There is a difference between cutting your power bill and cutting the amount of electricity that you use. It would be great if using less electricity would cut your bills but when the usage is cut the power company always asks and normally receives a rate increase. I cut my usage by about a half when my husband went to a nursing home two years ago. First year the bill was lower. Second year it was just above the last one before he went. He watched tv probably 18 hours a day because he slept very little. He also insisted that some of the lights be on just incase he wanted to get up and do something. This year my light bill for one averages $36 above what it was when he was living here.

Ways to cut usage is to use utilities that someone other than yourself is paying and seldom be home.

I rigged a clothesline under the roof on my porch and in good weather, hang my clothes outside to dry. Also set the thermostat on my hot water heater down by 1 degree. Every little bit helps!

I've done what you're doing, JoAnn. I started about ten or eleven years ago and it does really pay off. Although, I've been on a baking spree for the last several months so I'm probably a little higher in my monthly power bill than I used to be. :-)

Do your laundry at night and if you use a dishwasher do the same. Power rates are usually lower at night. Dry your clothes on a lower heat setting. In your case you probably use the sunshine. Up here in the north...that's not always an option.

Go through your house and check for air leaks [cracks and the like]...around windows and doors...along floor boards. It sounds like a minor suggestion but I can't begin to tell you how much heat and AC I've saved by sealing hidden air leaks. Keeps my place cleaner, too.

Congratulations! And good luck. You'll be amazed at how much you'll save over time.

If your water tank is heated by electricity, lower the tank thermostat. If you have a refrigerator and a separate freezer, figure out whether it is really cost effective to have the extra freezer.

If you use a dishwasher, don't use the 'heated dry' cycle, let the dishes air dry. And if it has a delayed start option, set it to run in the wee hours of the morning, Also, give your AC thermostat settings some serious thought. A few degrees warmer may not be all that uncomfortable, and could help lower your bill. Don't keep the refrigerator and/or freezer doors open any longer than absolutely necessary.

I am slowly switching to LED bulbs, too. They are expensive, so I'm not replacing all at once, but when a 'regular' bulb burns out, it is replaced with a LED bulb. (And, I'm too cheap to replace a bulb that still has some life in it!)

Rusty

I got LED bulbs at the Dollar tree today ($1.00) They are really bright too! 60W only uses 8W's.

Try drying your clothes a few minutes less in the dryer. Often they are dry for quite a while before the tumbling/heat stops. If you use a desktop computer, power it off overnight, not the sleep setting. Air dry your hair...less curling iron? Do not put red hot food in the refrigerator right away as it raises the temp in the fridge and it has to run more. Less oven meals and more stir-fry dishes.

If you have window ACs pull the filter and wash it every 3-4 weeks, if you have central, change the filter once a month. Not only will you be cooler, you will use less electricity if the filters are not clogged. That goes for the filter in your clothes dryer too, clean it after every use.

Don’t forget to unplug unused power cords for your cell phones, and any other chargeable devices such as rechargeable flashlights and power tools. They will continue to use power just being plugged into an outlet.

Thanks, JoAnn, I never think to go in Dollar Tree, except when I need a gift bag for something. I'll have to check them out next time I'm out and about.

Rusty

Put the dishwasher on eco, no heated drying. Open a window instead of turning on the AC or a fan. Turn the temp down on your "electric" hot water heater. Don't use an electric tooth brush.

A word of caution about plugging and unplugging power cords into wall sockets.

Power strips are the best to use for conserving energy use. You throw a switch and that cuts the power.

Pulling a plug from an outlet/socket multiple times can loosen the power wires to the fixture itself. That can result in arching and that can cause multiple electrical issues. If you've been doing this for a while...pulling and pushing power cords in and out of a particular socket...rest your hand over the outlet the next time you use it. If it feels warm...the power wires to that fixture could be loose and before you use it again...have it checked by an electrician or in-home handy person.

How do I know this? I have a particular AC wall socket that did just what I'm warning you about. Fortunately...for me...I noticed the excessive warmth and promptly had the socket replaced.

I use incandescent lighting everywhere. Most are on dimmers. We turnoff lights when not using the room. We don't have our porch light on unless we are expecting someone. Actually I think that may just be on Halloween. LOL I will sometimes turn it on late night if I take out the garbage or go to my car for something. I don't leave it on for my return when I am out.

Neighbors have all sort of motions sensor lights, and security lights etc. Porch lights are either left on or are activated every time a tree blows in the wind. I notice they have most of their homes lit up every night. They use all the new fangled save energy lights. But according to my usage report the utility company sends periodically. we do as well or better using our energy hogging lights.

All this energy saving stuff is silly. It's feel good stuff. In California it's all about the money. Just not anything to do with the consumer saving money. Most environmental things are feel good boondoggles. If it's says for the children or for the environment it's most likely not.

All this energy saving stuff is silly.

I don't think energy saving is silly. Here in Texas we use a lot of energy just so our homes are livable in the summer. It is possible to save quite a bit of money if one follows some of the energy saving hints above.

Several people mentioned decreasing the temps of hot water heaters. That can save money, but dropping the temps too far can result in bacterial growth of various kinds including unpleasant sulfur bacteria.

JoAnn, please keep us updated. I would be very interested to see just how much you saved monthly by doing all the above-mentioned ideas.

For me, I do try to do most of the obvious mentioned. I agree with Winter in that I will not be pulling cords in and out and although we do have power strips for some things, not in the kitchen.

For me, for immediate gratification, I like to save money at the supermarket. I have become more diligent about electronically loading coupons and savings to my store card, and then actually looking at what I load BEFORE going to the store. I never print this out, easy to just take notes. I can also keep track of my points that lead to significant savings in gas.

If you set the temp very low on the water heater, you use an entire tank each time you use it and need to reheat that entire volume of water each time so that is not economical. Nor is keeping a tank of water at a high temp at all times. Many water heaters mark the range on the dial that is energy saving. You could pick the lower end of that area.

https://www.thespruce.com/lower-your-electric-bill-1388743

Our house is 100% LED lamps, energy wise TV's and home theater system, all appliances are energy star and we don't waste dollars on an "extra" refrigerator or freezer. Ceiling fans are DC motors, using pennies a day to operate. According to my AEP provided energy bridge, I'm saving energy $$$ over comparable sized homes and family size.

CREE and several other brands of LED lamps are very inexpensive when accompanied by utility company instant rebates.

If you do choose a power strip, make sure it includes a circuit breaker, and avoid using the ones that are temporary taps. Those are nothing more than an extension cord. If your power strip is labeled, "for temporary use only", it's not protecting your equipment or your safety.

I've done everything we can possibly do to reduce the amount of electricity and gas we use, but it doesn't work. It really doesn't work. The utility companies lose money, so they hike your rates. I gave up years ago.

Utilities rates are authorized/denied by public utility commissions. The PUC is pretty much similar to politicians. They don't serve you, they serve donors and lobbyists.

A comment about things growing in hot water tanks. Most hot water tanks can not be set above 140F for Legionnaires and some of the other things that can grow in water tanks. This is one of the reasons that some areas of the country are going to multiple "instant hot water system". Of course those would increase your electric bill.

Our utilities suggest setting thermostats at 78F summer and 65 days 58 nights. For here 78 will not remove the humidity of the summer. Each year they have been raising the summer temperature. If you raise the thermostat but then use fans to circulate or blow air on you there is little savings of electricity because most fans use more than the a/c if you keep the a/c or heating in the winter at a constant temperature. Your bill will continue to go up because of two things. The companies need to replace the aging system. The stockholders want more return for their investment. Before you blast the stockholders you should be aware that many retirement/mutual funds contain some utility companies so you may be benefiting.

Used to watch a show Aliens about a ship that crashed on the earth. The final season was about the stoppage of using air conditioning to prevent the electrical system from crashing. The raising of the suggested temperature has made me think about those episodes.

We do most of what is mentioned in the comments above and it helps a lot to keep electric costs down. Our electric company (co-op) offers time-based economy usage rates which are lower than regular, and a lot lower than peak usage time rates. So I try to do most high electric usage chores during economy or regular rate time.

Re. outdoor lights, husband installed 100% solar-powered motion detector lights. They've lasted for years and just need to be kept clean to allow for charging during the day.

The biggest positive impact was replacing our fairly old windows with good quality energy efficient windows, and our old air conditioner/heating unit with a good heat pump. They paid for themselves after about 5 years and will hopefully make the house easier to sell when we decide to move.

When investing in HVAC, be sure to buy the highest end communicating system you can afford. Humidity can be removed at 78 degrees if the system is a variable stage versus single stage cooling. Single stage requires 24% more energy to achieve desired temperatures and humidity. Variable speed will dehumidify without lowering temperatures.

A pic of my thermostat in real time. We maintain 76 degrees and 48% humidity.

I've always tried to conserve resources, including electricity (my frugal nature goes beyond finances), but the best thing I did for my electric bill was to sign up for a plan that gives me free electricity from 7 to 11 each night. The rest of the time I pay slightly more than I used to per KWh, but I do my laundry and run the dishwasher between 7 and 11, and it's made a big difference. I also pre-cool my bedroom when it's hot and pre-heat it when it's cold, etc. A family member with small children signed up for the same plan, and since they do more laundry, and take showers between 7 and 11 it's made even more a difference for them.

The new smart meters make sure you will pay more. They can monitor when peak times are and charge people more.

But then again you have the opportunity to know when peak times are and choose not to use electricity at those times and pay less.

My previous electric company would send out notices when power use was extremely high and actually pay via reductions in one's bill if one lowered power use during those times. Mostly it was hot afternoons in the summer.

Here the power company had a program where if you signed up for it they, not you, would reduce the amount of electricity flowing through your meter. I think there was a reduction in fees for that time. Two different parent companies since then and no additional flyers with the information so do not know what they do now. I have found the mention of Smart Meters on other postings interesting because that was the name that was used for the ones that reduced usage during peak hours.

Edited to add you should sign up at your utilities website and see what days/hours use the most. Pay particular attention to those days that you are not at home. There was little change on the days I took a vacation and only left one light on. Which should mean that it is not the lightbulbs that draw the energy. I use power strips for most of my things and pay extra for a surge protector at my meter. The usage when I am gone is what the base usage is.

Smart meters are not a way to increase your energy bill, it's a way to help you decrease it. A Smart Meter, accompanied by an Energy Bridge is a very simple way to eliminate waste and avoid excessive use during peak hours. A phone app is the link to the bridge and it lists everything running, all things that are always on, etc.

Smart meters are the best thing for energy savers.

Who said anything about increasing the bill. I mentioned that the meters that were controlled by the electric company here were called Smart Meters and stated that the company would control reductions through them. I said nothing about increasing the bill and unless another person had a post about Smart Meters I am the only one that mentioned them. The electric company has done some reductions this year when the temps were in the upper 90's but it was done area wide and not just at houses that have these meters.

I have also been told that in other places Smart Meters are only to relay the usage to the company via satellite. Since I opted out of the original program because of various concerns I never had to pay extra for the "special meter" that was offered at that time but my meter is read via satellite. Only extra charge is the surge protection.

Brushworks You need to read better. If someone is trying to save money by cutting electricity or other utilities they probably do not have or want to spend the extra money to make their house app ready. I could have gotten the app feature on my washer and dryer last year if I wanted to spend an extra $200 each. Giving suggestions of things that could be used is great if you describe how they work and the cost. Somethings are simple after the installation. It is the installation that prevents people from having them.

Hareball

The new smart meters make sure you will pay more. They can monitor when peak times are and charge people more.

I was responding to the above post which was posted prior to yours. I won't be snarky by saying, "you need to read better".

Most of the folks here already have a smartphone, the app is free, and the smart meter bridge is free. How does that cost more to save? Explain.

Trying to save money and electricity is a good idea but how many of you drive older cars that get poor gas mileage? Or largish cars with a size and capacity in excess of what you usually need to transport?

I read an article once about electric water heaters having a problem with Legionnaires disease. It's because the lower heating coil isn't at the bottom of the tank and so there's a layer of cold to warmish water that isn't heated to a high enough temperature to kill the bacteria. A 120 degree setting is adequate because the bacteria is killed in some reasonable number of hours. Gas water heaters don't have the problem because the heat is applied at the very bottom.

Brushworks, you may know that much of the Far West has dry rather than humid air when it's hot. Variable speed/multistage A/C and communicating thermostats are a waste of money for most people in this area for most "normal" summer weather. There are exceptional periods when humid air moves in from the south but those are more the exception than the rule.

The cost is to have all of the things that would connect to the app. As I mentioned the washer and dryer could connect to the app but at least for the Samsung I purchased it was an additional charge for the mechanism to connect to the app. Without that portion on many of the things in a normal house would not be able to connect. So far not all things are app ready or if they do come with an app to connect to your phone they cost more than those without the connective ability. Eventually all of the things in a household may be able to connect to an app but right now those things are more expensive. The OP was wanting energy savings. Monitoring is part of that savings but if they do not have the appliances that will talk to various apps there would be a cost to obtain those appliances.

It would be nice if there was just one charge on the electric bill rather than a customer charge, energy charge, DSIM, and FAC charges. Plus various taxes and franchise fees.

Elmer, of course. I lived in Yuma, AZ for a few years. I'm only addressing the needs of humid parts of the country when talking variable stage A/C. Like here, 94 degrees and 92% humidity. Unfortunately, many in humid areas will choose a system for a few hundred $ less, not realizing the savings comes from spending a few hundred more on the right equipment.

maifleur01,

You misunderstood what I said about the smart meter, energy bridge and app.

The energy bridge doesn't require an appliance app to read the usage. It does so at the source of the connections. A smart meter detects and reads every outlet and light switch connected to it. For example, I know I have 7 always on devices and the app tells me where they are located. I can choose to leave them on or disable them, saving energy, about $8 a month. So that's helpful if you wish to save $96 a year.

A bridge can also alarm you to repair a faulty connection, incorrect polarity, faulty breaker, and more.

As for one charge, I've never seen any utility bill with just once charge. Even water has several charges, like water, sewer, clean rivers surcharge, storm water from roof and pavement, etc. Then add 5% if you pay by CC. By law, they have to inform you what you're paying for.

Brushworks I looked this morning at various energy monitoring systems and most only show energy usage for the whole house not individual things, "it lists everything running, all things that are always on, etc.". Which is the same thing that my utility already does on line. The Bridge is not supplied here by the utility company and the cheap $49 one at Amazon only shows whole house usage. If I would have purchased the extra with my washer and dryer within it there was a feature that would tell exactly how much energy each cycle was using. That would be more useful to help save energy when it is available in everything. There was a $299 online system that connects to the circuit breaker box that might monitor each outlet but the information provided was not clear as to if it monitored each outlet or just the household usage. It is something to look at for future usage if and when I can redo this house.

I do nearly all of the things mentioned previously (LEDs, unplugging or switching off power strips etc), and another is to not use or minimize use of appliances that generate heat on days when I am running the AC (I can easily tolerate 80 degrees in the house, as long as the humidity is controlled, and that is what it is set at. 76 will feel a bit chilly to me). For example, vacuuming, hair dryer, dishwasher, desk PC.

So my house will be in need of a good vacuuming once this hot spell passes!

Like Brushworks, I have the smart meter now from the electric company, and they send statements comparing my usage to the neighborhood. I regularly am 15- 30% less than "other efficient homes" in the area.

My electric bill is always low but I don't have air conditioning or a dishwasher (just me) . Last months bill was $24 which is average for summer months but will rise in the winter months with furnace running. I have a new meter but I really don't know if it's the smart one.

I just checked my statement and it is a smart meter.

Marylmi lucky you. Our base is much higher plus a few taxes and fees. Currently the company I am with, Spire. is being investigated because so many people who selected level pay for this past year has had to bring current paying large amounts. I knew their figure was incorrect so left it on level pay but paid just above the average of the previous year. I had a balance due under $2.00 which was just added to this year. They showed mine less than half of the previous years monthly average.

Maifleur01, the light bill here has always been fairly low even back when I did a lot of baking and we had cows watering which ran the pump it seemed constantly. My hot water heater is electric. Only thing gas is the furnace. In other parts of the state though I have read on Facebook, etc. That their bills were quite high with the smart meter.i have Consumers Energy..

Do you use your TV "out of the box"?

Adjust the display on your television

Why?
New televisions are originally set to look best on the showroom
floor. However, these bright display modes are often unnecessary for
your home and use a considerable amount of energy. Adjusting your TV's
display settings can significantly reduce its power use without
compromising picture quality.

Step by step:

1. Access the display menu with the remote. Consult your owner's manual if you need help.
2. Adjust factory settings. Options like "dynamic" or
   "vivid" are usually high-power settings. Others, such as "cinema,"
   "movie" or "pro" provide appropriate brightness while using considerably
   less energy.
3. For manual controls, reduce brightness and contrast. These two display features strongly affect your TV's energy consumption.
4. Take time to adjust. Wait a day or two to get used
   to your new settings. Initially, the picture may look different, since
   you are accustomed to the current display. Over time you are likely to
   find that a less bright display is just as captivating and enjoyable.

Good to know: TV calibration DVDs or Blu-ray discs
can help you fine-tune your display settings. Buy them where TVs are
sold or through electronics retailers online.

(AEP)

The results are in................... my bill was $53.78 less than last month. There are 2 fewer days for this months bill but it's still good. :^ )

Going in the right direction!

Something to look at besides dollars are kwh and temperature during the month. Perhaps not where you are but here the amount charged per kwh changes twice a year. Both natural gas companies and electric companies change their rates about the same time. The water company does it also. I believe between November and middle of March rates are lower.

JoAnn-I read recently regarding power usage-"anything" that requires heat will "up" your power bill.

I am a hydro miser-have been,forever.

All in,that is,taxes,delivery,retirement funds and power used,my bill "averages" $130/month.

I unplug everything thruout the day when I am done with it-about the only thing left on daily using continual power is our alarm clock.

The phone chargers used by most continually use power...once the phone is charged,unplug the charger.

Our rates here are LOW from 7p.m. to 7 a.m....so a good lot of what I need power for is in that time frame.

Thru out the day,I only have my radio on,rarely the tv.

Lights are mostly energy savers as are our appliances.

I do have a deep freezer-living rurally it is needed as a trip to a grocery store is 45 minutes average away.

We shower/bathe at night generally when the rates are lowest

One thing that we do,and have done for years is not lower the thermostat on the hot water(electric) heater,but we turn off the breaker after 7 a.m. everyday and turn it back on after 7 at night.

The heater is at 140 all the time....once off,the water stays HOT,most of the day....depending on my usage thru out the day.

I know I will hear from some that this can wear out the breakers-sure it can,over a period of time,but to replace the breaker here is not costly at all,in comparison to the actual monthly savings.

My power for Sept. just past, was a credit of $108+

For Oct 1st my bill in total it was $28.07.....and that is using the big old A/C system here when it was humid-usage of this system here generally runs about 4-7$$ /day,which to me is expensive-but its better than having mould growing everywhere

Now,when November rolls around,it "should" be around $110-125.

Just remember,if you are not using something that draws or trickles power, to unplug it...good luck

There is so much variation in how utilities charge that it’s best to know the ins and outs of billing in your area. I checked going to time of day usage and the savings for off peak were minuscule vs the jacked up rates for on peak. So we passed on that one.

Also for comparing your energy savings, it is better to look at same month year ago than the prior month. It helps eliminate seasonal variation. So compare Sept this year vs Sept last year.

Last Sept was $9.13 higher, this month I used 452.00 less kWh's every little bit helps.

Always compare usage, kwh, rather than money over a years time. Before the current reincarnation of our electric and natural gas companies they provided a running 24 month listing with averages of money and kwh from both 12 month time frames which was handy. The electric company was approved for a rate decrease in July. Yesterday they asked for an increase.

May not be every state but here they ask for an increase of rates from a certain date. Seldom are they not approved. The months after the rate increase is approved will be catchup time for the months from the day they mentioned in their rate increase to the current time. Since they are allowed to do this here that is the reason when money savings is mentioned on a utility I caution about paying attention to the units rather than dollars.

Interesting.......see.....I just got my electric bill, I record kilowatts, I never used to, but I was curious, so I enter it in my bank register now. I used 277 kw....total last month!

I'm told my well has a pump that runs 24/7 and that my electric bill might be higher because it never shuts off. Very interesting......

Washing machine per load= 1.9 kw x 4 per month= 7.6 kw per month

Dryer for 42 minutes x 4(1.8kw) = 7.2kw

Refrigerator=72 kw per month

Dish washer= 2.4kw x 4 per month = 9.6

The cats water fountain runs 24/7 and the whole house air purifer cycles. 2 clocks are plugged in, garage door opener is electric, 6 outlet night lights are on dusk till dawn. Compared to your figures, mine seem really low.....

(I got the figures off google searches)