in the day and 2 hours at night will save $14/month.

I'm estimating that cooking a roast or baking during the day can cost $20+ per month! I'm going to try to make meals with 30 minutes or less of oven/stove time. That would cut $15 off a power bill! That means cooking/baking in advance at night and weekends. :/ Getting that pizza oven might help too?

Ditching my son's nightlight (he doesn't miss it) saves a piddly $0.40/month.

Apparently, I am ABLE to reduce the electric bill by almost $60, without turning down the heat. That's neat - I didn't think it would be possible to make much of a difference. Just by changing what times I do certain things, I can save a bunch of money.

I'm a little bit of a geek and I had fun crunching numbers. I highly recommend it.

 

[ORChick]

According to my husband (who understands electricity, unlike his wife :/) things that heat use more electricity than things that don't. So cooking, clothes drying, heaters are more expensive than lighting, or radios. So I am careful about heat, and worry less about leaving lights on or the radio going. Though with the lights one has to consider what sort of bulbs one is using, as incandescants put out a lot of heat as well as light.

 

[CJW]

I just purchased 3 LED bulbs. The one for the coop was the most expensive, but it will be on the most. I got it at a hardware store.

Little did I know, the *big box store*(I try to limit my purchases there) has LEDs now, and they are not terribly expensive. The ones I got were less than 6 bucks a piece. I bought 2 there to put in the lights we use most. The porch light (its an outside bulb) and I am going to put the other one above the stove (it stays on over night because my husband gets up early and needs a light on so he doesn't bust a toe on anything!). I have a CFL in it atm, but I don't trust it in case steam causes it to break and then I would have contaminated food.

Which reminds me. I am going to go change that light bulb!

 

[FarmerChick]

some of those calculatinons seem off to me
cooking a roast once a day will save $20 per month? wow that seems like alot of money in the oven

I have a toaster oven. It heats a small space. I hardly ever turn on my oven anymore since I bought it. best little purchase I ever made. Plus it re-heats food better than a re-heat in a micro. I think I use my oven about 3 times a month now since I got my little toaster oven. I mainly cook on the stovetop. I don't do roasts often and when I do it is a crockpot situation.

so for me, crockpot and toaster/convection oven are tops for cooking



you are so lucky you get that power discount between 7pm and 7 am

we don't. I called my power company and they said they don't do that...what they do is price winter and summer costs different which stinks. doesn't let me truly control when I use the dryer etc.

you go girl---you will be taking your money back from the power company! sounds great

 

[tortoise]

I looked up online how much electricity and "average" stove uses at 350 degrees and calculated 4 hours. Now I'm realizing that it was only counting the maximum use while it is heating. And it isn't heating the entire time.... so maybe take that number divided by 4?

ORChick - you are absolutely right. The most expensive thing is heating water. Our water heater shuts off at 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.

I am thinking about having my fiance turn down the heat by one degree.

 

[freemotion]

Check out the fireless cooker thread! By Big Brown Horse! I love crock pot meals, so tender and flavorful. I think I'm gonna make one of these from scraps I already have here. I made an insulated water bucket for my horse with packing peanuts and Great Stuff spray insulation and it was amazing, even in subzero weather. I bet it can be re-fitted as a fireless cooker, especially since the goats can't reach into it so I'm not using it for water.

 

[Denim Deb]

Check out the fireless cooker thread! By Big Brown Horse! I love crock pot meals, so tender and flavorful. I think I'm gonna make one of these from scraps I already have here. I made an insulated water bucket for my horse with packing peanuts and Great Stuff spray insulation and it was amazing, even in subzero weather. I bet it can be re-fitted as a fireless cooker, especially since the goats can't reach into it so I'm not using it for water.

OK, I need info on this.

 

[freemotion]

Check out the fireless cooker thread! By Big Brown Horse! I love crock pot meals, so tender and flavorful. I think I'm gonna make one of these from scraps I already have here. I made an insulated water bucket for my horse with packing peanuts and Great Stuff spray insulation and it was amazing, even in subzero weather. I bet it can be re-fitted as a fireless cooker, especially since the goats can't reach into it so I'm not using it for water.

OK, I need info on this.

Post #4 here: http://www.sufficientself.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=38457#p38457